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Thread: Spleen problems anyone?

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    Default Spleen problems anyone?

    Has anyone had spleen involvement with their WG?
    Found an interesting article that describes my left shoulder pain to a t and my left side pain...now I have a lump that comes and goes and at times is painful...plan on haveing a CT done when i CT tmy Lungs this month ...What the heck miay as well Ct everything From Neck to thighs...just to have a base line...mayu also try to get second opipion from myo 's new clinic....Cellcept is tolerable but I slept 36 hours this weekend straight...only got up to pee and take meds....so much for spending the weekend with my kids...but doc said rest when my baody says rest...can not afford another hospitalization...ugh
    so let me know if anyone has had spleen invivement or spleen infarcts because of WG
    Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heartdeep in a person's life. Nuture it with a smile and a prayer and watch what happens...Never underestimate the power of the seed!

    My mojo for today.....gonna be johnny apple seed and just keep planting
    Lisa Marie
    The happiness of people is not necessarily to have the best of everything...but make the most of what you have!!

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    LisaMarie, I had my spleen check by a couple docs because I was complaining of pain there. They said it was normal size and felt it. I think WG attacks any organ, but we all know it loves the kidneys, sinuses, and lungs!

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    Stupid question -- where on the body is the spleen?

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    It's on the left side under your left rib cage. No question is stupid.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JanW View Post
    Stupid question -- where on the body is the spleen?
    I think it is in one of the feet.

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    Lisa Marie, I've heard of spleen involvement, but it's quite rare. It's good to get it checked out, though. I do hope you're joking about a neck-to-thigh CT? That's a lot of radiation. Please be very careful about radiation exposure. You never know when you'll need a lot and there is a lifetime limit on how much is safe. CTs will get you to that limit quickly.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sangye View Post
    Lisa Marie, I've heard of spleen involvement, but it's quite rare. It's good to get it checked out, though. I do hope you're joking about a neck-to-thigh CT? That's a lot of radiation. Please be very careful about radiation exposure. You never know when you'll need a lot and there is a lifetime limit on how much is safe. CTs will get you to that limit quickly.
    Unfortunately many cancer patients such as those with lymphoma often have those every season since it is the only way to detect spreading of cancer to new area in time to treat it.. I think many Wegener's patients also have similarly high levels of exposure. I was just reviewing the results of my lab work on my electronic chart and found 10 days where I had a chest x-ray every day, sometimes two times in same day. I know at the time I was bleeding badly in lungs and they had to monitor bleeding, but that is a lot of X-ray plus several CT scans to check for kidney damage and problems else where. I know they prefer MRI and ultrasound when possible to assess for problems but x-rays are hard to avoid with problems and complications we can get.

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    Yes, that's why I suggest we limit it unless it's absolutely necessary. One complication down the road can land you many x-rays or CTs. Same for our veins-- you have to protect them from unnecessary blood draws and IVs as you go because you can easily ruin them.

    I'm in both those predicaments. I've had well over 50 x-rays and over 30 CTs in 4.5 years-- most of that radiation was to the chest. That's over 3 times the amount of radiation from Hiroshima. Many of those studies were necessary but many were done out of fear or "just to check." Some were done even though my symptoms didn't warrant it.

    I've had tons of blood draws in 4.5 years, too--so many that I only have a couple veins left to use. Prednisone makes your veins fragile so you can go from good vein access to almost none very quickly. It's a major deal for me to just to get a blood draw, and an IV is extremely difficult.

    Unfortunately MRI is not interchangeable with CT. For example, MRI of the lungs will not show much. CT is the preferred study for lungs. We should also limit the use of contrast dyes. It's additional radiation that is often not necessary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pberggren1 View Post
    I think it is in one of the feet.
    ROTFL

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    Ok CT shows borderline splenomegly....fatty thing on the head of my pancrease...denisity on my liver and echo showed a fat pad in my pericardium by the efffusion...but my lungs and kidneys are fine ....now to wait to see what the doc says...my spleen was not as large and painful on day of the scan as it was before ...so maybe it is getting better....can not wait to get off pred...and see specialist at Mayo
    Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heartdeep in a person's life. Nuture it with a smile and a prayer and watch what happens...Never underestimate the power of the seed!

    My mojo for today.....gonna be johnny apple seed and just keep planting
    Lisa Marie
    The happiness of people is not necessarily to have the best of everything...but make the most of what you have!!

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