Baron Bluhm

Baron Bluhm has written more than 60 letters to the family of his liver donor, but he has never mailed them.

"How do you thank someone for life? The words haven't yet been created that can express my appreciation for their gift and my sorrow for their loss," he says. "I'll keep trying and, one day, I hope to be able to write the letter and hope it finds its way to them."

Baron has much to be thankful for. He was able to see his son, Graham, graduate from high school and to spend more time with his daughter, Sicara. His relationship with his wife, Linda, has been strengthened by his medical crisis.

That crisis began when Baron was 36 and began to itch profusely at work one day. He called his wife to see if she had changed laundry detergents. Baron's local physician diagnosed him with shingles. Within a week or two of increasing discomfort, Baron and his wife noticed that his skin was turning yellow. Baron went to an area hospital, which referred him to a larger hospital. There, Baron was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, or cancer of the bile ducts.

This rare type of cancer seldom produces symptoms in the early stages. Intense itching is one symptom. When the flow of bile is obstructed by a tumor, bile salts may be deposited in the skin, causing itching.

Baron was at increased risk for cholangiocarcinoma. He had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis as a child — an autoimmune disease characterized by severe bouts of bloody diarrhea with abdominal pain and cramping. He took medication for several years, then the disease remained under control for many years. Having ulcerative colitis increases the risk for bile duct cancer.

Surgery to remove a portion of his liver proved impossible; surgeons would have to remove too much of the organ. Baron's physicians referred him to Mayo Clinic.

On the road to transplant

Physicians at Mayo Clinic laid out the case. Baron needed a liver transplant or he would die. He would be accepted into the Liver Transplant Program if he agreed to cease tobacco and alcohol use and submit to various tests. Baron had quit smoking two weeks before his cancer diagnosis — an 18-year habit. He agreed to the program protocols and began chemotherapy and radiation therapy at Mayo Clinic to stop growth of the tumor.

Baron was put on the transplant list. He and his wife decided to wait for a cadaver liver.

While he waited at home, north of the Twin Cities, Baron got closer to family and spent time tinkering with his computer.

"I had no energy to work," he says. "I just wanted to sit in a chair and watch TV. I made peace with my condition quickly. Linda and I decided we'd do everything we could do to fix it but that if my time was up, we'd get through it. She saved my life — she made me go to the doctor when I was sick, and she supported me through everything."

Getting the call... and a new liver

Almost exactly a year later, Baron got the call. He was so stunned when a physician from Mayo Clinic called to tell him they had a compatible liver that he hung up the phone. Baron quickly regained his composure and called back to accept the liver. He and Linda headed to Mayo Clinic immediately. He received the transplant the next morning.

"The nurse who was with me after surgery was the most wonderful woman in the world," says Baron. "She never left my side. She combed my hair and held my hand. I don't remember her ever leaving the room. I knew then that I was going to make it."

Baron spent four weeks in the hospital at Mayo Clinic and eight weeks at a local motel recuperating. He had a rejection scare but weathered it. He was eager to get home, but has special fondness for the staff at Mayo Clinic.

"Every person I encountered, from the day I arrived until the day I left, was wonderful," he says. "They make you feel welcome and as if their only purpose is to help you. I felt as if they lived by this philosophy, 'It is my personal mission to help you.'"

"Mayo Clinic is the best place in the world," says Baron. "You're not treated like a number. When I go back for checkups, people still call me by name, which is incredible considering the number of patients they see each year. I had an after-care nurse who, if there are angels, is one of them. She was so caring and loving. When I saw her come into my room, I knew I would be OK. The physicians at Mayo explain things to you until you understand, no matter how long it takes. Doctors I had elsewhere got frustrated if I asked too many questions. Doctors at Mayo have excellent rapport with patients and talk to you, rather than at you. They didn't sugarcoat things. The difference is night and day."

A changed man ... inside and out

Baron is a changed man as a result of his transplant. He not only has a new liver but also a new perspective on life.

"I realize I have a purpose," he says. "Before, I was just having fun. Now, my family and I know that life isn't to be taken for granted. I don't know what my purpose is, but I know I'm not finished yet. I still need to find the words to express my gratitude to the donor family. They and Mayo Clinic gave me life."