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Bone voyage
“Looks like a knee replacement to me,” a poll worker said when I walkered into my voting precinct last week. “Close!” I responded. “A...
Jun 25, 20242 min read
Sick of medicine. Sick without it.
I had seven voicemails when I returned home from a magical, soul-inspiring trip to Scotland in March. They were all from pharmacies....
Apr 18, 20242 min read
I went to medical school
“Making Death Casual” should be my tagline. Most people don’t want to discuss mortality, but it’s one of my favorite topics. When I talk...
Feb 16, 20243 min read
In the ring with insurance
Today, as I sit in front of the fireplace, I’m grateful it’s a Sunday. That means most customer service lines are closed, so I can’t feel...
Jan 21, 20242 min read
Take that, Labor Day
I spent many Labor Days in the hospital in my early 20s. As the seasons began to change, my lungs would get angry, leading to a cystic...
Sep 3, 20232 min read
Leaving Lackville
I’d typically try to think of a clever way to start a post like this, but I’ll get right to it: I’m fed up with myself. Over the past...
Jul 15, 20233 min read
For the birds
Two brown thrashers built a nest in the camelia outside the sunroom window. For the past few weeks, as I sat at my desk, I watched them...
May 16, 20231 min read
Woe to the child (birthday edition)
You know that ol’ medieval European saying, "Woe to the child who tastes salty from a kiss on the brow, for he is cursed and soon will...
May 3, 20234 min read
37th Heaven
I turn 37 on April 26. On the surface, 37 doesn’t sound like a particularly significant age. It’s approaching “I’m almost 40” territory...
Apr 14, 20233 min read
Did Ashton Kutcher Get Punk'd?
"I wish I could give Ashton Kutcher an update," I sometimes think. I wanted him to know when I started performing improv. And when I got...
Mar 24, 20236 min read
Give paws for thought
Meditation gets a bad rap sometimes. People view it as being too woo-woo or out there, shutting down at the mere mention of words like...
Jan 26, 20233 min read
A flight of imagination
I have a complicated relationship with airplanes. I was once headed to NYC for a work trip and had an awful asthma attack. I was gasping...
Nov 25, 20223 min read
I'm published!
I was embarrassed to admit I wanted to be a writer for a very long time. I was fearful of seeming unrealistic, for one, but putting my...
Oct 21, 20221 min read
Role reversal
EXTRA! EXTRA! I recently wrote a guest post for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Here's where to find it: Role Reversal: When Someone With...
Jul 27, 20221 min read
Trial and error
When I took my first dose of Trikafta in March 2019, I felt, as the pills slid down my throat, that my life might be changing. And change...
Jul 13, 20222 min read
Let donations ring!
This photograph may look like your average 36-year-old man eating a red, white, and blue popsicle, but there's much more. At the time,...
May 19, 20221 min read
Breathe in gratitude
Today is one of the tougher grief milestones because it marks two years since Ramón's cardiac arrest. My hope for today is that I can...
Apr 19, 20224 min read
Rewriting the story
After Ramón’s death a year ago, I set a goal to build my endurance until I could run for 60 minutes without stopping. I can’t recall why...
Jul 20, 20212 min read
The gossip on grief: Six months later
Grief is powerful. In fact, it's so mighty it has rendered society largely incapable of discussing it. Today marks 6 months of widowhood.
Jan 20, 20214 min read
Befores and afters
A few weeks ago, two of my long-time cohorts stopped by to enjoy drinks and conversation – and bring dinner (Yum!). My friend Amanda...
Aug 18, 20204 min read
Gallery
My name is Drew Dotson, and my life has been anything but perfect, yet it's still perfectly beautiful. After growing up with a genetic disease, cystic fibrosis, I was blessed to meet an amazing man who loved me without bounds. Then he died.
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