Of Spleen and Spirit
Spleen Enlargement Partially Explained
My spleen remains about one and a half times larger than it should be. The first suspected cause was a thrombosis (a.k.a. clot) in either the splenic vein, which comes out of the spleen, or the portal vein, which comes out of the liver. Over an hour of ultrasound testing revealed these veins to be flowing properly. The next test was an esophagusoscopy. While under sedation, a camera was sent down my esophagus and into my stomach. Clogged veins showed up in both the esophagus and the stomach.
This blockage causes back pressure from the liver to the spleen, which provides the immediate cause of the spleen enlargement. Now, the question is: what caused these blockages? We don’t know; they more commonly occur in people who have had liver disease much longer than I have. For now, the treatment is a blood pressure medication called Inderal. I am also getting injections every day of Neumega to build up platelets and make it safe to resume chemotherapy next week, along with occasional Neulast to boost the white cells. Liver function tests are pretty close to normal.
The procedure to send a TV studio down my gullet caused a bit of discomfort later that night. It may have just been that I had to fast till 3 p.m. and I am not strong enough to fast that long any more. Or it may have been a reaction to sedation or the procedure itself. I am not sure. The bad news was that I had to cancel a visit to the University of Texas, where my friend and colleague Dave Morton had invited me for a gig. It would have been nice to see Dave and other old friends, and it would have been my first time in Austin.
Spiritual Comfort
I continue to marvel at my good fortune to have so many people praying and pulling for me. Most major religions are represented in the prayers, including Baha’i, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant, along with the non-religious, who send their best wishes and visualizations in their own way. Thank you all!
I found this picture from July, 2004, about nine months B.C. (before cancer). Skylar was six weeks old. Our friends Alain and Patricia Patchong were visiting from Paris and Alain took the shot. I like this picture not only for the joy of holding my granddaughter tightly but for the vision it provides of what recovered health would look like. 
This blog has pictures of my two older daughters, Abby and Claire. Here is one of the youngest Marjorie, a student at UC San Diego. How lucky can one guy get!
My spleen remains about one and a half times larger than it should be. The first suspected cause was a thrombosis (a.k.a. clot) in either the splenic vein, which comes out of the spleen, or the portal vein, which comes out of the liver. Over an hour of ultrasound testing revealed these veins to be flowing properly. The next test was an esophagusoscopy. While under sedation, a camera was sent down my esophagus and into my stomach. Clogged veins showed up in both the esophagus and the stomach.
This blockage causes back pressure from the liver to the spleen, which provides the immediate cause of the spleen enlargement. Now, the question is: what caused these blockages? We don’t know; they more commonly occur in people who have had liver disease much longer than I have. For now, the treatment is a blood pressure medication called Inderal. I am also getting injections every day of Neumega to build up platelets and make it safe to resume chemotherapy next week, along with occasional Neulast to boost the white cells. Liver function tests are pretty close to normal.
The procedure to send a TV studio down my gullet caused a bit of discomfort later that night. It may have just been that I had to fast till 3 p.m. and I am not strong enough to fast that long any more. Or it may have been a reaction to sedation or the procedure itself. I am not sure. The bad news was that I had to cancel a visit to the University of Texas, where my friend and colleague Dave Morton had invited me for a gig. It would have been nice to see Dave and other old friends, and it would have been my first time in Austin.
Spiritual Comfort
I continue to marvel at my good fortune to have so many people praying and pulling for me. Most major religions are represented in the prayers, including Baha’i, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant, along with the non-religious, who send their best wishes and visualizations in their own way. Thank you all!
I found this picture from July, 2004, about nine months B.C. (before cancer). Skylar was six weeks old. Our friends Alain and Patricia Patchong were visiting from Paris and Alain took the shot. I like this picture not only for the joy of holding my granddaughter tightly but for the vision it provides of what recovered health would look like. 
This blog has pictures of my two older daughters, Abby and Claire. Here is one of the youngest Marjorie, a student at UC San Diego. How lucky can one guy get!
posted by Rick Rosenthal | 10:28 PM
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