Hey, how’s **Canadjun **doing? 
Or the OP for that matter. He seems to have faded just after starting this thread like 10 years ago. I do like his interests though; novel combination.
Justt peachy-keen! Thank you for asking!
I am just jumping on this thread because ever since losing my spleen about 6+ years ago, I have wanted to connect with other spleenless folks. I feel like whenever i go to the doctor i know more about a spleenless condition than they do, and i never feel “at peace” with their answers.
My biggest questions deal with the blood, and since those without spleens are missing our primary filter for decommissioned red bc, white bc, and platelets, wouldn’t it be interesting to learn that certain blood “transfusions” could benefit our bodies…
for example, donating blood, donating platelets, receiving blood from a known source, fighting infection using a host’s blood support, etc etc…
whenever i ask my doctor community questions similar to above, they always say none of that would be necessary… but i feel like they spend ZERO time studying the matter because they go with their generic teachings, that life without a spleen is exactly the same except for the need for three vaccines. :smack:
Anyway, i have days of conversation stored up in my head about ideas, questions, and theories about longevity and health and wellness for people without spleens, and I hope that bouncing a few ideas off this thread will help me or maybe someone else.
Calling Qadgop? If anyone sees a lot of asplenic people, it’s him.
Other than a slight impairment of the immune system, the QOL for someone without a spleen isn’t much different than it is for someone who has one (or more than one; many people do).
Admittedly I am just a sample of one, but I have never been told that the fact that my spleen was removed in 1977 has made a difference in my health. So, I agree with nearwildheaven
The big problem for asplenic people is infections.
Other than increased susceptibility to certain types of infections which can lead to severe sepsis (primarily from encapsulated organisms such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis), splenectomized patients or those with other causes of asplenia or impaired splenic function don’t seem to be at significant increased risk for other live or health-threatening disorders.
So if you lack a functioning or an actual spleen: Get your immunizations! That includes those not routinely offered to the general healthy population, like pneumococcal, meningococcal, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines.
Also, be aware of signs and symptoms of infection such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle pains, rigor, and so on, and have a very low threshold for contacting your doctor when such symptoms present. I’m no fan of handing out antibiotics for prevention, but they can play a role in keeping asplenic adults healthy.
Here’s a link to a good patient education handout about taking care of oneself after splenectomy: Preventing severe infection after splenectomy
:eek:
Why did your cousin need such incredibly radical surgery?
Hii. Haven’t had my spleen for about 10 years now.
Was wondering, do you guys get more frequent sore throats? Do you have your tonsils?
My throat feels like its a constant problem for me. And I feel like my glands are also always getting swollen. Kinda wondering if this happens cause my immune system is always kicking into overdrive to fight infections due to lack of spleen? Wanted to see if anybody else experienced similar.
I’ve always wanted to talk to other people without spleens to kinda get some insight on there experiences. There is a lot of known very useful information, but I also feel like there’s a lot that doctors and science haven’t figured out yet. And sometimes seems are uninterested in. Ha
Ok. Thanks
I had my spleen removed in 1978. Since then I have a problem breathing in crowds in closed rooms or at high altitudes, and as I age this seems to be more of a problem. I also get dehydrated easily and sick from drinking water in other countries, ending up in the hospital in Italy, Mexico, and England. I don’t see anyone here talking about these issues but know from a few others I am not alone.
Hello everyone!
I’m glad I’ve found this thread! I cannot find many places in the internet where us “no-spleeners” can talk about our experiences!
My spleen was removed 10 years ago due to a pancreatic cyst removal and it was too close to my spleen so they took it out to avoid possible hemorrhage. I haven’t had any issues since then, thank God! I’ve had all the vaccines and lead a normal life. I’m a bit concerned about the current flu epidemic situation and how my body would react to it so I pray to God that I don’t catch it. It’s just scary with all the flu and sudden sepsis deaths showing up on the news! I understand that the flu itself is not the problem, but the secondary infections that can come from it.
Has anyone here battled the flu since their spleen was removed?
Hi, Dentista, and welcome to the board. This thread started in 2007 so it’s not very active, but there are a few of us here without spleens. I’m not sure what you mean about flu, do you mean a stomach virus? I haven’t had one since my spleen was removed 3.5 years ago. I’ve had some colds with no problems. My mom is 78 and we both got the same cold at the same time last year. Mine took about a week longer to go away than hers did, but that’s it.
Thanks for replying Helena330! I mean the influenza virus. Not sure where you live but it’s crazy here in the United States with the flu and seemingly healthy people dying from it! So i was just wondering if anyone ever caught the flu after their spleen was removed and how they dealt with it. thanks again for replying!
Any asplenic patient who comes down with flu symptoms or is exposed to a case of the flu should contact their physician ASAP to be considered for a course of Tamiflu. Ideally that medication should be started within 48 hours of exposure or first sign of symptoms. 72 hours is the upper limit. It can definitely shorten the length and reduce the severity of the symptoms if given early.
G’day to all you nospleeners, I realise this is an old thread, but it seems to get resurrected fairly regularly, so fingers crossed…
I lost my spleen nearly 40 years ago after being hit by a car when I was seven, I remember during recovery being given a green syrupy stuff, I was told it was an iron supplement, and from then until I was in my late twenties I knew nothing more about living without a spleen, no considerations given to it at all, out of ignorance more than anything.
In my twenties I had a bad case of the flu that progressed to pneumonia and then to a partially collapsed lung. My GP told me then that I needed to be having yearly flu shots due to no spleen, first I’d heard of a flu shot or my ‘special need’, I had one in the aftermath of that illness but not since, haven’t been crook since either.
More recently I’ve been paying more attention to my health and a couple of GP’s have been nagging me to have specific vaccinations because of no spleen that are mentioned elsewhere in this thread.
Being of semi sound mind and body throughout my adult life I’ve avoided medications as far as I’ve been able, an exception to that would be ibuprofen, I fell in love with this when I discovered it could stop all but the worst of my migraines in their tracks, that’s another story.
Anyway, this is all a rather log winded way of saying that I’ve had an excellent quality of life without a spleen, including the odd flirtation with alcohol abuse, being overweight and unfit for some considerable time, and very rarely being ill. Dumb luck or a robust immune system, bit of both… who knows, but I think I need to go get those vaccinations. I’m still not convinced about a yearly flu jab though.
And I was relieved to read recently that nospleeners are not more likely to catch or suffer a worse case of Covid-19.
Hope youse are all well and healthy, and staying safe while your (I’m guessing you’re mostly American here) government transitions.
Hello, dreadedbeardy! Yes, we are mostly American, but we have posters from all over the world.
However, if you do catch and suffer a worse case of COVID, and then get subsequent bacterial infection (which can be a killer), then you could be in trouble.
The link between coronavirus (COVID-19) and sepsis | Queensland Health
specifically for nospleeners?
What I know about the spleen could be summarized in one thread on the SDMB. But it says above that bacterial sepsis is a problem for nospleeners.
I had my spleen and gall bladder removed in 1988, respectively for splenomegaly (seven times too large) and multitudes of gallstones. Both issues were caused by an inherited blood disorder - spherocytosis. Rather than a lack of energy after surgery, I felt much better. I had previously been jaundiced, with the whites of my eyes being more the pale yellow color of a post-it note, and I was easily winded. I can’t say that I have experienced any problems so far from having no spleen. I stay up-to-date with my influenza, pneumonia, and meningitis vaccinations. If anything, I seem to get sick less often than the majority of my coworkers, or maybe I am just less prone to malingering. 
I do have some problems with fatty foods due to having no gall bladder, but it is pretty minor.