'WISE Guys' radio host Pat Ryan continues cancer fight with community support

HCA Healthcare February 13, 2019

Pat Ryan found himself sitting alone in a blood lab just a few hours after entering Asheville's Mission Hospital with complaints of severe stomach pain.

The longtime radio host of the "WISE Guys" on WISE Sports radio 1310 and 970 AM had just been handed the worst news of his life. He had been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer caused by Lynch syndrome, a hereditary disorder that increases the risk of the disease.

The day was Sept. 17, 2018.

"You never forget your first cancer diagnosis," Ryan said.

He would undergo surgery two days later to remove cancerous lymph nodes.

"It was absolutely devastating," Ryan said. "We weren't even thinking cancer. My wife and I were both in shock and in tears. It was the absolute low point."

In the blood lab, Ryan's first thought was about the future of his show. For 14 years, he'd hosted the "WISE Guys," a three-hour daily production that highlights local sports with a heavy emphasis on high school athletics.

He felt alone and scared. Until he saw a familiar face.

Pat Ryan hosts his sports radio talk show, the WISE Guys, with regular contributor, longtime high school football coach Charlie Metcalf from the Asheville Radio Group building on Feb. 6, 2019. In September 2018 Ryan was diagnosed with colon cancer and has been continuing to host the show while receiving treatment. (Photo: Angeli Wright/awright@citizen-times.com)

In the next room sat Charlie Metcalf, a local high school coaching legend who had become a regular contributor to Ryan's radio show. Metcalf was at the cancer center getting his annual checkup after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013.

"Here I am at my lowest point and there's Charlie, a guy I know has been through so much," Ryan said. "It was a big moment for me. It made me feel like I could beat this thing. He's my guardian angel."

Metcalf was just as surprised to see Ryan.

"I guess it was fate," Metcalf said. "It felt like the Lord put us together that day in the cancer center."

Pat Ryan hosts his sports radio talk show, the WISE Guys, from the Asheville Radio Group building on Feb. 6, 2019. In September 2018 Ryan was diagnosed with colon cancer and has been continuing to host the show while receiving treatment. (Photo: Angeli Wright/awright@citizen-times.com)

"Part of the Family"

Ryan kept his diagnosis private at first.

He's always thrived on putting the attention on others. Having the spotlight on himself was something he hoped to avoid.

He was forced to take two weeks off from the show after the surgery, and his co-hosts kept things quiet about the disease.

He slowly began to tell the public about his cancer, first in a Facebook post and then on the air.

"I was really proud of Pat for being brave and disclosing what was happening almost from the beginning," said his wife of 11 years, Kathleen Cook. "He felt listeners needed to know why he was missing time. I thought that took a lot of courage."

The outpouring of support was immediate.

Calls, texts and emails flooded in from around the area from friends and listeners. Area coaches reached out and extended their thoughts and prayers.

Western Carolina football coach Mark Speir sent Ryan a football signed by the entire team.

A football signed by members of the Western Carolina University football team sits on Pat Ryan's desk at the Asheville Radio Group as a sign of support as he battles colon cancer. (Photo: Angeli Wright/awright@citizen-times.com)

"In this area we have a community of coaches that are like family," said Metcalf, who has worked as an football assistant coach at Erwin, Andrews and Asheville High during the last 40 years. "Pat is a part of that family. Not everyone gets that same love. But he's earned it."

During football season, Ryan hosts a Saturday morning coaches show that recaps Friday nights. He continued that tradition after his diagnosis.

"He's always been supportive no matter what happened on Friday," Erwin coach Rodney Pruett said. "When he started his own battle, we knew he needed to know that we all cared about him. He's such a great guy and this community is better because of him."

Finding Support

Ryan and Metcalf don't spend that much time talking about cancer.

They both believe their time together is better spent focusing on local sports during Metcalf's Tuesday afternoon guest spot on the show.

Metcalf, though, does the little things to support Ryan.

He and his wife send Ryan and his wife weekly inspirational cards and letters. He also sat through a four-hour chemotherapy treatment with Ryan.

"That was the fastest treatment I ever had," Ryan said through a smile. "We talked the whole time."

The treatment, though, has not been easy on Ryan. He's lost over 50 pounds, although he attributes that to eating better.

"I tell people I'm really healthy now, besides that Stage 4 cancer," Ryan said, laughing.

Ryan has continued his hard work with the radio program, prepping nearly three hours a night after a three-hour show. He takes the occasional day off to recover after chemo.

"Some shows, I get off the air and I'm ready to collapse," Ryan said. "I've been so lucky to have the support of my radio group and all my great contributors."

Cook said her husband also found support in another place he never expected.

A month after the diagnosis, the couple took a trip to Folly Beach to try to relax. The reality of the situation was still almost too much for Ryan to bear.

"I remember looking out at the water and wondering if I'd every be back here," Ryan said.

During the trip, Ryan reconnected with a childhood friend who had been dealing with his own adversity.

His friend, Mike Merrigan, had his leg amputated after he was hit by a car as a pedestrian. The accident happened just days after Ryan's diagnosis

The two talked for hours that night.

"For me, that was the big shift in him that I saw," Cook said. "I had gone on a long walk and when I came back, I felt his attitude change. He (Pat) looked at me and told me he was ready to fight this."

Winning the Fight

There is a date circled on Ryan's calendar.

March 18.

That will be his final chemo treatment.

His body has responded positively to the chemo and his CEA levels - a protein linked to colon cancer - has dropped from 51.2 to 3.5, a range that is normal for those without cancer.

"My nurse, Judy, saw my numbers and she said "you're going to live," Ryan said. "She doesn't mince words."

Ryan will likely be able to ring the cancer-free bell at Mission Hospital just days after his 54th birthday. The WNC athletic community will celebrate alongside him.

"My thing has always been to be kind to people," Ryan said. "I've seen that kindness returned, and it's been overwhelming. When you're around this long, you hope that you've made some friends. I've been blessed to see how many I've made."

Ryan plans to return full time to his show in April.

"Being positive is the most important thing when it comes to this disease," Metcalf said. "People hear the word cancer, and they go into a shell. That wasn't Pat. He was ready to fight. He was ready to win."

Longtime high school football coach Charlie Metcalf talks on the WISE guys radio talk show with host Pat Ryan from the Asheville Radio Group building on Feb. 6, 2019. Metcalf has been battling cancer for years and now provides support for Ryan, who was diagnosed with cancer in September, both on and off the air. (Photo: Angeli Wright/awright@citizen-times.com)