Dale and The Big Spleen
I'll try and keep this as short and non technical as possible. This has probably been brewing for years as my platelets (blood component crucial for clotting) have been below normal range but stable for quite a while. Last September (2022), testing prior to a routine outpatient procedure revealed I had an enlarged spleen and my platelets and other important blood values had dropped significantly. My internist immediately referred me to a hematologist/oncologist and I also started consultations with my gastroenterologist (since the spleen is part of his realm). We've done A LOT of testing (blood, liver scans, whole body PET/CT x2, ultrasounds, lymph node biopsies, bone marrow biopsy & more) and met with a hematologist at Mayo clinic. It's pretty standard procedure to do a 3-6 month 'wait and see' period since removing your spleen is a very serious procedure (my heart disease raises the risk) and has some life altering implica...