January 2022

Matthew Rhodes Bacaluso-Leyman (Rhody) was visiting Boston for a few days. He and a few other friends, Levi Cranston and Kevin Maggliardi just came back to Levi’s apartment from a run. A few other friends, Jack Andrews and Asad Prejesh, were at the apartment watching TV.

“Sup, Rhody,” Jack greeted Rhody. Levi and Kevin came in behind him and went to different rooms.
“Hey, guys. What’s everyone up to?” Rhody asked.
“Just watching TV and waiting for Jing Hao and Wong to come over. Mackenzie is out with her friends for the afternoon.”
“Nice. You guys didn’t miss much today. The run was brutal.”
“Yeah, it’s chilly outside, so that’s why we took a pass,” Jack replied.
“Kevin, Levi, and I all have reactive airways, so it hit us all a little harder than usual,” Rhody said.
“Where are Kevin and Levi? I didn’t see them come in.”
“They’re resting for a few minutes. They were both complaining of some chest pain from the cold weather.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m better now. My chest hurt for a few minutes, and I spent a few more minutes after that coughing up a lung. But that didn’t last for long.”

November 14, 2022

“Best 33rd birthday ever,” Matthew Rhodes Bacaluso-Leyman (Rhody) said to his friend, Levi Cranston, over the phone.
“Yeah, I wish I was there. Your family is awesome. But I talked to my sister, Olivia, and she told me she had a good time,” Levi replied.
“Yeah, Zach and my family discussed a surprise visit, and they absolutely overdelivered.”
“Who all came in for the surprise visit?”
“My parents, and Jayne and her wife. They came in on Friday and stayed until a couple hours ago,” Rhody said.
“Which of your friends came?”
“Olivia, of course. Graham, Kevin’s brother, and his boyfriend, Ayaan. Also, Zach, Allen, Jerome, and my girlfriend, Allison.”
“What about Brett, David and Brody Ingram’s brother?”
“He had a gig, so sadly he couldn’t make it.”
“Oh yeah, he’s in a garage band.”

November 2019

“How was your 30th?” Levi Cranston asked his friend and former neighbor, Rhody Leyman, on the phone.
“It was fun, but definitely could be better,” Rhody responded. “My friends and I got sushi, but I couldn’t drink because I’m on antibiotics right now.”
“For another ear infection?”
“Yes. Admittedly, I’m pretty frustrated because this is the fourth ear infection that I’ve had in eight months. So it’s pretty evident the meds aren’t really working.”
“How do you feel right now?” Levi asked.
“Right now, I feel fine. A little less energy than usual, but otherwise I’m okay. My ears are also a little sore. I am going in for an MRI next week to check my sinuses and Eustachian tubes. My doctor is thinking I may have an issue with my Eustachian tubes. I thought this was all over since I had my tonsils taken out,” Rhody said.
“I would have thought the same thing.”
“But I got my tonsils removed due to a separate issue. If I need to get surgery to get my Eustachian tubes dilated, then I’ll go for it. That’s what I think they may recommend. Or getting tubes put in my ears again.”
“How many times did you have an MRI?” Levi asked.
“For this issue? Or overall? This is my second MRI overall. I had that karate accident when I was 20, and then this one that’s coming up,” Rhody said.
“I had one when I was in that car accident a few years ago. So much fun…..not.”
“It wasn’t bad. The worst part of it is not being able to move much for a few minutes.”
“Which procedure do you prefer?”
“I don’t really care either way. Whichever one works better.”
“That’s fair. How’s your hearing?” Levi asked.
“Surprisingly enough, I can hear pretty well. When I had my most recent ear infection, I could actually hear my heartbeat in my ears, which was pretty annoying. Out of all the ear infections I’ve had in my life, this was a first,” Rhody replied.
“I can’t imagine.”
“What’s even more frustrating is that I’m overall in really good health. My ears are, at this point, the f*cking bane of my existence.”​

September 2008

Matthew Rhodes Bacaluso-Leyman (Rhody) spent the weekend in Evansville, Indiana with his dad, since he went on a college visit. They decided to make a foodie trip out of this, and had planned to spend time in southern Indiana, northern Kentucky, and they had even planned a day in St. Louis to try out some barbecue places there.

It was Saturday morning, and they had planned to go to St. Louis for the day. Around 8 am, Rhody woke up to his heart pounding really hard in his chest, and he could hear it in his ears He also had some slight nausea, and his breathing was relatively shaky. He had realized that he had a panic attack in his sleep and did what he could to calm himself down in order to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

January 2020

Rhody Leyman just came home to his apartment in Brooklyn, New York after having minor surgery to put tubes in his ears after a few ear infections over the past eight months. He could have worked today, but he thought it would be best to rest up for the day. His friends, Graham Maggliardi and Allen Harris, stopped by to check on him. Rhody spent the day on the couch wrapped in his fleece throw blanket with his orange tabby cat, Topaz. He had a cotton ball stuffed in each ear.

“Hey Rhody, how you feeling?” Graham asked.
“Not as bad as I thought I would. I was pretty nervous about this one since I knew I’d be awake during it,” Rhody replied. “My ears are pretty sore, and I’m exhausted, but otherwise I’m doing alright.”
“That’s good. How many times have you had tubes put in?”
“This will be my fourth time. I’ve always had issues with my ears and fluid buildup. And we all thought that was resolved when I had my tonsils removed.”
“When did you get your tonsils removed?” Allen asked.
“I was like sixteen, I think. And this is the first time since then. They checked my throat and my nose, and my tonsils and adenoids haven’t grown back. And everything else came back clear,” Rhody replied.
“No other problems?”
“No. And the ear infections I’ve had recently weren’t awful, like I could still work and live a normal life. My ears were just sore.”
“In case you were wondering, we got you a smoothie while we were out. Wanna hang out here, and we could get pizza for dinner?”
“I’m totally cool with that.”​