April 2004

North Buckhead Newsletter

Page 5

I haven't written a President's Column before, but the past year has been eventful. 
"Your CAT Scan shows you have a tumor in your liver.  It is huge."  My doctor's words stung.  I had been feeling fine except for the fever I had off and on for two months.  I asked about the life expectancy of liver cancer victims -- the median is about six months -- early liver cancer often has no symptoms. 
That was last August.  I was referred to the Liver Transplant Clinic at Emory for treatment.  The tumor was malignant and was too large for me to qualify for a liver transplant under UNOS transplant guidelines.
Six months of tests, scans and chemoembolizations followed.  It was a very trying time for us, since the outlook went from optimistic to very bleak and back again several times.  Finally the tumor shrank somewhat and I was approved for a liver transplant. 
I had been on the national transplant list for just a day when we got a call in the middle of a late-February night -- "we have a liver for you".  My wife Sue and I reported to Emory for my surgery.

Later, I woke up groggy and Sue was on the phone -- "It is all over and they were even able to save your own liver, though they had to remove 60% of it."  The liver intended for my transplant was given to another person on the transplant list and two lives were saved.  (My missing liver tissue should grow back in about 3 weeks.)   I feel so incredibly fortunate and my surgeon says my prognosis is "very, very good". 
So many of you have been so wonderful to me and my family and all I can say is I am deeply touched by your generosity and your friendship.
Now I'd like to ask for your help, everybody's help.

• Please give blood--many patients can't be treated just because there's not enough blood.
  
• Please be an organ donor when you get your driver's license-- let your family know of your decision and that you want it carried out.  Sadly, our Pine Hills neighbor Marie Sims was on the liver transplant list for years and died recently  before a liver ever became available for her.
                                                 --Gordon Certain