Understanding Nonsense — William Ryan

At least twice a week, as I’m lying in bed, I can hear the voice of Paulie Walnuts from “The Sopranos” whispering one of his famous quotes in my ear: “A man needs his seven hours. Keeps his mind sharp.” Aside from the hilarity of that scene, Paulie…

Last weekend, my wife and I went to Manhattan to see comedian Alex Edelman perform his one-man show “Just for Us” on Broadway. The show revolves around how he initially sneaks into a white nationalist meeting as a joke (he’s Jewish), but comes out of it…

During the last month, the smoke from Canadian wildfires has made its way into a significant area of the United States, drastically affecting the ability of residents to breathe, particularly those with health conditions. As someone with cystic fibrosis (CF), I find it to be yet another…

As a former stand-up comedian, I’ve heard jokes about every topic under the sun, from Tinder to kitchen appliances, to every dark and demented aspect of human life. I’ve also made jokes about my battle with cystic fibrosis (CF), and I make no apologies for it. It was…

For years, it felt like Dad and I were polar opposites of each other, despite sharing the same first and last name and some of the same DNA. He’s always been an outgoing and boisterous person, ready to lead anybody into singing Frank Sinatra, coaching county-champion baseball and basketball teams,…

Living with a terminal illness such as cystic fibrosis (CF) can leave one asking questions like, “How would my life be different if my cystic fibrosis were cured?” Many of us would love to be cured of CF, but it’s difficult to approach the idea of what life would…

I am not comfortable peeling back the curtain and letting people see in person what my life is like with cystic fibrosis (CF). I know I write about some aspects of my life with CF, but the audience gets to move on after reading while I must continue…

One of my favorite things about my mom is that she has really good taste in entertainment. I know it might sound shallow, but really, I love it. Growing up as an only child with cystic fibrosis (CF), I sat around watching a lot of television and movies. Because…

I could just smell it. I didn’t want to breathe it in; no one did. The air was as thick as the winter coat I was wearing. The smell stabbed at my skull like a lobotomy. My mom and I got off the boat, and she made sure I pulled…

New medicine can be scary, especially for a person with cystic fibrosis (CF), because all medications come with side effects, some predictable and some not. When you couple new meds with an entirely new way to take them, it can be a daunting double-whammy. However, my journey using…

Note: This column includes thoughts about suicide. Resources for help are listed at the end. The Los Angeles Dodgers weren’t always based in sunny LA. Formerly the Brooklyn Dodgers, and affectionately known as “Dem Bums,” the team was beloved by all in the New York borough, including my…

Since my recovery from a life-threatening sepsis attack on my gallbladder and appendix in 2019, I’ve slowly begun to put together my family’s history, going back to Ireland. The attack triggered an urgency within me to get the full picture of who I am and who my family is and…