I had my spleen removed in the first week of January 1987.  It measured 15 inches by 9 inches by 7 inches, and the cut went from the lower right of my abdomen to the upper left around under my left arm on my back.  The surgeon was Prof. James Shaw, and he did the same operation on my faithful Teddy.  He also shunted the splenic vein to the left renal vein.  [The fact that he didn't cut it short, as was the usual practice, meant that the New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit was very grateful 13 years later, that they were able to attach the donor liver portal vein to it].  Until Prof. Shaw operated in 1987, they were not sure what solution regarding the varices would be possible.  A shunt was what they preferred, but the other option was having to return to the hospital every three months to get the varices nipped.  I was delighted to find out, when in Intensive Care, that I had been shunted successfully!

I got home a lot lighter than when I went into hospital.  Once again, I was excited to be able to see my toes.  This time though, I found it very difficult to get out of bed.  As my side muscles and front muscles had been cut, moving was difficult for a long long time.  At the end of February, willpower and the strength of my friends Eileen, Emma and Kathy got me through enrolment at the University.  They literally carried me up the stairs to the Student Union building so I could enrol.  I was doing six stage III papers this year, and I did find it hard to do this, work for 15 hours a week in the library and recuperate from the surgery, but I made it.  Hardly anyone at University (whether work or lecturers) knew that I had had this operation.