DARIN and HAYLEE GUNNERSON: Darin’s Update

Friday, August 8, 2025

Darin’s Update

I needed a place to document Darin's current journey.

For the last couple of years, Darin's voice has been changing.

Originally, he complained that he could no longer sing falseto, but we didn't think much of it. Since we are together all of the time, I just kind of got used to his more raspy voice. And all the old ladies in the ward say they love his handsome raspy voice that made him sound like Clint Eastwood. He would joke all the time and say, "It's probably just throat cancer." I offered to make him appointments, but he didn't really want to go to the doctor.

Well, fast forward a bit, and we kept running into friends we hadn't seen in a long time. Friends from school, old wards, etc. and each time they would mention how much Darin's voice had changed. And the old ladies in the ward said his handsome Clint Eastwood voice was starting to sound more like Spencer W. Kimball. Again, we didn't look too much into it.

Then, in the spring, we were getting more and more comments....and diagnoses. People at Matt's lacrosse game, friends that had moved, or new friends. Every single person told Darin they were sure he had "silent reflux." And every single person had a different "cure." Over the counter meds, keifer milk, etc. He tried some of those for a little while, but when nothing helped, he finally let me make him an appointment.

On June 30th, Darin went in and found it was not silent reflux, but a mass growing on his vocal chord. On July 16th, Darin had surgery. Before surgery the doctor thought it might be cancerous, and talked to us about "the next steps." But after the surgery the doctor said it was very large, but it looked pretty clean and he was feeling pretty good that it wasn't "the 'C' word."

Right after surgery was so sad, as Darin came out of sedation. He was crying and kept grabbing at his oxygen. He also spoke for the first time, and his voice was SOOOO weird and different. He was given instructions to not speak the first week, then only whisper for a month.

The first week after surgery was so funny! Darin cracks me up! He wasn't allowed to speak AT ALL, and so we could only communicate via text or a white board. I felt like I was constantly laughing because he'd write the funniest things! He looked really serious one time, so I asked him if he needed to write something, only for him to nod this head, then write, "Something." Or when I'd ask him his pain level, he'd say "BEARable....grizzly" Or after he was fully recovered and spent hours working in the garden (something he LOVES), I asked him for help on something little, and he does the poutiest face and mouths "I can't. I'm recovering from surgery."

Neighbors and friends were very kind to reach out with meals, treats, notes, etc.

The week we were supposed to receive the results of the biopsy were a little whiplashy....

yes, we have your results

actually the doctor will call you

the doctor calls, then says, we will just talk about it tomorrow, can you be here at 9:15?

On August 1st, we went in and learned it was, in fact, "the 'c' word."

So, now were are on to the next phase. Planning the next steps and navigating all the feelings.

The doctor feels very optimistic that Darin will beat it.