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 implications . All the doctors were hoping we could avoid this.

We've reached the point where we have three expert opinions we trust and have scheduled a splenectomy for August 2.

All the testing and consultations take time and during this time my spleen continued to grow and blood values continued downward. The suspicion is Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma. Won't know for sure until post surgery biopsy. A lot of unknowns remain. 

I've received my pre op vaccines (x5). 

If all goes well with the surgery (3-5+) hours we can expect a hospital stay of 5-7 days and 2-3 months at home recovery.

Whatever the results, we will get 2-3 opinions regarding post surgery treatment.

You can check this blog anytime. 

The next post will probably be from Kathy the day of surgery. 

Stay safe and well everyone.