Almost ‘Chopped Liver’

by Gary A. Aumiller, PH.D.  ABPP

This story is told with the permission and review of my patient, John.

John is a retired cop, one year younger than I am.  He is pale white sometimes and other times he looks remarkably normal.  Sometimes he looks weak, sometimes like the man that plays golf a couple of times a week in retirement.  He is well-liked by most everyone that comes in contact with him.

“So why are you here?  I assume you didn’t come in for a golf lesson.”  I am not the greatest golfer.  I had known this man from police golf tournaments.

“I need a liver doc.  My brother and sister are both willing to give me part of their livers but the hospital in the city won’t do the operation because I failed a blood test.”  (A quarter of a liver from someone else will regenerate and handle the functionality of natural liver.  Live donors are the way to go in liver transplants these days). (more…)