Enter the Deuce

The Cycling Independent
  • 3.8 (5)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

Enter the Deuce is a podcast about the birth of writer Patrick Brady’s son, Matthew. He was born with a condition that should have killed him less than five minutes after birth. This is the story of his survival and recovery and the roller coaster ride of near-misses his parents white-knuckled through. The episodes are pieces Patrick originally published at the site Red Kite Prayer. This is life itself: parental love, fear for our children, not to mention addressing our mortality and the question of our purpose in life.

  1. 01/11/2023

    #15: Epilogue—First Birthday

    With a full year of life under Matthew’s belt, I take stock of how far he has come as well as some lingering after effects of his time in the NICU.

  2. 01/04/2023

    #14: Home

    In this episode we take the Deuce home and begin actually living with our son. Not lost on us is the fact that he was released on Easter Sunday. Certainly we felt like he’d risen from the dead.

  3. 12/28/2022

    #13: Mother's Milk

    You’d think that having your child’s doctor tell you he’s ready to go home would be cause for exhilaration and joy. Honestly, my sense of him was that he was still so fragile I didn’t feel entirely ready to leave the safety of the NICU. It was a reaction I never thought I’d have.

  4. 12/21/2022

    #12: Refuge

    With the Deuce safely back from surgery, you’d think we would breathe a sigh of relief. I was surprised to find that the accumulated stress weighed on me more than prior to the surgery. But even as I was falling apart, the Deuce was showing signs of improvement.

  5. 12/13/2022

    #11: Surgery

    The day came for The Deuce’s surgery. The stress of accompanying his transporter to the OR was unlike anything I’ve experienced. I went back to his pod and we waited. More time passed in those two hours than I thought possible.

  6. 11/30/2022

    Enter the Deuce #10: the Decision

    Conceding that your child’s options have dwindled to only one course of action is a difficult concept to digest. As a younger man I might not have accepted the news and just put my fingers in my ears. Talking to a surgeon and agreeing to allow him to cut your child open is not your […]

  7. 11/24/2022

    Enter the Deuce #9: the Parents' Ache

    The diplomacy of a NICU physician could teach the UN a thing or two discussing difficult subjects. Our doctor didn’t spring the question of surgery on us, but began mentioning that we *might* have to discuss it. A day or two later he suggested we might want to consult with the surgeon. I began to […]

  8. 04/19/2022

    #8: The Clog

    Science rests on a foundation of data. You can’t do anything as an engineer, chemist or doctor without having data. Sometimes you have data, but that data is bad, that is, inaccurate. After more than three weeks in the NICU we thought the Deuce’s condition was improving for the simple reason that there wasn’t much […]

See All (15)

Ratings & Reviews

3.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Enter the Deuce is a podcast about the birth of writer Patrick Brady’s son, Matthew. He was born with a condition that should have killed him less than five minutes after birth. This is the story of his survival and recovery and the roller coaster ride of near-misses his parents white-knuckled through. The episodes are pieces Patrick originally published at the site Red Kite Prayer. This is life itself: parental love, fear for our children, not to mention addressing our mortality and the question of our purpose in life.

Information

  • Creator
    The Cycling Independent
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2023
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Cycling Independent
  • Show Website
    Enter the Deuce