Splenic cysts: What should I know?

Alright. I have two questions—two different things, but they’re connected. I really need some outside perspectives here, and obviously, I want to hear if anyone else has dealt with anything similar.

I think this all started back in 7th or 8th grade. That's when these awful dark circles under my eyes showed up, and even after three years, I just can't get rid of them. During a checkup, they also found I have an irregular heartbeat. Okay, I've accepted that as an athlete, I probably won't reach the absolute top tier, though maybe I can still snag a medal here and there.

Then, one winter, what I thought was just a common cold ended up landing me in the hospital for kidney imaging. They didn't do a biopsy because the ultrasound didn't show any nodules or other issues.

Looking back, it feels like I've always struggled with digestion and my immune system. My parents and other people keep telling me these dark circles under my eyes are just from staring at computer screens too much, but I just know they're likely a symptom of anemia or some kind of immune issue.

Even tiny amounts of food make me feel full, I go without a bowel movement for five days at a time, and I've been getting stomach cramps every two days. So, I finally decided to see a doctor and actually fix these health problems once and for all.

But then, during an MRI, they discovered a cyst on my spleen. This mass or cyst is about 4cm wide, 😲 and they say I have to have surgery. It sounds pretty shocking that they’d remove my entire spleen, especially since I already have immune issues, and it's such a vital organ for filtering blood and supporting immunity. It's a disaster.

The surgery is happening in Washington, D.C., but before that, I’m going to see a specialist who focuses specifically on the spleen just to get a second opinion.

I have to admit, I never expected to get caught up in this much trouble, but nobody ever expects the worst to hit them personally.

I want to know—does anyone else deal with digestive or immune system issues? Or does anyone know more about this specific surgery? Also, I'm worried about how big the incision will be. Is there going to be a scar?😢??

Any information or data at all would be appreciated, so please share your thoughts with me. I really need a different perspective, because it's hard to stay objective when it's your own body on the line.

dustywolf15 said:Alright. I have two questions—two different things, but they’re connected. I need some outside perspectives here, and honestly, I need to hear if anyone else has gone through something similar.

I think this all started back in middle school, maybe 7th or 8th grade. That’s when these awful dark circles under my eyes showed up, and even after three years, I can't get rid of them. During a routine checkup, they also diagnosed me with an irregular heartbeat. Fine. I've come to terms with the fact that as an athlete, I might not hit the absolute top tier of competition, but I can still snag a few medals here and there.

Then, this past winter, what started as a simple common cold ended with me getting imaging done on my spleen. They didn't bother with a biopsy because the ultrasound didn't show any obvious nodules or other issues.

Looking back, it feels like I've always struggled with digestion and my immune system. My parents and other people keep telling me these dark circles are just from staring at computer screens too much, but I know better. I know they could be symptoms of anemia or an underlying immune issue.

I feel full after eating almost nothing, I go days without a regular bowel movement, and those stomach cramps used to hit me every two days. Finally, I decided to actually see a doctor and deal with these health problems once and for all.

But then, out of nowhere, an MRI reveals a massive cyst on my spleen. We're talking a 4cm mass. 😲 And now they're saying I have to have surgery. It sounds absolutely shocking that they want to remove my entire spleen, especially since I already have immune issues. This is one of the most vital organs for filtering blood and supporting immunity. It's a total disaster.

The surgery is scheduled in Washington, D.C., but before that, I'm going to see a specialist who focuses specifically on splenic issues just to get a second opinion.

I have to admit, I never expected to get caught up in something this serious. Nobody ever expects to be the one hit by the worst-case scenario.

I want to know: does anyone else deal with digestive or immune system struggles? Or does anyone here know more about this specific surgery? Also, I'm worried about how big the incision will be. Will I be left with a permanent scar😢??

Any bit of information or data would be appreciated, so please, share your thoughts with me. I really need a fresh perspective because it's impossible to remain objective when it's your own life on the line.

Do you have any blood work results?

I did. But they ended up staying in the hospital.
I remember there were about five things that were "off" compared to what's considered normal.

First off, my white blood cell count—that was actually below the normal range.
Then my platelets—those were way above the limit.

My bilirubin levels were messed up too, along with a few other markers.

Anyway, I'm heading back tomorrow to get more blood work done. They also want me to get another scan of my lungs because apparently, there’s something there... some kind of growth, or whatever they called it.

So, as soon as I get those results back, I'll post them here. 🙂