Moving Forward - Liver Surgery

Hi Everyone,

This is Eric – my turn to update the blog. Dad went in for his first surgery yesterday morning. Both Mom and Dad arrived at the hospital around 6:00 am, and they took Dad back around 8:00. In total, his surgery lasted around 4 hours. We finally got to see him around 2:00 in his room at the U of U hospital.

The surgery went very well. The surgeons ended up removing about 60% of Dad’s liver. They said the margins were clear, and they’re confident they were able to remove all the cancer-affected areas. In addition to the liver resection, the surgeons removed Dad’s gallbladder. Dad’s doctors say he’ll be in a fair amount of pain over the next few weeks. They estimate it’ll take about 3 months for his liver to regenerate – truly a miracle the human body can do such a thing!

All things considered, Dad looked and acted great. He was in and out for most of the afternoon due to the anesthesia and pain meds, but when he was “in” he was in high spirits, joking with the staff and us. Obviously, the anesthesia made Dad a little loopy, which added to the fun. Grandad (Dad’s dad) was in the room with us. Dad was going in and out and every time he came to he’d see Grandad and say, “Oh, hey Pa.” He must have done that 8-9 times. Later in the day, the nurse was explaining to Dad that his pain meds were set up so that he could simply press a button to receive an infusion. The nurse made it very clear that only Dad was to push this button. When he heard that, Dad said, “Button button, I’ve got the button” and proceeded to wave it in front of all of us. I so admire his courage, strength, and overall positive outlook on life during this difficult time.

As for next steps… Dad will be in the hospital for around 5-7 days. Hotel Huntsman is apparently quite full right now, so he may spend the entire time in the U of U hospital. The doctors say he should be able to get up and walk around today. After that, he'll take a few weeks for recovery and we'll wait to see what's next.

The silver lining in all of this is the opportunity to stop the craziness of life for a moment and reflect. One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about over the last few months is humility. Gordon B. Hinckley once said, “Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.” I’ve been truly amazed by both my parents’ courage and positivity throughout this experience, but I am in awe of their humility. Finishing with the roller coaster-ride of my Mom’s cancer journey only to start my Dad’s, I can only imagine their desire to ask “why?” But, in place of frustration and resent, I see only their efforts to serve each other and those around them. In addition, words cannot describe the gratitude I feel toward each person who has put the needs of my family ahead of their own over these last few months. You are each a testament that God acts through his children on earth.

We all love you, Daddio. Keep showing cancer who’s boss!