“That’s just a benchmark. You know that does not determine the path of his life.”
~ The nurse at Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, recalled by Mack Devlin ~
This week’s discussion pulls a single thread — what does it actually take to function when your diagnoses keep stacking? Mack Devlin, a former journalist now medically retired, joins Nick, Beth, Soso, and Stephanie with one of the most compounding stacks the show has hosted: Becker’s muscular dystrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 LADA diabetes, hypertension, depression, AFib, and chimerism — the rare condition where Mack absorbed his twin in utero and inherited a second set of genes. The conversation traces how someone twice told he should already be dead arrives at 46 with a non-profit in the works, a podcast, and a working impression of Kermit the Frog. It is the show’s thesis distilled: compounding conditions don’t add up to a sentence — they add up to a life that demands creative engineering.
I’m Nick Paro, and I’m sick of the shit going on. So, I’m using poetry, podcasting, and lives to discuss the intersections of chronic illness and mental wellbeing, masculinity, veteran’s issues, politics, and so much more. I am only able to have these conversations, bring visibility to my communities, and fill the void through your support — this is a publication where engagement is encouraged, creativity is a cornerstone, and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community!.