I was in a serious and life-threatening horseback riding accident in 2006 that became a pivotal point in my life and my career. I was less aware of all the organs in my body and how I was the “keeper of the gate” of their health, even the ones I didn’t know anything about. Now was the time to learn.
Following all of the trauma my body and mind suffered, (and the confusion and stress) I was out of surgery, working on recovering and adapting to life without a spleen. Before this point, I had no idea what my spleen even did or how much value it holds to the human body and immune system.
Here are a few important facts you should know. If you read my previous post, you will know how important water is to your body. Let’s follow on the heels of that, information because water is essential for blood. Red blood cells take about seven days to mature and have a lifespan of about 100 to 120 days, after which they start to degrade and are filtered out by your spleen. This careful filtering ensures your body gets the best possible blood circulating through your entire body.
Besides holding a portion of your blood supply at all times, your spleen also holds your white blood cells and produces substances that fight specific kinds of bacteria, including pneumonia and meningitis. It is a pretty important piece of the puzzle. I joke that of all the organs I have lost, I miss my spleen the most, but it is also a reality for me.
How much do you know about the organs in your body? How much do depend on someone else to care about their state of health? If medical models have showed me nothing else, they are reactive not preventative. It all they have time for. They are over worked and can only fit in so many years of studies before they practice. It’s important to know the value of every organ in your body. You don’t need to go out and study them all, just gain a little knowledge and awareness about them and how to keep them healthy and functioning the best they can. Our bodies are solely our responsibilities to maintain in the best possible way. Your doctor is only your support person, not the keeper of what is inherently keeping you alive and well.
The spleen is the largest organ in the lymphatic system.
It is an important organ for keeping bodily fluids
balanced, but it is possible to live without it.
The spleen is located under the ribcage and above the
stomach in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen.
A spleen is soft and generally looks purple. It is made
up of two different types of tissue. The red pulp tissue
filters the blood and gets rid of old or damaged red
blood cells. The white pulp tissue consists of immune
cells (T cells and B cells) and helps the immune system
fight infection.21
The spleen will save any useful components from
the old blood cells, including iron, so they can be
reused in new cells. The spleen can increase in size in
order to store blood. The organ can widen or narrow,
depending on the body’s needs. At its largest, the spleen
can hold up to a cup of reserve blood.22
21 https://www.livescience.com/44725-spleen.html
22 https://www.livescience.com/44725-spleen.html
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