Chuck Carlson

The (Battle Creek, Mich.) Enquirer

Sometime during Dan Maurer's 12-hour surgery Aug. 28, his mom was in the cafeteria at the University of California-Irvine hospital when she saw something she never expected.

"She saw the surgeon sitting in there eating a sandwich," Dan Maurer Sr. said with a laugh. "She said, 'Shouldn't you be somewhere else?' and he said, 'No, we have this under control.'"

For Dr. Joel Gelman, head of the hospital's Center for Reconstructive Urology, it was a sign that everything was going as planned and it was a chance for him to take a break while another surgical team took its turn.

In the end, the grueling surgery, which involved three surgical teams, removed an 80-pound scrotal growth and another 40 pounds of fat from Mauer's stomach area.

"By the time he leaves the hospital, I'm guessing he'll weigh 150 pounds less than when he went in," said Connie, who flew out to California the day after Dan and his wife, Melita, arrived Aug. 25. Both have rarely left his side since.

For 16 hours, they could not see Dan as he was prepped for surgery and then went through the operation.

"One of the photographers in there compared it to a NASCAR pit crew," she said.

The surgery went by the book, Connie said, though there were some issues immediately following when, after waking up from sedation, he was panicked by a breathing tube his throat.

"He'd never been in a hospital before and he was frightened," she said. "He ripped it out."

Doctors removed the tube but then they grew concerned when his oxygen saturation level dropped. They re-inserted the tube and sedated Dan and there haven't been any issues since.

"Dr. Gelman was very pleased with the surgery and is pleased with the healing," she said.

His mother said Dan is also dealing with a large bed sore from weeks of being in a prone position and he has started physical therapy so he can get back to walking. She also said he was moved from intensive care Thursday and into a private room.

Maurer is expected to need several more weeks to recover in California, though. If doctors are pleased with his progress, he would be allowed to fly home to continue his recovery.

"Hopefully, it's the start of a whole new life for him," said his dad, who remained at the family home.

It is the next, and largest, step for Maurer and his battle with the rare disease scrotal lymphedema in which the scrotum grows abnormally large because of what doctors believe are blocked vessels in the lymphatic system that fail to drain the fluid from the area.

Maurer has dealt with the problem for more than five years, and his cause has been taken up by friends and strangers alike. His story has also been chronicled in state and national media and even the London Daily Mail has written about him.

"It's something that could happen to anyone," Connie said. "It's a story. It's life."

And while the news is promising, the reality is that the surgery and the rehab will cost a lot of money and insurance only covers so much.

"We have no idea of the medical expenses in the end," Connie said.

But donations continue to come in through the online donation site gofundme.com that has raised a little more than $29,000 from more than 1,000 donors. And one of the donors, Connie said, is a personal trainer in Grand Rapids who wants to help get Dan back into shape when he gets home.

She has been staying with Melita and her mom in an RV park near the hospital. Melita's vacation time runs out next week and her mom is planning to return to Michigan this weekend.

And while Connie is also eager to get home, she said she wouldn't leave until Dan had left ICU and walked a step.

"He tried to keep me from coming out here," she said. "But last night he took my hand and said, 'I'm glad you came. I needed you here.' "