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Aarron Busch, Dewart Lake, may end up owing a few favors. His sister, Becky Tusing, also of Dewart Lake, is giving up 60 percent of her liver to save Aarron's life.
"He thinks he's getting it for free," Tusing said.
"I never asked her," Busch said. "She just said, 'If you need it, I'll (give it.)'"
Unselfish, brother-sister love? Tusing said she has a "honey-do" list for her brother.
"He's not getting it for free," she joked. "(This is his) one chance; no more giving."
But, all jokes aside, Tusing, 41, is more than happy to help her brother out and he's more than grateful.
Tusing and Busch will travel to two separate hospitals Monday in Indianapolis to undergo liver transplant surgery.
Tusing will be at Methodist Hospital at 8 a.m. undergoing 60 percent liver removal for nearly six hours, and Busch, 46, will be at Indiana University Medical Center for almost double the procedure time of his sister's. Surgery for Busch begins around 10 or 11 a.m. and continues for almost 13 hours.
"They really shouldn't have to do this procedure," Busch said, "because it's dangerous."
Tusing will be in the hospital for about six days and her brother's stay will be almost two weeks.
Busch is in serious need of a liver transplant.
"They only give them (liver transplants) to the people (knocking) on death's door - desperate people," Busch said.
Tusing said a person has to be "near death" to get a liver transplant.
How did Busch come to this dire need for his sister's liver?
"I got hepatitis C in the military," Busch said. "It created cirrhosis of the liver."
He said he learned of the problem almost three years ago, "but I had it for over 25 years."
"He just didn't know about it," his wife, Barbara, said.
Busch said a series of medical tests began when he had a melanoma removed from his back.
"(It was a) domino effect," he said. "(My) liver wasn't clotting."
So Busch traveled to Indianapolis and "went through a bunch of tests to see if I qualified to get on the transplant list."
Busch said he's been on the list for 2-1/2 to three years and he's just now getting in for the procedure.
Why does Busch's procedure have to be at a different hospital than his sister's?
They explained that each hospital has its own specialists to do the procedures. Doctors thought it would be important to stay in the hospital where they knew they could give the best care to Tusing and Busch.
Busch said his entire liver will be taken out and Tusing's will be "put in and it'll grow back to whatever size I need."
Re-growth will take six to eight weeks.
Busch said once part of his sister's liver is removed it will be transported to his hospital in an igloo cooler.
"This is so new," he said. "(It's the) second adult-to-adult (liver transplant in Indiana)."
The liver transplant program developed in January and only 150 to 200 transplants have been done nationwide. Out of those, only three donor deaths have occurred.
But, despite the rarity of the procedure, Tusing and Busch are not worried.
"I'm real confident in the doctors," Tusing said.
"I don't have any fears of the doctors or anything," Busch said. "(There's) no better place (to get the procedure done)."
"I will always have the hepatitis C because there's no cure," Busch said. "They have drugs out that will repress it."
Busch said he may have to have another liver transplant in 25 to 30 years if a cure for hepatitis C is not found.
Without a cure, more people with hepatitis could find themselves in need of liver transplants. It's a long process, but, something can be done to speed the process.
Tusing said there is "such a shortage" of organ donors and blood donors. Increasing that number "could save lives."
"People won't donate because there's such a fear," Tusing said. "It's scary for people."
She said people "think the doctors are going to let (them) die because (they're) a donor and that's not true."
"Everyone should donate blood (and organs)," Busch said.
"Because there's a real shortage," Tusing said. "People don't think about it until it's too late."
Busch explained that people shouldn't be afraid to donate blood or organs. He said the doctors aren't going to let a person die just because their organs could go to someone else.
"You have to be brain dead" before doctors will even consider taking your organs, Busch said. "Death is a very final thing and people don't want to think about it."
"It's part of living," Tusing said. "I just want people to donate and not be afraid."
And donating is what will save her husband's life.
Busch and Tusing both are "thankful that we're in real good health" and are sure the transplant will run smoothly.
Whether it's brotherly-sister love or not, this family definitely sticks together. Barbara offered her husband and sister-in-law a little "fun" advice before their surgeries: "Don't eat liver and onions," she joked.
Busch will go back for weekly check-ups at first and then return monthly. Tusing's check-ups will be less intense, depending on how her body copes with the surgery.
