Stories of NF: Barry L.

I am 66 years old. I have NF1 and it causes bouts of depression, but I deal with that. I am a fortunate man. I taught school for 35 years having earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I am married with no children.

I get stares in public. Those who know me say they don’t even notice the bumps. The worst part is knowing that more tumors will appear. I have had four surgeries to remove the most obnoxious tumors. I also have had a large peripheral nerve sheath tumor removed from my upper right arm. When I was younger I did not have many tumors. Now, in my 60s, I have hundreds.

I attend regional meetings when I can. I connect with others through NF websites. My wife and a few close friends are my mainstays. I am truly blessed to have them. I think I am a lucky man. I have done a few newspaper articles for May NF awareness months.

I am a retired teacher. I do volunteer work with the homeless. I love going out to eat with my small group of friends. I need to lose weight. I want to become involved with our local chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.