Thank You Cystic Fibrosis!!!

Thank you cystic fibrosis.

How did I get to a point in my life where I can actually thank the terminal disease that robbed me of normalcy from the moment I was born? I often wonder that myself. I remember crying on my Superman comforter at the age 9 when hours earlier I opened up the "C" volume of the encyclopedia to learn that because I was born with two lousy genes, my life was on a timer that would likely go off at least 50 years before any of my friends. I had cystic fibrosis (CF), a disease that people knew very little about except that it was a killer of hopes and dreams.


Wearing this mask made me feel sicker than I already was.

Cystic fibrosis was always in the back of my mind growing up. I was the only kid who brought his mom along during our patrol trip to Disney World. It was not because she wanted to ride "It's a Small World After All" 10 times. She disguised it that she was a chaperone but she and I knew exactly why she was there. It was because I needed postural drainage therapy everyday. That's where my parents hit my sides, front and back to loosen the phlegm in my lungs. By the way, I learned long ago not to tell my teachers that my parents hit me everyday...it kind of disqualifies my mom and dad from parents of the year consideration.

That wasn't the only thing that made me look different because of CF. I was the only kid who trudged towards the principal's office at lunch to swallow pills, a skill that most of my peers would not master for another 15 to 20 years. In hindsight, it might have been cool to tell my peers that I was getting in trouble everyday hence my visits to the principal. I could have been the bad boy because a lot of bad boys look skinny and malnourished, right?

I was the only child whose biggest worry wasn't math or social studies tests but rather pulmonary function tests which decided whether a hospital stay was in order.

As I got older and my friends were applying to colleges, I was too busy worried about biannual trips to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to visit my CF specialist. I didn't think I would be able to go to college because my parents needed to do my therapy every day. It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school and the invention of The Vest that I was able to have some hope that I could live a life of independence. It's funny that most kids at 16 consider their independence a driver's license but for me it was an 80 pound machine and a vest to help me loosen mucus in my lungs. The irony was that to be independent, a 5'6" skinny kid had to lug around an 80 pound machine when I traveled. As I worked out and got stronger after college, Hill-Rom, the makers of The Vest, was actually building lighter machines.

In college, cystic fibrosis did the unthinkable. It made me wish I wasn't here anymore. I didn't like feeling different. I tried "normalcy" by stopping my meds and my treatments but instead of feeling less different, I felt more. I couldn't walk three steps without coughing. I couldn't play sports anymore. Worse, I hated being around anyone. I was skinny, depressed and failing out of school. I was barricading myself in my room for days at a time. Life was in a word, "unlivable."

It's a quarter century since those days hibernating in my room rooting for rather than fearing for my demise. I'm here today primarily because I finally understood that CF was not "causing" anything; I was. Instead of saying CF made me feel different, I had to reword it and say "I felt different because..." I had to learn accountability for my feelings and actions. I had to change my course of action in the classroom, the gym and in the everyday world.

Today I live mostly normal. I am a husband, a father, a little league coach for both of my kids, a workout fanatic, a motivational speaker, a fundraiser, an author and a person who just happens to have a disease that is the number one killer amongst genetic disorders in the United States. Yes, I do two to three hours of therapy and take 40 to 50 pills daily and my median life expectancy is still roughly 30 years shorter than my peers but I am alive and even more importantly I want to be alive and that's a 180 degree change compared to my college days.


I never liked holding a nebulizer, but by doing it everyday, it has allowed me to hold more precious things.

I am human though and I still dread going to quarterly doctor's appointments. I still worry about the future. I still wonder why my sister lost her battle after just 16 days and I'm still entrenched in mine. People often wonder how I can be so positive (Except about my Atlanta sports teams but who can blame me, right?) about life. The thing is I'm not always positive as my family will attest. I often deal with my anxiety and depression which I've sometimes found more difficult than CF itself. Despite every battle, I've learned a lesson that most people don't learn until it's too late...

Life for the most part is "NOT" unfair. Life is what you make out of it. There are opportunities to do so many special things. I could look at having CF as a dagger that killed my normalcy before I was old enough to understand what normalcy even was or I could understand some of the special things I've been able to participate in because I was born with this disease. For a long time, I chose the former but during the second half of my life I've learned to relish the latter.


There's no way I would have been able to do this in 2001 if it hadn't been for CF.

Ironic as it sounds, cystic fibrosis has saved my life. It has taught me the importance of physical fitness, emotional accountability and the appreciation for the little things that most people with two good genes take for granted.

I'm not the same person I was back in my childhood days. Many of us aren't. The difference is that my change had to occur or I wouldn't be here today. One thing that hasn't changed since my younger days is that cystic fibrosis is still in the back of my mind at just about every moment. The difference is how I respond to its constant beckoning. It is now less a feeling of fear and more appreciation for the journey it has taken me and the destination I have been fortunate to find.

Thank you cystic fibrosis.


Wearing a mask no longer makes me feel sick.

Why is it so hard to deal with anxiety and depression as opposed to say something physical like cystic fibrosis?
When you deal with cystic fibrosis as I do, people often tell you that you're heroic even though you may not do anything heroic. You're just a victim of circumstance. Granted, the work those of us put in can be defined as heroic but just having the disease is not one bit heroic.
When you deal with something mental like anxiety and depression which I also do, people often tell you to "snap out of it." Not many people unless they deal with mental illness or work as a therapist see the heroism but trust me there are some days that surviving those 24 hours when your brain does not want you to could be labeled heroic.
Mental illness is stereotyped very negatively in this country because of some of the awful things that have happened regarding guns and mental illness. Trust me though, there are some amazing people in this world that deal with mental illness too. It could be your neighbor, your best friend or quite frankly anyone you know. Most likely, you'll never know because this disease is most likely "invisible" to outsiders.
I deal with depression and anxiety but I used to look at mental illness the way most people did. I saw it as a cop out. Now that I've been diagnosed and am on meds, I see the difference it has made in my life.
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans deal with some sort of mental illness and around 450 million people worldwide currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of disability globally.
Please help erase the negative stereotypes of mental illness and pull for the millions of invisible heroes around the world.
After all, one day, like me, you may realize that you are one of them.
Thank you!

My Russian Roulette

You ever heard of the game Russian Roulette? A person puts a gun to his head and he doesn't know if a bullet will come out when he pulls the trigger. How about a Major League baseball prospect who uses a radar gun to determine if he is going to get signed by a scout? Or maybe you have a test to take and you realize you didn't study the right material when you see the questions and you know that test counts for 90 percent of your grade.

What do all 3 of these things in common? The results could vary but regardless there is a lot is riding on them.

That segues perfectly into the PFT or should I say the Russian Roulette of cystic fibrosis. The PFT or pulmonary function test is a test that has a patient breathe in and then blow out as hard as he or she can three to four times and the results give you several numbers but one in particular which determines a lot. It's called the FEV1 and this determines how much you breathe out in the first second. This number can determine antibiotics, hospital stays or even being put on the transplant list.

I go to the clinic tomorrow to take my Russian Roulette, I mean PFT. This appointment is sooner than normal since my numbers have been down. Over the past few months, I've experienced some tightness in my lungs so I've combatted it with the only thing I know how...being aggressive with medicine and working out every day like there is no tomorrow.

Over the last few months (other than some of our travel days), I have been putting in 45 minute workouts including lifting weights, ab workouts, 1,800 jump ropes and 600 jumping jacks per day. I'm running between 1 and 4 miles per day and did the Peachtree Road Race in record time in July. I'm working out with a trainer once or twice a week. I'm doing three 45 minute therapies each day and cutting down to two on the weekend. I've added swimming laps to my routine. They're not typical laps though. I swim to the end of the pool (not regulation length) and back without a breath six times (taking breaks in between) and then do a few other laps in between. In comparison, a few years ago, I would be lucky to do half a lap without a breath. I've gained some weight which is good with CF but I'm now trying to eat a little better so that the gain is mostly muscle and not Rice Krispie Treats...I mean fat. Ha Ha! I am also doing research by asking questions to doctors and finding out what kind of machinery works for patients (my nebulizer machine blew while I was in Europe - thank goodness I brought a portable backup device) and have bought a new cleaning device as well as a new nebulizer machine. What hasn't changed is taking 40 to 50 pills per day and being anxious about tomorrow's PFT.

Two months ago after a bad test at the doctor, I went home and the next day did about 15 PFT's. The average person should do 3 max! Needless to say on the last one, I blew so hard that blood came out of my throat and onto my portable device. I was freaked out, exhausted and deflated. And for the last few months I've been gun-shy about doing a PFT for the fear of low results and obviously blood spewing out.

CF requires giving it everything and some days it's about giving it more. While this doesn't always make a difference in the numbers, it makes a difference in how one feels mentally. I still deal with anxiety and depression and I know it's not easy on my family. I go months closing myself off but I'm working on that. It helps to have the strongest person I know in my corner, my wife. Without her, I seriously do not know where I would be.

There are a lot of bright spots right now. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is working on a triple drug combination that will finally include my genotype. It will probably be available in 2019 but maybe even as soon as 2018. The swimming has allowed me to have time with my kids and become an Olympic Champion at finding dive toys. I realize even more how amazing my wife is and how fortunate I am to have her. Finally, life, while difficult at times, is still precious.

Live your dreams and love your life!

Andy

The Rewards of Invincibility

When I was five, I found myself running upstairs though quite often coughing, digging through my drawers and throwing on my short-sleeved royal blue Superman shirt and a red cape with Velcro straps that I would hook around my neck. I would then dart to the top of the stairs with my arms raised as if I could fly anywhere at anytime and my cough while obvious to those around me was insignificant during those episodes because my focus was my feeling of invincibility. The title of "Superman" gave me that feeling of strength and determination that so often cystic fibrosis tried to take away.



I felt a bond with Superman early on...

Around the age of eight, I opened up an encyclopedia to learn that people with cystic fibrosis don't normally live to the age of 25. At least that's how it was in the early eighties. I was devastated. I went from a feeling of invincibility to extremely vulnerability. I was not Superman. It was around that time that I stopped digging through my drawers to find the cape and ceased from raising my arms around the house because it just didn't seem to matter anymore. Superman was immortal. I, on the other hand, had less than two decades of mortality left.



The cape disappeared; was my desire next?

As I grew up, I learned that Superman was less about wearing a cape and an "S" on my chest and more of a feeling of hope and positivity. Invincibility, while a bit unrealistic, was probably healthy for someone like me. Why couldn't I beat cystic fibrosis? Why couldn't I challenge the stereotypes and the statistics? Why did I have to be okay with dying young?

It was around this time that I traded a cape and Superman shirt for athletic shoes and wristbands. I was learning to do something that cystic fibrosis was not supposed to "allow" me to do and that was RUNNING!

Granted, there were roadblocks along the way both mentally and physically as I would spit mucus with most steps and have to take breaks for coughing spasms but I did not quit. In 1997, I was able to run my first Peachtree Road Race, the largest 10 kilometer race in the United States. As a runner, I had to work a lot harder to get to where I needed to be than most people but I thrived at that. Over my 43 years on this earth, I have battled negative statistics that said I would never live to have children or grow grey hair because of my cystic fibrosis.

I suppose that I could make things easier on myself by accepting the role of Clark Kent but running taught me that being Superman is so much more fun. I have had people over the years tell me to make it easy on myself and turn it down a notch and while not at my peak health recently, I began to accept that. Maybe Clark Kent was who I was always supposed to be.

Well, you know what, that's a lot of BS!

I have lived 43 plus years with a daily routine of multiple therapies, copious amounts of pills and more vitamins than a local CVS and "easy" has not once had the decency to come visit me.

Why do I need to accept the role of Clark Kent? Why do I need less pressure? Why can't I be Superman?"

Having a chronic disease is a different beast. You can't ever be complacent. You can't accept "pretty good." You can't accept a new baseline because you're getting older. You have to be the best. So for now on, I proudly accept the moniker of Superman. I owe it to my five year old self and I owe it to my children to teach them that society's version of "status quo" does not have to cut it.

Being overly competitive has been a curse in that my mind is often filled with havoc; however, there is no doubt that the same aggressiveness and fierceness has kept me alive. I can't afford to abandon that mindset.



Perhaps a cape is just as important as a nebulizer for someone like me...

I can't look my children in the eyes knowing that I have accepted complacency over invincibility. How can I tell them to do their best in the classroom or on the field if I don't do it in the gym or in the doctor's office? I can't and I won't.

Some would say I'm insane to believe that I'm invincible but most would have said the same if I told them I would be living and breathing on this earth at the age of 43 with two children, several patches of grey and a workout routine that most people without CF could not handle.

So today marks my 21st consecutive year running the Peachtree Road Race. Today is supposed to be one of the most humid days in memory and my lungs are not quite where they need to me.

Clark Kent would not run this race.

I will.



It's time to teach them the lessons of invincibility.

I don't need a cape, an "S" on my chest or to stand at the stop of my steps with my hands raised to prove that I am Superman.

It's all about attitude...but a nebulizer and Superman headband never hurt anyone, right?



The 5 year old would be proud!

Live your dreams and love your life!

Andy

Fighting on two fronts: The Battle against CF & Mental Illness!

2 A.M. Monday June 26th at the Lipman abode...

Everyone ELSE is asleep. The good shows have long finished. The sports teams have all finished their games. There I sit still doing my treatments and cleaning all of my equipment. I still have tons of voicemails, texts and e-mails to answer but I can't seem to get myself to answer them. My anxiety is still running rampant and my exhaustion is at its highest point. I'm depressed. I hate CF...and right now, quite honestly I hate the way I feel!

This has been a tough 4 weeks. It started out when I got food poisoning and threw up about ten times one night early in the month. A week later, my son was in a baseball tournament and we were rear ended on a highway ramp in Atlanta on our way to the tournament. The other car was totaled. Fortunately neither Ethan nor I was hurt. Of course the insured did not have enough coverage so I had to file under my insurance and the two insurance companies have been fighting ever since and are finally closing in on an agreement though I feel like I've had to do a majority of the work dealing with phone call after phone call. In the meantime, my car will be in the shop another 6 weeks. Then of course most importantly I got the news that my lung function was down again and so we agreed to be aggressive and added a steroid, an inhaled sinus aerosol, three more oral antibiotics and TOBI (an aerosol antibiotic). It's been a bit overwhelming to say the least but I wanted to be in the best shape possible to enjoy the summer with my family. The funny thing is that in this timeframe, good things have happened too like Ethan getting his first medals in a baseball tournament, having an amazing Father's Day with my wife and children and getting to have lunch with my sister. The problem with anxiety and depression is that I really have to dig deep to remember these moments as the bad moments are stuck in the front of my mind.

Initially my PFT's went up a lot on all of the meds and then they went down a bit and then I blew so hard that I probably pulled something and bled a little during my last PFT a week ago. I have decided to give myself a few weeks off of PFT's to heal. The Peachtree (10k race), which I have run for 20 consecutive years, is only 4 days away and I intend to run it again. I have been training this week hardcore. I ran 4.5 miles on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at a 10 to 11 minute per mile pace but most importantly only coughing an average of once every 10 minutes. That's key! I can still tell my breathing is a bit impaired and I'm more tired than usual. Some of that is the medicine of course.

The hardest thing right now is mentally I'm cooked. Just to give you an example, I wake up around 6:30 to start my antibiotics and don't finish all of my treatments for the morning until 10am which is when I work out for 90 minutes (including my run). Then I do my Tobi. Then after a 45 minute break, I do my afternoon treatments. At night, I have been starting my treatments at 10 P.M. and not finishing until 1 A.M. or sometimes as late as 2 A.M. Yikes!

That's when the loneliness and the anxiety set in. When no one else in the free world seems to be awake but me, I just hate sitting in the dark alone while steam flows out of my nebulizer. And I feel horrible that most nights I leave my family alone to go to sleep while I do my stuff. Yeah, the dogs stay down with me but they're not great conversationalists. Let's face it though; I'm not either right now. I don't want to talk to anyone. I talk enough to the most dangerous person I know...me! I will say that I have now watched Jaws and Jaws 2 more times than Spielberg himself.


My strength

Thank goodness for Andrea. She is so strong. She listens and she is not afraid to light a fire under my butt if I'm letting anxiety, depression and CF win. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her. I once heard that you're only as strong as your significant other. Well then, call me Hercules!

When I went off of Prednisone a week ago, I didn't wean off. In hindsight, I probably should have. My anxiety was crazy and it hasn't gone down much. I'm constantly pacing and worrying. I'm probably driving my family crazy which is not intentional. I have closed myself off to the outside world which I really started doing more than six months ago. I don't know what started it. I've been so into writing the CF Warrior Project that it's become less of a passion and more of a quest. Sometimes it's hard writing about people who are really struggling but it's awesome at the same time seeing the resolve that they fight with and the accomplishments that they achieve.

Summer and social media just don't seem to mesh for me. When you're sicker than normal and you see everyone (when you're depressed you see a skewed view of the world) laughing and going about their wonderful lives in exotic places (though we all know that Facebook is never that accurate), envy creeps in as much as you would not want to admit it. It's as if life goes on and I have to deal with my own crap which it does and I do. It's tough especially when you know that people think you're Superman. I've probably created that façade. I'm not Superman. I'm much closer to Clark Kent. The work I put in is worthy of the Man of Steel but the fears I deal with and the sadness I have trouble conquering don't put me in the same ballpark as the son of Jor-El.

Here is the positive news. Other than a little tightness which could very well be a combination of all the meds and my anxiety, I'm doing pretty well. I'm running with barely a cough. My weight is stable. My appetite is normal. I'm working out like a beast. I even played a softball double-header the other day. I can still tell I'm not 100 percent but I'm edging closer. I wish I could just snap my fingers and be the old me again but that's not how CF works. That's not how anxiety and depression work either unfortunately.

I know that there are other people with CF who are far worse. There are people with other diseases who are fighting tougher odds. Still this isn't all about me. It was easier when it was. Now I fight to stay healthy for my wife and kids. I fight to get healthy so I don't miss a trip, or a celebration, or even just a simple moment in time. That's a lot of pressure that I unduly put on myself. That's pressure that Andrea doesn't want me to put on myself. My therapist told me Wednesday that I put far too much pressure on myself and then he said to make sure to send him his check in time (hey, that doesn't help. Ha Ha!). My doctor once told me "You can't be Superman all the time!" So right now, I'm focusing on being Clark Kent and being okay with that.

I have shed tears more over the last month than I think I have over the last 5 years combined. I cry watching stories on the news about people suffering. I cry when I see a movie I haven't seen in years. I cry when I just talk. It's awful. I can't define my efforts, my personality, my love for life, my accomplishments on one PFT number or just feeling a little crummy. It's not healthy and quite honestly it's not helping.

I want to make a comeback from this. I really do. I know in my heart that things will be okay. I just have to snap out of this funk. I have been writing some comedy material lately and it makes me laugh. I will start reaching out to more of my friends soon. I'm sorry I haven't been myself in some time. I miss all of you but I especially miss me.

The good thing about bad times is surviving them and subsequently appreciating the good times. The tough thing about bad times is missing out on some stuff and falling behind on others. Time is just not something I have a lot of right now. I figure I spend nearly 6 hours a day on meds, 7 hours on sleeping and 2 hours on eating. I want the rest of that time for my family but I need to divvy some of it out to my friends.

I intend to get better whether it's tomorrow or 6 months from now. The journey is never easy but the destination is always worth it.

Thank you for listening.

Live your dreams and love your life. It's time I follow my own advice.

Andy


Soon!

Going back in time...

Thirty-six years ago, I sat in my den and innocently began reading the “C" volume of our encyclopedia set as I was doing a book report on Christopher Columbus. Moments later, my life would drastically change as I would come to the term “cystic fibrosis.” It was here that I would read “People with cystic fibrosis don’t typically live to the age of 25.” I remember reading the sentence over and over and even saying it out loud a few times hoping that I had read it wrong. When I confronted my parents, my mom cried and my dad didn’t know what to do. I ran up to my room and slammed the door and began planning my funeral in my head. I don’t remember ever crying so much and ever feeling so alone.

It’s been more than three and a half decades since that day and I still remember how hopeless I was at 7 years of age. I try to provide hope for so many people now but I feel like I owe it to seven-year old Andy to give him hope too. So crazy story, today I snatched a DeLorean, sped up to 88 mph and I’m back in my house on West Fontainebleau Drive and the year is 1980, or as my daughter calls it, “The Olden Times.”

Andy, don’t freak out. It’s me. Don’t say a word. Let me talk. I don’t have much time.

First off, I’m you 36 years later. Please don’t make fun of my grey hair or my $5 haircut. By the way, it’s $18 now. Where I come from it’s May 5, 2017. In case you can’t do the math and if I remember your math grades, you can’t; you’re 43 years old and you are not dead. Your humor? Well, that’s another story. I know that encyclopedia scared the crap (don’t tell mom I cursed) out of you but don’t get down. Here are some things to know. Tomorrow morning, our dad will get you into baseball. I know you hate sports but baseball will change the way you feel about them and the way you feel about your father. You will become very competitive and it will help with your fight against cystic fibrosis. By the way, loving sports will not skip a generation. Just be ready for your son. That’s all I’m saying. Hint: Go Panthers.

You know how you have that dream when things go bad and a little girl comes to check on you. Well, she’s going to check on you tonight. Don’t be afraid to ask her to help you. She’s someone very special. In fact, 20 years later, you’ll start a big charity event because of her. She’s the only other person in your family that understands what it’s like to have cystic fibrosis.
Don’t let people tell you what you can’t do. Show them what you can do. Statistics are just numbers. I probably shouldn’t tell you but you do end up finding someone very special who will love you for who you are (hard to believe I know) and you will eventually have children. In fact, this weekend we start the playoffs. Why does that matter? You’re helping coach both teams!!! I would ask for lineup advice but you’re probably not the one to ask. By the way, both of your kids are good athletes. Let’s credit that to your wife’s genes.

Here is some more insight into the next 36 years. There is not a cure for cystic fibrosis yet but we think it’s close. I know you are afraid to talk about cystic fibrosis and don’t want to know any more about it especially after reading the encyclopedia but you are going to take charge of it. In fact, you, your family and friends have raised $3.2 million for the CF Foundation to combat it. I know your mom is upset tonight but she plays a big role in the event’s fundraising. You are very lucky to have the parents that you do. You may hate reading now but you’re writing your 4th book as we speak. You hate being in a crowd of people so of course now you’re a public speaker. All of our sports teams suck. Some things never change. By the way, watch the Sugar Bowl over and over this year. I don’t want to get you down but it might be the last time we can celebrate a national title. In a few years, your reign as only child will end and you’ll be glad it did.

There is so much more to tell you but I’m out of time. Take care of yourself. Give Howard a big hug for me. He’s been peeing a lot in the basement by the way. Don’t tell mom.

Oh, and don’t tell anyone about our conversation. They might think it’s a bit strange.

Ok, gotta put some more Plutonium in the DeLorean. Go get ‘em, buddy! You’ve got a disease to conquer…and you will!

My Breakthrough Drug or Just More Nonsense?

Having a chronic disease is difficult but it's even more difficult sometimes having high hopes for a cure or even just a major breakthrough and then reading that the trials failed to show any improvements in the participants. We hoped that the Ataluren trials would be the first breakthrough drug to target nonsense mutations (my genotype), however; today we received the news that Alturen would not be the miracle medication that we so dearly needed.

Here is the quote from Dr. Stuart Peltz who is the CEO of PTC Therapeutics, the company who developed Ataluren.

"We are disappointed with the outcome of this trial as there are no treatments that target the underlying cause of nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis, one of the most difficult forms to treat."


No, Lloyd, I'm not.

Ataluren is a therapy that was created to try and restore the protein designed to help enable the formation of a functioning protein in patients with genetic disorders caused by a nonsense mutation. A nonsense mutation is an alteration in the genetic code that stops the synthesis of the essential protein.

In layman's terms, back to the drawing board.

I didn't have much hope in the trials as rumor had it that the drug was unlikely to be successful. Still the positive side of this is that drug companies along with the CF Foundation are now targeting the nonsense mutations that affect myself and another 10% of the world's CF population.

I'm conflicted with all of the great news surrounding Kalydeco and Orkambi, two of the breakthrough drugs for cystic fibrosis. These two drugs combined help 50% of the CF population while people like me are left to wait. The hardest thing is when people forward you the great news about these drugs and you're forced to respond, "Great to hear. I'm not a candidate."


Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced both breakthrough drugs Kalydeco and Orkambi this decade.

I am thrilled for the people being helped but sometimes it's hard knowing that my breakthrough, much like a sports championship in my home city of Atlanta, is still probably years away. It's not just me though. I'm also concerned for the parents of young children who put all their eggs in one proverbial basket.

Again, it's not the end of the world. Treatments today are so much better than 20, 10, or even 5 years ago.

Our breakthrough is coming...

And I refuse to call that "nonsense."


I've got too much to fight for to let this keep me down.

Live your dreams and love your life.

Best Wishes,

Andy

25 Sports Moments for Atlanta sports fans in my lifetime!

This list was difficult to put together and not because it was hard to think of 25 moments (there are actually 27 as I added a few ties) but it was difficult to leave off another 50. Plus I'm not going to lie when I say that I had to take crying breaks a few times. So without further adieu, here are the 25 (+ 2 extra + honorable mention) worst sports moments of any Atlanta/Georgia fan over my 43 years on this earth:

25. Cowboy Comeback - Dallas coming back in the 4th quarter to knock off Falcons in 1980 was the first real time this city felt heartbreak for a sports team. I barely remember this game which is why it falls at number 25. I was about 7 but the doom and gloom it put on this city was famous. Down all game, the Cowboys scored a couple of touchdowns in the end to win 30-27 and advance to the NFC Championship game. Atlanta's awful sports moments were just starting.


And so it begins!

24. Ice Ice Baby is gone - I'm combining this one. It was embarrassing enough losing one hockey team but two? Wow! The Thrashers did not win a single playoff game in a decade so I wasn't entirely sad that they left but the Flames went on to win a title in Calgary shortly after departing.

23. Bye-Walker - While many people don't discuss it, Herschel Walker's decision to "walk" after only 3 years at UGA was horrible. The USFL and the New Jersey Generals talked Walker into leaving. The same team that was bought by some guy named Donald Trump the next year and soon would go down in flames. The next year, Georgia won the Cotton Bowl and finished in the Top 5 but we all know bigger things would have happened had he stayed. By the way, back then, it was rare for players to leave prior to playing 4 years of college ball.

22. September 11, 1983 - The Braves trailed the Dodgers by 2 games and were crushing them 6-3 in the 9th inning in LA. They were about to move a game back. It had been a rough few weeks as the Braves had been ahead by 6.5 games left but had lost one of their best players Bob Horner to a season-ending wrist injury. The Dodgers came back in the ninth to claim the game 7-6 thanks to a below average player who only played well against Atlanta, RJ Reynolds. No, he did not smoke. The Braves lost the game and the division by 3 games. This was before the famed "chop" but the start of many "chokes" for the boys in red, white and blue.

21. The Cardinal Rule - In 2011, the Braves led the Cardinals by 10.5 games for the final playoff spot with just a month to go. The Braves fell completely apart and the Cardinals won the Wildcard and to make matters worse, they won the World Series that year, too. Worst collapse in baseball history. Fredi Gonzalez would earn the title "Mr. Not September or October." Ok, I gave him that one but it fits.

20. Where is he? - Then there's 2013. The Braves trailed the Dodgers 2 games to 1 but were leading 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th in LA and the 2 best pitchers in the game were out. Clayton Kershaw was out because he'd pitched most of the game for LA. Craig Kimbrel was out because Fredi Gonzalez is an idiot. He never brought him in to close and Juan Uribe hit a game winning 2-run homer. RJ Reynolds was probably smiling somewhere. I was not.


This could have been avoided.

19. Doing the Pack a "Favre" - Though it gets less fanfare everywhere except Atlanta, the Falcons quietly traded a QB in 1992 to the GB Packers for 2 first round draft picks. The QB was Brett Favre. He was pretty good I'd say if you consider winning a Super Bowl and being a Hall of Famer pretty good. The draft picks, well I'm sure they sucked. The reason they traded Favre was because the Falcons said they couldn't get him sober down here. Now no fan in Atlanta can stay sober watching this team. Not a fair trade-off.

18. The trade - No one talks about this 1983 trade that gave the Indians back 2 All-Stars in fan favorites Brett Butler and future All-Star Brook Jacoby. The Braves received starter Len Barker. Barker, who had a perfect game while pitching for Cleveland, was a perfect mess in Atlanta. The Braves fell apart and lost the division. Shocker. The Braves wouldn't be heard from again for nearly a decade.

17. The wrong suitor for Sutter - Bruce Sutter was the greatest closer in history and then the Braves signed him in 1985. Not only did Sutter become a bust but here was the deal. Bruce Sutter was to receive payments totaling $44 million over the next 36 years from the Braves . . . Sutter would receive a $750,000 salary for each of the next six years and a minimum of $1.12 million a year for the remaining 30 years of the contract. In addition, he would get the $9.1 million in so-called “principal” at the end. Yikes! Sadly, he may have been our best closer last year.

16. 10 seconds left - In 2016, things were looking good for Georgia. With a chance to take over the SEC East, Freshman phenom Jacob Eason threw a touchdown pass with just 10 seconds left to give UGA a 31-28 lead and what most assumed was a victory...unless of course you're an Atlanta/Georgia fan. We knew we left too much time on the clock. With 4 seconds left and no pass rush and no one who could knock down a pass, UT's Josh Dobbs threw his own Hail Mary touchdown pass with no time left. Neither team of course won the SEC East but Georgia's season would go up in flames after that one. Sadly, I was there with my wife who is from Knoxville. I'll leave it there. We did leave early THANKFULLY.


Glad I left!

15. Sorry Tony - The Falcons were cruising in the 2013 NFC Championship game against the 49ers and looked to be on their way to the Super Bowl where it would be like a storybook ending for the career of Tony Gonzalez. But then the 49ers came back and Harry Douglas forgot how to run without falling and we were reminded that Atlanta doesn't believe in storybook endings. We only believe in nightmares. We lost 28-24. Thanks again, Falcons. Oh, and Tony would play the following year, but the Falcons would not even make the playoffs. Oh well.

14. Sour sugar - I really started to hate the taste of sugar in the eighties and it started with the 1982 Sugar Bowl. People always say Dan Marino couldn't win the big game but he did that day throwing a touchdown with 33 seconds left to help Pittsburgh knock off number 2 Georgia in what some consider the greatest bowl upset of all time. I think Oklahoma-Boise State was bigger but I'm depressed about now so I'll say it was this game.

13. Sourer Sugar - The 1983 Sugar Bowl pitted number 1 Georgia against number 2 Penn State. Georgia had the best player on the field in Herschel Walker but it didn't matter. Penn State won 27-23 and took the national title. Herschel would add salt to the wound by announcing that he was forgoing his senior year shortly after.

12. Packing it in - In 2011, The Falcons had earned the number 1 seed and were facing the hottest team in football, the Green Bay Packers. Home field meant diddly as the Packers whooped our birds 48-21. The author of the article wrote the Packers punter didn't even need to make the trip.

11. Gator-AID - Down 20-13 with 2:30 left in the 4th, Georgia's David Greene (Not to be confused with the fictional character from School Ties who didn't quite have Greene's arm or the "E" at the end of his last name) found Terrance Edwards wide open at the 30. The ball slipped through Edwards fingertips and Georgia's undefeated season was over and of course to the hated Gators. It was their only loss of the season and kept them out of the National Championship game.

10. Not a Jewell of a moment - July 27, 1996 should have been another great day at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta but instead a bomb when off and most importantly killed a person and injured over a hundred more but secondly put a damper on the entire Olympic Games. People blamed security guard Richard Jewel until finally investigators realized they were wrong. Jewel died at the young age of 44 from kidney issues and diabetes. Sadly he did not get the glory that he deserved. Eric Robert Rudolph was the real perpetrator. He was found years later. Some on the Olympic Committee famously said Atlanta was the worst Olympic Games. Our Mayor Bill Campbell was arrested in the early 2000's and served several months in prison for tax evasion. He was accused of many other illegal acts but those charges were later dropped. I would disagree that Atlanta was the worst Olympic site ever but I do agree that What-Iz-It or Izzy for short was the dumbest idea for an Olympic Mascot. To think people actually agreed on that one still befuddles me. I was embarrassed to be a marketing major.

9. 10-10-10 is the new 6-6-6 - Another game I sadly attended was Game 3 of the Division Series between the Braves and Giants. One of the things that really bothered me about Bobby Cox was his loyalty. When it mattered most, he looked less at how the player was playing then but how they played months or even years before. No better example was Brooks Conrad whose defense suffered at the end of the season and he'd already made an error in the first 2 games of the series. It wasn't like Conrad had Chipper Jones' bat. There was no reason to keep him in the lineup. Cox did and Conrad booted 3 balls that night and allowed 2/3 of the Giants runs to score in a 3-2 loss. Most of the damage came very late. Basically BC should not have played BC that night. But that's Bobby! And that's Atlanta sports. And of course they lost the series.

8. Don't Catch It! - Then there's the SEC Championship in 2012. Georgia was driving to win the game against Alabama. Down 32-28, instead of spiking the ball, Murray threw the ball which was tipped and Conley who was not the intended receiver caught it without thinking that the clock would run out. The clock indeed ran out. Alabama won the National Championship against Notre Dame a few weeks later. Georgia lost and it just happened to be in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta or should I call it the House of Horrors?


Of course now we catch one!

7. Oh Canada - In 1992, the Braves were in the World Series again but this time they found other ways to lose that were painful. Ed Sprague, a little known pinch hitter, hit a 2-run homer off of Jeff "Call me Bruce Sutter" Reardon to come from behind and tie the series at 1 game all. During the series, Devon White made a miraculous catch, Dave Winfield had a big hit and Otis Nixon for some reason bunted to make the final out of Game 6 and end the series. Braves lose again and as usual the final out came in Atlanta!

6 (tie). Not on the Mark - In 1996, the Braves were up 2 games to 1 on the Yankees at home when Braves All-Star closer Mark Wohlers came in. The Braves at one point had been up 6-0 in this game but Wohlers threw a "Please hit me hard" pitch to an average player Jim Leyritz and Leyritz tied the game with a 3-run bomb. The Braves would of course lose the game, lose the series and to this date have still not won another one. Leyritz eventually was arrested but it should have been for stealing our dreams.

6 (tie). Nique vs. Bird - May 22, 1988, Boston Garden, Hawks vs. Celtics Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Hawks had just blown a chance to clinch at home after winning in the Boston Garden in Game 5 for the first time in years. That day Bird and Nique battled especially in the 4th quarter. Nique ended up with 47 points to Bird's 34 points but of course in the end the Celtics won 118-116.

5 (tie). No Eugene - Though it didn't happen "in the game," it affected the biggest game in Falcons history to that point. Safety Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting an undercover cop in Miami. The Falcons would end up getting crushed the next day by the Broncos at the Super Bowl in January of 1999. Oh and the kicker? Earlier that day, Robinson received the Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award, given annually to a player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community. After the arrest, Robinson agreed to return the award. DUH!

5 (tie). No more Nique - On February 24, 1994 - the Atlanta Hawks traded superstar and legend Dominique Wilkins for Danny Manning. The Hawks were number one in the East at the time but Manning did nothing to improve the team. Nique was the last superstar this franchise has had. He is an icon in this city. At least when the Braves traded Dale Murphy he was far past his prime. Nique was not.

4. FIXED - If there was ever a game that was fixed in any sport that Tim Donaghy did not referee, it was the Game 5 NLCS game between the Braves and Marlins in 1997. Gregg's strike zone that day for Livan Hernandez was so big that 5 Bartolo Colon's could have fit in it. The Braves lost the game 1-0. Gregg lost my respect that day as well. If it were the Yankees instead of the Braves, there's no doubt this would have been further investigated. The Marlins would go on to win the World Series. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR3eK5gCChM


McGriff the Crime Dog can spot a criminal!

3. The Infield Fly - You want to hear how karma even hates Atlanta. Here you go. Ted Turner fired Joe Torre as manager of the Braves in the early 80's. So in a single-elimination wild card game back in October of 2012, the umpires made one of the worst calls when Andrelton Simmons hit a pop up that the infielder didn't even get to. The bases should have been loaded with one out with the Braves trailing 6-3. The umpire called it an infield fly meaning Simmons was out and the runners would remain at first and second with two outs. Water bottles were thrown all over the field (I was there but restrained myself). The Braves lost and Joe Torre who now worked for MLB confirmed that the umpires got it right and did not allow a protest. Where did this happen "TED TURNER" Field? Karma is a mean lady! Congrats Mr. Torre!

2. Rise Up; Ummm, no - Up 28-3 in the 3rd quarter, most teams would start celebrating. Not Atlanta fans. The coaches made so many bonehead decisions to lose this game. I felt like I could hear Jason Bateman screaming "That's a bold move, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off." It didn't. We lost 34-28 in OT because our coaches forgot how to run the ball. Another year. Another Falcon disaster.


Run the Damn Ball!

1. Run Lonnie Run! - The only thing that trumps that Falcon loss is Lonnie Smith's baserunning blunder, bringing the worst member of our starting rotation (Charlie Liebrandt) into Game 7 when it mattered and losing in extra innings to the Twins. That was Game 7 of the World Series after a Worst to First season that was the most exciting in Atlanta history. Don't worry Braves. I'm sure someone will trump this next year. The Falcons came damn close!


Pinch-runner maybe?

Honorable mention: I decided to give Georgia Tech a good one. How about having to share a national title because Colorado got credit for 5th Down against Missouri?

The Falcons selecting Jami Germain of Miami instead of a homegrown product who played about 70 miles away in Athens. Hines Ward was the next receiver taken by the Steelers and went on to win a Super Bowl and get into the Hall of Fame. Germain went to prison. I guess the Steelers won that deal.

Dale Murphy and RHP Tommy Greene were traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jeff Parrett and Victor Rosario. The only bright spot was Murphy was past his prime but he is still the favorite of many Atlantans today including me. Some forget though that Tommy Greene throw a no-hitter and had some very good years in Philadelphia. Parrett and Rosario were busts. I know you're shocked.

Anyone that former Hawks GM Billy Knight drafted (Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Shelden Williams) should be considered a terrible sports moment in Atlanta and also who he didn't draft (Chris Paul).

The Atlanta Dream were swept both times in the WNBA Finals.

Just remember that the Atlanta United begins playing in the MLS next year. They have a lot to live DOWN to.

Wow, this was painful! See you next year!

Andy

My normal

I often wonder what it would be like to be "normal." Here are 25 reasons my normal is probably not your normal.



How important is being normal?

25. My normal requires allocating 2 to 3 hours of my day to CF my treatments beginning as early as 4:30 in the morning and finishing as late as 1 a.m.

24. My normal requires carrying a pill bottle with 30 to 40 enzymes to swallow.

23. My normal means receiving funny looks from wearing a mask on airplanes and at my children's doctor's appointments.

22. My normal means fearing germs like they were bullets fired from a gun. Hand sanitizer is my best friend.

21. My normal requires dealing with anxiety when packing multiple bags for as little as a 3-day trip. Traveling is a real workout for someone with cystic fibrosis.

20. My normal means being preoccupied with a doctor's appointment every 90 days for the rest of my life. I also went to a children's clinic until I was 30 years old.

19. My normal means living with suffocating lungs that burn like a four alarm fire.

18. My normal means worrying about power outages because they put a hold on doing my treatments. I now have a battery-powered vest and a generator for safety as well.

17. My normal means learning how to deal with IV and oral antibiotics when I'm sick.



When you look up "normal" in the dictionary, a person with CF is probably never shown.

16. My normal meant explaining to every woman I dated that having children would be a chore, hiding my therapy vest until I had the courage to explain the significance of it and masking pill-taking until I was comfortable enough to reveal my condition.

15. My normal means working every day in the gym and on the treadmill with no guarantees that it will prevent a life-altering infection.

14. My normal is having people refuse to tell me their problems because "they feel guilty complaining to me" because my problems are "much worse." By the way, it's not a competition. Worse or not, I still want to help. Worse is subjective anyway.

13. My normal is picking up the phone and telling someone I'm doing my therapy and hear the "worry" in their voices because they think they just made me sicker by momentarily interrupting my treatments. I actually take breaks to let my dogs out to pee so it's okay.

12. My normal means a coughing fit isn't simply a cold but a frantic call to my pulmonologist and months of taking antibiotics.

11. My normal is having a medicine cabinet that resembles the pharmacy in the back of CVS. I still think they should call me first when they have a backorder situation.



Andy, it's CVS. They need to call in an order.

10. My normal means seeing a therapist and a psychologist because of all the pain and angst cystic fibrosis has caused me. Though I have learned that there's no one or nothing to blame other than me. I'm responsible for my issues because I am the only one who controls how I handle them.

9. My normal means cracking a joke as a self-defense mechanism, using sports as an escape and treating dire statistics as motivation to fight my disease.

8. My normal is reading about studies to see if one would fit me and hoping it could finally be the breakthrough people like me have needed.

7. My normal is knowing I have a disease that has no cure and realizing that my older sister lost her life to it.

6. My normal is NOT walking into a smoky bar and having friends who totally understand and back me.

5. My normal is hearing from people who are sick that they don't want to come anywhere close to me as the "last thing they want to do is get me sick." Trust me. I appreciate it but sometimes it makes me feel like there's something so wrong with me. I mean there is but I guess I don't need the reminder.

4. My normal is telling the person working at the gate I'm flying out of that I need to board with special assistance so I can load the 50 pounds of medication I have with me into the overhead bin. I can't check that stuff. Sometimes it's hard because I go in right after people in wheelchairs. I see people look at me funny as if I'm parking in a handicap space. Little do they know that my handicap is mostly invisible until I put on my mask on the plane.

3. My normal is explaining to the person or persons next to me on a flight that I'm not contagious and just wear the mask for my protection. And because I'm a body double for Bane in the next Batman trilogy.

2. My normal is not being able to hang out with people who have the same disease with me because there's a potential for bacterial cross-contamination. I also can't hang out with people who smoke.

1. And finally, my normal is wearing a vest that has nothing to do with a tuxedo.

I used to feel like cystic fibrosis was making me look abnormal, alienated or just plain ugly. Like I said, I always wondered what it would be like to be normal. Now I see it differently. By being unique, I have an opportunity to make a difference and that's why every day I spread awareness about this disease. If just one person can learn a little bit more about cystic fibrosis and can help the cause, then being different is worth it. After all, if everyone had the same way of doing things, the same interests and the same beliefs, life would be quite boring.



I guess what I'm trying to say is "Embrace your abnormalities. Rather than hiding them, use them for good."

Now if only that were "normal."

Live your dreams and love your life.

Andy

My "Full-Time" Job

People often ask me what I do with myself these days since I'm "retired." Sometimes it makes me feel old and useless when the question is phrased in that manner. When I think of a retired person, I often think of someone who gets up at 10am, drinks his or her morning coffee, reads the paper, takes a nap in the middle of the day, plays some bingo and shuffleboard and goes to bed before the evening news. Perhaps I'm stereotyping a bit.


You won't find me here unless first prize is a bag of gummy bears.

The truth is I probably do more than you think. The truth is that each of you will probably be "retired" before me because I'll never stop working. My job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My occupation doesn't offer me vacation days but tends to provide me a lot of sick days. The benefits are difficult to find but they're there. My "job" has helped me to appreciate life more than most, to fight to stay alive and to make me a better me.

My full-time job is cystic fibrosis.


My work uniform

I figured I'd explain what it's like to be a dad, a husband, an author, a foundation head, a board member and a little league coach...who just happens to have a terminal disease.

Morning:

I usually wake up around 5:30am and do an hour of therapy which includes 50 minutes of vest treatments (I wear a vest that vibrates in order to bring up mucous from my lungs), 5 minutes of nasal treatments, 30 minutes of hypertonic saline aerosol (done at the same time as the vest), 15 minutes of Pulmozyme aerosol (also done at the same time as the vest) and two puffs of my Xopenex inhaler. I also spend 2 minutes using the Acapella device which requires breathing hard for 3 sets of 10 and spitting out the mucous after each set. Afterwards, I clean all of my nebulizers and the Acapella device which takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Next, Andrea and I get the kids ready for school and one of us takes them.


Our "normal" mornings

Afternoon:

Next, I work out by running 3 to 4 miles on the treadmill and then lifting weights for 30 to 45 minutes.

About 2 hours later, I do my second therapy treatment which is just like the first except I use my Afflovest (battery powered vest device) as opposed to my Hill Rom vest and I don't use Pulmozyme the second time around.

Then I go through my day for the next 5 or 6 hours while some days picking up my kids at carpool, working on my book and doing "normal stuff."


I don't live to work out. On the contrary, I work out in order to live.

Evening:

Finally, anytime between 6pm and 11pm, I do my third treatment of the day which is just like the first one as I use my Hill Rom vest. I only do Pulmozyme in the morning unless I'm really sick. I'm very lucky to have a wife who does so much for our kids. When I'm doing treatments, she is helping with homework or making them dinner. Occasionally, the kids and I work on their homework in my office while I do my treatments. Sometimes I need them to shout questions they may have because of the loud noise that comes from doing my machine. Still it's "normal" for us. One thing is for certain. I almost never miss an opportunity to put my children to bed. It seems silly but it is one of the highlights of my day. I know how fortunate I am to have them as well as their mother in my life.


Just a night out with me.

And also:

On the weekends, I only do the first and last treatments as I like to use the time I could have done the middle treatment to spend time with my kids.

Four times a week I add in the Neti Pot for my nose in the mornings and twice a week I take Miralax for my digestive system.

When I'm really sick, I add a couple of hours of IV meds to my day as well as oral antibiotics.

Every 4 to 6 months I do 30 minutes of TOBI aerosol twice a day.

I take 30 to 40 pills per day mostly with meals.


The best thing about an IV is getting rid of it.

Mental Health:

I also take an antidepressant and see a therapist and psychiatrist a few times a year to deal with my depression and anxiety which has greatly helped me to keep these health issues in check. Chronic disease is sort of like a shark and depression and anxiety are those remora fish that grab hold to them. It's hard to deal with a chronic disease day by day without some sort of mental fatigue.


I think I can relate to a shark.

My Clark Kent "normal" life:

I'm not saying that I focus on my health all day. I spend my time also on the National Alumni board for the Terry College Business School at the University of Georgia, the Adult Council for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Golf Tournament for my kids' school and I'm the National Chairman of Corporate Sponsorships for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I'm an author working on The Cystic Fibrosis Warrior Project and I head the Wish for Wendy Family Foundation and am currently starting up my own speaking business called Andy Lipman, LLC. I also coach my son's basketball team, my daughter's softball team and my son's baseball team. My most important two jobs though are dad to two awesome children and husband to my amazing wife.


Everyone with CF plays Clark Kent because our disease is often invisible.

In other words, I try to live a normal life though I'm sure most little league coaches don't wear the type of vest that I wear to my "job" everyday. I guess in that way I'm somewhat unique. No, I do not technically have a full-time job anymore. I left my 9 - 5 job at DiversiTech 2 years ago after doing it for 18 years. Sometimes having a chronic disease alone is a full-time job as you can probably tell. I'm sometimes amazed that I did all I did along with a full-time job for nearly two decades.

Cystic fibrosis is not an excuse to be a bad husband, a lazy dad, an unprepared coach or an ungrateful person. If anything, it gives me reasons to excel at all of these tasks. I'm very fortunate to be alive and I know that. When I was born, living past high school was considered a minor miracle. Today, I'm 43. If you'd told me when I was little that I'd have to do 2 to 3 hours of treatments a day to stay alive, I would have taken it. That's why it's hard for me to be bitter about my daily routine.


My prayers have been answered.

So what's retirement like?


I wish!

"All I can say is it's no game of shuffleboard."

Live your dreams and love your life!

Andy

Atlanta - You don't know us.

I'm frustrated. I read all of these articles (Dan Shaughnessy for one) that poke fun at my city as our Falcons prepare to play in Super Bowl LI. This is the city I call home. It's the city where I was born, raised, where I got married and where I've lived most of my life. It's the city where both my children were born. It's the city that has taught me manners but also how to fight. It's the city whose reputation is vastly mistaken around the world. I am proud to say that I'm from Atlanta!



My city

People often ask me why I don't have a southern accent. Well, first off, please remove the image from your head that Atlanta is the Andy Griffith show or Designing Women. That was our city a few decades ago. And please stop the Peachtree jokes. Yes, we have a lot of Peachtrees but we have thousands of other street names. Atlanta is one of the biggest and fastest growing markets in the world. We have some of the greatest corporations: Coca Cola, Chick Fil-A, Home Depot, UPS and Delta Airlines. Speaking of Delta, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) airports in the world and odds are you've stopped here at least once in your life because it's the hub for Delta. Atlanta is where many of the great TV shows and films are shot. Ever heard of the Walking Dead? It started here. The Hunger Games series? Yup! Cinema has slowly moved from Hollywood to the ATL.

Atlanta has a rich southern charm, too. You'll find a tradition of courtesy. We open doors without being asked. We say "sir" and "ma'am." We are tough too. Atlanta is where a lot of Civil Rights history started. We are proud of those who have fought: Andrew Young, MLK, John Lewis and so many others.

Atlanta has some superstars too. Evander Holyfield, former heavyweight champion of the world, is from Atlanta. Usher, Tyler Perry, Cam Newton, John Mayer and Ryan Seacrest are all native Atlantans.

Atlanta has some of the coolest places to visit: The Varsity, The Georgia Aquarium and the College Football Hall of Fame. We have so much history here: The Fox Theatre, The MLK Historic Site and the Margaret Mitchell House. Other cool things to see in Atlanta: The Carter Library (Yes, our state claims a president), CNN Center (Yep, the world's biggest news network started here), the Coca Cola Museum and Centennial Olympic Park (yes, we hosted the Olympic Games).

Atlanta, over the last decade, has become one of the biggest transient cities. You wonder why we don't fill up our stadiums for our sports teams? That's because most of the people who live here did not grow up here and are not avid fans like the natives. I can tell you this though. The natives are huge sports fans. Over 93,000 people filled up Sanford Stadium to watch the University of Georgia Bulldogs...host a practice!!! The Atlanta Falcons had more fans come to games this year than the team they are playing in the Super Bowl: The New England Patriots by 35,000! Take that, Dan Shaughnessy!

In a year where the Braves were once again terrible, they still had over 2 million people come through the gates. Many people laugh that we lost 2 NHL teams as we most recently lost the Thrashers. Well would you come watch a team that in a decade of playing had ZERO playoff wins? I'm not talking about zero series wins. I mean they didn't win a single game. And heck, this is the south. We aren't exactly a hockey town.

The Hawks are another example. They are usually at the bottom too. That's because they don't have a superstar and the NBA is a superstar league. In over 50 years, the Hawks have never even won an NBA Eastern Conference Championship game. Again, not a series. A game! When Dominique Wilkins was here, the Omni would constantly sell out. Sadly, he's the last superstar this NBA team has seen.

I'm proud of my city. We have so many things but the one thing we're lacking in are championships. In over 50 years of sports seasons between 3 to 4 teams, Atlanta boasts just 1 championship...the 1995 World Series. Sunday means so much to the people of this community, especially the natives who year after year have watched as other teams have triumphed against our teams in our ballpark (Braves Octobers are legendary for that). We have hosted Super Bowls and crowned champions but never our own. Sunday, we have a chance to experience a winner and we are super excited about the possibility.

People call this city "boring" and "uninspired." They couldn't be more wrong. If the Falcons win the Super Bowl on Sunday, you'll see how much a championship means to this town. You'll see how "boring" and "uninspiring" we are.

It's time this town gained some respect. Sunday we intend to get it.



Rise up!

Live your dreams and love your life!

Andy

Rise Up!

Dear Falcons,

Back in the early eighties, my dad took me to games in old Fulton County Stadium.

I watched Andrews, Bartkowski, Riggs and Billy White Shoes Johnson dazzle us in the 80's and in the 1980-1981 season, they nearly reached their first NFC Championship game. That's when Dallas stunned our Falcons with a furious comeback outscoring them 20-3 in the 4th quarter and edging the birds 30-27 at Fulton County Stadium to reach the NFC Championship game.



The first of many heartbreakers

I remember being in attendance in the late 80's when a kick returner dropped his first punt and then manage to scamper all the way down the field for a touchdown against the old Los Angeles Rams. His name was Deion Sanders. You can learn more about him in Canton.

I was in the Dome in 1998 when we beat San Francisco and then watched on TV a week later as we stunned the Vikings to reach our first and only Super Bowl. I thought it would be the first of many. Then the whole thing with Eugene Robinson happened, we got blasted by the Broncos and Pro Bowl Running Back Jamal Anderson tore his ACL the next season after finally reaching a contract agreement. It looked like the franchise was in shambles.



Why Eugene?

Then a few years later, the birds made a huge trade and drafted a kid out of Virginia Tech. Michael Vick looked like he would take us to the promise land just as the '98 team almost did. Then he got arrested, our coach quit on his team and we had to start from scratch yet again.

I'd about given up on this franchise. Then one night I remember sitting up and watching the number 2 ranked Boston College Eagles play the number 8 ranked Virginia Tech (coincidentally Michael Vick's alma mater) Hokies. I didn't know much about BC's QB but I'd heard he was pretty good. He had one of the worst games of his career that night yet still led his team to an incredible comeback win in the last few minutes while throwing up in a rain-soaked game on the road. I knew this kid was special. His name was Matthew Thomas Ryan. Here in Atlanta we call him Matty Ice.



Matty Ice!

Here's the link from that game...http://www.espn.com/college-football/columns/story?id=3079990&columnist=schlabach_mark.

It was then that I really started to follow the kid and when the Falcons drafted him 3rd in the 2008 NFL Draft, I knew the kid was good but I never had any idea that he would turn out this good.

Matt's teams have been to the playoffs several times, In 2011, we earned the number 1 seed and came up against a hot Packers team in round 2 at the dome. They demolished us 48-21 and Matt had a terrible game throwing a pick 6 before halftime. It was then that I began to wonder if Matt Ryan would ever lead us to a championship. I admit that I probably jumped the gun. In 2013, we came within a play of getting to the Super Bowl but instead lost a big lead to the eventual NFC Champions the San Francisco 49ers and lost 28-24. It was like Atlanta-Dallas 1980 again.



Rodgers got us back then but I look forward to the rematch.

As bad as things were going, Matt never let it affect him off the field. He still did a ton in the community and rarely complained when people like me doubted him. Heck, he even wrote me this on my 41st birthday which I've never shared until this blog. Thanks Emily for talking to his future wife and telling her about me back then. Last year, Matt had the worst season of his career and quite honestly I began thinking we might want to draft his replacement. So much for appreciating his birthday card. I'm ashamed to admit that but a guy on the wrong side of 30 who was regressing was not a sign of a potential MVP candidate.



Thanks Matt!

Then I heard Ryan was in LA this offseason. While most players would do that to improve their brand or check out the Hollywood lifestyle, that wasn't the case for Matt.

Ryan, instead, visited Tom House and Adam Dedeaux of the acclaimed 3DQB training facility. House, a former major league pitcher and pitching coach, and Dedeaux, a former pitcher at USC, developed a program aimed to improve the overall throwing performance of quarterbacks by focusing on four key areas: functional strength and conditioning, mechanics and motion analysis, mental and emotional management, and nutrition. They've worked with Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Carson Palmer, to name a few. Matt's top receiver Julio Jones said he noticed a major difference in Matt's performance during the preseason camps.

Jones was correct. Ryan's arm strength and accuracy drastically improved after completing the program and the Falcons finally gave him the center he's needed his entire career...Alex Mack!

The rest is history.

The Falcons are now 1 win from their first NFC Championship in nearly 2 decades and 2 wins from doing something the franchise has never done in 50 plus years...win a Super Bowl.

Falcons, regardless of the outcome on Sunday, your play has inspired a city of transplants and has helped us come together as one. We love this team. We have 2 running backs who weren't drafted in the first round but together have become one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. We have the best receiver in football and unlike most great NFL receivers, he has avoided the diva label. We have a defense full of young future stars who don't do their talking off the field but rather hit people hard on it. We have a coach who has helped an entire team buy into a "brotherhood." We may not be known as America's Team but I'm fine calling us "Atlanta's Team."

Matt, this post is written to you though. I'm sorry I doubted you. I remember that kid throwing up on a rainy night in Blacksburg, Virginia while leading his team to a comeback win despite having one of the worst games of his life. I remember the guy who came to Atlanta and immediately became engaged in the community. I remember the guy whose first NFL pass in September of 2008 was a 62-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins. As a rookie that season, Ryan lead his team to the postseason. Matt Ryan has always been special. I noticed it a long time ago. It escaped me for a little bit. I'll never make that mistake again. Matty Ice, I'll be joining you in the Dome once again on Sunday. I will cheer like never before.



Counting down the hours till Sunday.

Let's be special one more time.

Rise up!

Andy

The (Parenting) Decision

Years ago, basketball player LeBron James had a big decision to make. Would he stay in Cleveland or "take his talents" to Miami? On live television, he chose Miami and it created a stir around the country.



You think this was difficult?

The "decision" that many potential parents dealing with chronic illness have to make regarding starting a family, while almost never televised, is considerably more difficult and much more life-altering than "taking our talents to South Beach." I speak from experience. Thanks to cystic fibrosis, having kids is not as simple as a fun evening with your significant other. For Andrea and I, it required preparation, disappointment and determination.

For years, there were "CF parents" but that meant the parents had kids with CF. Almost never did it mean that the parent actually had CF. The stereotype of the CF parents is constantly changing. I'm proud to call myself the "new version" of the CF parent but it was a long journey to get there.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is widely known to be financially exhausting. That's certainly not a lie. The procedure, at the time, was not covered by our insurance company and cost nearly as much as a new automobile. What is rarely mentioned, however; is the cost both physically and emotionally that IVF puts on the couple. Andrea and I went through IVF three times before successfully getting pregnant with Avery. It required Andrea going through a brunt of the pain. For me, that was extremely difficult because I knew that I was solely responsible for us having to go through the injections and surgical procedures. Approximately 98% of males with CF do not have a fully formed vas deferens which is the bridge that brings the semen into the penis and allows for "normal" sexual reproduction. My vas deferens was about as reliable as my Braves in an October playoff series. Sorry, I had to go there. Go Falcons by the way!



IVF will never stand for "It's Very Fun."

Andrea and I always wanted to have kids. That was never a question. I had to ask myself though if I was up to the task. Having two amazing parents myself, I understood that parenting required a lot of time. I knew that two hours of cystic fibrosis treatments a day would often get in the way of being 100% attentive to the needs of my children. Then there was the fact that I had a terminal disease. Would it be fair to have children? My doctors told me that my health was very good for someone with cystic fibrosis and I wanted Andrea at the least to have children of her own because I knew that she would make an amazing mother. By the way, I was 100% correct on that prediction. We knew that adoption was probably not going to be an option since most agencies would be hesitant to give a child to someone with a life-threatening disease. After the first IVF "failure," I told myself that if we did have kids that I would be the best father I could. After the second unsuccessful attempt, Andrea and I began to have doubts that we would be successful. It was a really emotional time especially with friends announcing their own pregnancies. Envy definitely creeped into my head.

I'd known for a long time that having kids would be difficult. First off, as a kid I found out that I wasn't even supposed to be around in my twenties. In my early twenties, while still single, I went to an IVF clinic and had my "swimmers" tested. When I found out my sperm was "suboptimal," I was greatly disappointed. Many people wondered why I did this then instead of waiting until I was actually dating someone seriously. It was something I felt was important to share with anyone that I dated regarding our future. As positive as I was, I always wanted to be upfront about my circumstances. It's not like I brought it up on the first date but as a relationship got more serious and my significant other began learning about CF, I wanted to make sure I had the answers she needed. I did of course think of some great ways to bring it up. "You swam competitively in college? What a coincidence! My sperm need swimming lessons." Try not to steal that one.

The third IVF attempt for me and Andrea brought success. It made all of the injections, the surgeries, the financial loss and the emotional pains worth it. We had our baby girl Avery in 2006 and two years later after one less attempt, we had our son, Ethan.



I'm truly blessed.

I kept my promise of doing all I could as a parent. Like Andrea, I participate as much as I can. At night, you'll rarely find me out as I truly enjoy laying with my kids before Andrea and I put them to bed. I have been coaching their little league teams for the last 6 years. I truly enjoy seeing both my kids when I pick them up at carpool because I realize what a blessing it is to be a parent. Yes, after many years of changing diapers and dealing with tantrums, I can still safely say that I love being with my children.



Coaching has been a great way to bond with my kids.

I'm very fortunate that my wife is an extremely active parent. CF forces me to spend a lot of time focusing on my health. While I do my therapy in the mornings, Andrea wakes the kids and makes their lunches. In order to spend more time with my little ones, I do my therapy 3 times a day during school days (they are at school during my added midday therapy) and only twice on the weekend usually when they're asleep (early morning and late night). When I'm sick, my kids understand that I may not be able to pick them up because of the IV implanted in my arm and that I may not kiss them in order to avoid germs. That's commonplace in our house. Speaking of commonplace, my kids don't see my therapy as strange. Sometimes I do an extra therapy in the middle of the day when they are home or an early evening session and they'll just bring a friend by and aren't embarrassed at all to walk by me while I'm doing my vest. Occasionally a kid asks them what I'm doing and I hear my kids say "He's just doing his therapy." It's as if it is as normal a task as brushing one's teeth.



Just daddy doing his vest.

There are other things different about me as the "new version" of the CF parent. I wear a mask during our flights out of town and to the pediatrician's office. I sometimes do my vest in the car while waiting for them in carpool. I like to call myself the "nebulizer driver." I take my pills wherever we go and my kids sometimes have to remind me to put the bottle back in my pocket after I take them.

CF probably affects my kids though they don't have it. I imagine they worry about my health and it makes them worry about their own mortality. As they get older, we'll have more talks about CF as I'm very open to discussing the topic. As of now, they realize that it's mostly a lung disease and that daddy takes a lot of medication and does a lot of therapy to stay well. I tried to convince them that CF means daddy has to watch a lot of sports but they didn't seem to buy that one.

Not a day goes by that I don't give 120% effort into being the best father that I can be. Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful for having a wife who is an amazing mother. Not a day goes by that I don't regret "the decision" to have children.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have another "big decision" on my hands...pop tarts or waffles for breakfast?

Yeah, the decisions have gotten slightly easier but when it comes to loving my kids, no decision is any less important.



Being a parent in a word has been "magical."

Live your dreams and love your life.

Andy