© Can Stock Photo almir1968

The spleen is one of the last things you think about or worry about as a body organ, yet it plays a vital part in keeping you healthy and happy. As the largest lymphatic organ in the body, the spleen oversees an extensive lymphatic drainage network that defends the body against infections and helps keep body fluids in balance. Its primary function is to filter, clean and store your blood. Once considered by medicine to be a “useless” organ, the spleen’s importance only began to be recognized in the early 1950s. Located in the upper left part of your abdomen, the spleen sits just beneath the diaphragm and behind your stomach. It is about 4.3 inches long and weighs about 5.3 oz. Although similar to lymph nodes, it is surrounded by a connective tissue capsule, which extends inward and divides the organ into lobules. The spleen consists of tissues called white pulp and red pulp. White pulp is part of the immune system, which produces white blood cells called lymphocytes, which in turn produce antibodies. Blood enters the spleen from the lymphatic system, travels through the splenic artery, and moves through the red pulp, which controls different white cells called phagocytes that ingest microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Your blood is filtered there and leaves through the splenic vein. The red pulp also monitors red blood cells, destroying those that are abnormal, old, or too damaged to function. The sinuses in the spleen are a reservoir for blood. In emergencies such as a bad cut or hemorrhage, smooth muscle in the vessel walls and capsule of the spleen contract, squeezing blood out of the

Your Spleen! Keeping Blood Clean!- Sue Petrofsky, Library Assistant

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Visit Us at Kids Care Fest!

We are expanding our hours with two changes. We are now open on Mondays 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and until 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. See the back page for our new hours. Nonprofit health-related organizations now have more options for reserving our meeting rooms for support groups and other meetings. More hours mean some additional staff. We are pleased to welcome Chelsea Hoskisson and Rose Leenerts as new Library Assistants. Chelsea previously worked at Grossmont College Library, and Rose joins us from Coronado Public Library. Automated email reminders are being sent three days before items you have checked out are due. Unfortunately, if you have a cox.net email, those emails are not getting to you. Please contact Cox to allow emails from info@herricklibrary.org, or advise of us an alternate email address. We always look forward to seeing you, but especially now on our new days!

More Hours to Serve You!- Kathy Quinn, Library Director

NewsDr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library

Library

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9001 Wakarusa StreetLa Mesa, CA

Phone: 619-825-5010Volume 17, Issue 3

July - September 2019

Please let us know if you have moved or changed your phone number.Grossmont

Healthcare District

Board Members:Robert Ayres

Gloria A. Chadwick, RNMichael A. Emerson, RDO

Virginia Hall, RNRandy Lenac............................

Barry Jantz, CEOKathy Quinn, Library Director

Alzheimer's San Diego: 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month. Caregiver support and discussion group. Please call the group leader to confirm the meeting and find out if the group is a good fit for you, Ellen Boucher 619-770-7145.American Chronic Pain Association: 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m., 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Self-help and peer support for people with chronic pain. Walk-ins welcome. For info call Kathy 858-204-9205 or Kristin 619-888-6496.Art, Energy and Healing: 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. last Tuesday of the month. RSVP required; call or email library to RSVP. For more info call or email Linda Bounds: 619-993-2381 or 2lindabounds@gmail.com.Better Breathers Club: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. 3rd Friday of the month. Call Library for leader’s phone number to register.Cancer Support Group Lunch & Learn: 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m., 1st Tuesday of the month for cancer patients/survivors and their loved ones. Sponsored by Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Info: Linda.Hutkin-Slade@sharp.com, 619-740-5531, or https://bit.ly/2YfJ1xc.Caring Community—Living with Cancer: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 2nd & 4th Thursdays for patients/survivors. 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. for Relaxation & Visualization. 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 1st & 3rd Thursdays for family/caregivers. Registration required. Call 619-890-9730.HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program): Free and objective information about Medicare. Call 800-434-0222 for appointment. SMART Recovery® 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Open to all for any type of addiction. Info: www.smartrecovery.org or William Brock, Ph.D. Email brockpsych@gmail.com or call 619-665-2125.SMART Recovery® Friends & Family: 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursdays. Open to all for any type of addiction. Info: www.smartrecovery.org.

Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library9001 Wakarusa Street | La Mesa, CA 91942Phone: 1-619-825-5010Website: www.herricklibrary.org | Email: info@herricklibrary.org

NEW Library Hours:9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. SaturdayClosed Sunday

FOLLOW US!

Ongoing Programs Held at the Library

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-Susan Davis, Library Assistantherrick Highlights

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of learning about vaccines and the infections and illnesses that they prevent. Stories of epidemics and deadly diseases, and the development of their vaccines, read like suspense novels. Come to the Herrick Library and learn about polio, smallpox, influenza, measles, and more. Books and DVDs will inform and fascinate you with stories of the modern miracles saving us from plagues and epidemics. We have reliable, up-to-date, free information sheets to help you make sure that you and your family are protected from these illnesses. Some people have concerns about the safety of vaccines; it is important to discuss your concerns with your doctor. Some people cannot be vaccinated because of age and health conditions. The only way to protect these vulnerable individuals is by widespread immunization of the general population to prevent epidemics. Smallpox has been eliminated from the earth! The Americas and Europe are now polio-free! National immunization campaigns document these “miracles” of modern science. Come learn more!

Monthly Wellness Wednesday Meeting and Feature Film

Wednesday July 24 Wednesday August 28 Wednesday September 25

Learn the risk factors, common symptoms, and resources for memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

Feature FilmOverboard

(Rated PG-13)

11:30 a.m.Wellness Wednesday meetings are held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and are open to all adults.

Meetings are held in the GHD Conference Center. Feature Films start at 11:30 a.m.Light refreshments are served. RSVP is not required. Questions? Call 619-825-5010

Feature Film On the Basis of Sex

(Rated PG-13)

11:30 a.m.

Get The Skinny on Your Health

Speaker: Marlayna Bollinger, Executive Director, Skinny Gene Project

A local diabetes prevention organization will help you learn how to feel empowered to lead

a healthy lifestyle.

Healing Grief with Mind-Body Skills

Speaker: Colleen Linnertz, MFT, Marriage Family Therapist

Sharp HospiceCare

Join us to learn mind-body skills to help bring more self-compassion

to your healing process.

Memory Loss 101

Speaker: Amy Abrams, MSW, MPH, Director of Education, Alzheimer’s San Diego

Feature FilmStan & Ollie

(Rated PG)

11:30 a.m.

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ALS: An Orientation (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)Beyond Soap: The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful Healthy GlowCBD: A Patient’s Guide to Medicinal CannabisCough Cures: The Complete Guide to the Best Natural Remedies and Over-the-Counter Drugs for Acute and Chronic CoughsDeep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human AgainThe Drug Hunters: The Improbable Quest to Discover New MedicinesExtreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of LifeThe Hand Book: Surviving in a Germ-Filled WorldHealing Arthritis: Your 3-Step Guide to Conquering Arthritis NaturallySkinny Liver: A Proven Program to Prevent and Reverse the New Silent Epidemic - Fatty Liver DiseaseTake Back Control: A Surgeon’s Guide to Healing Your Spine Without Medications or SurgeryThe Vaccine Race: Science, Politics, and the Human Costs of Defeating DiseaseWhat Are Palpitations and Abnormal Heart Rhythms (Arrhythmias)? A Cardiologist's Guide for Patients and Care ProvidersWhat You Must Know About Hashimoto’s Disease: Restoring Thyroid Health Through Traditional and Complementary MedicineWhat You Must Know About Liver Disease: A Practical Guide to Using Conventional and Complementary Treatments

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad OnesBefore and After Loss: A Neurologist’s Perspective on Loss, Grief, and Our BrainThe Concussion Repair Manual: A Practical Guide to Recovering from Traumatic Brain InjuriesDiet for the Mind: The Latest Science on What to Eat to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Cognitive DeclineHealing from a Narcissistic Relationship: A Caretaker’s Guide to Recovery, Empowerment, and TransformationThe Healthy Mind Cookbook: Big-Flavor Recipes to Enhance Brain Function, Mood, Memory, and Mental ClarityIt’s My Life Now: Starting Over After an Abusive RelationshipJourney Toward Recovery: A Brain Injury Guide for FamiliesLiving with Schizophrenia: A Family Guide to Making a DifferenceNever Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of AddictionTake Control of Your Depression: Strategies to Help You Feel Better NowWhen Someone You Know Is Living in a Dementia Care Community: Words to Say and Things to DoWhy You Feel Dizzy: Dizziness & What Will Help You Feel BetterWorried? Science Investigates Some of Life’s Common Concerns

The Mind & The Brain

Cataract Surgery: A Guide to TreatmentDry Eye Disease Treatment in the Year 2020The Dry Eye Remedy: The Complete Guide to Restoring the Health and Beauty of Your EyesThe Ear Book: A Complete Guide to Ear Disorders and HealthEyefoods®: The Complete Eye Health and Nutrition GuideIgnore Your Teeth and They’ll Go Away: The Complete Guide to Gum DiseaseJaws: The Story of a Hidden EpidemicMouth Wide Open: How to Ask Intelligent Questions About Dental Implants and Actually Understand What Your Dentist Is SayingOpen Your Mouth!: How the Right Conversation with Your Dentist Can Change Your LifeThe Sinus Solution: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Permanent Relief From Chronic SinusitisWhat You Must Know About Age-Related Macular Degeneration: How You Can Prevent, Stop, or Reverse AMDWhat You Must Know About Food and Supplements for Optimal Vision CareGeneral Health

Easy Exercises for More Strength and PowerRead It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to TableThe Wellness Garden: Grow, Eat, and Walk Your Way to Better Health

Diet and Exercise

Ears, Eyes, Nose & Mouth

Don’t Stop Believin’ (Olivia Newton John)Fighting Back: What an Olympic Champion's Story Can Teach Us About Recognizing and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse - and Helping Kids Recover (Kayla Harrison)I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a NurseMaybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed (Lori Gottlieb)My Love Story (Tina Turner)

Memoirs

Documentary DVDs

The Big Picture: Rethinking DyslexiaCircle of Poison

Far from the TreeMimi and Dona

PlantPure NationHollywood DVDs

At Eternity’s GateBen Is Back

The FavouriteGreen Book

On the Basis of SexStan & Ollie

ViceMedical DVDs

The Happiness Prescription: The Secret to Experiencing a Joyful Life

(Deepak Chopra)

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

– Groucho Marx

© Can Stock Photo almir1968

spleen and into general circulation in your body. The spleen can hold up to a cup of blood in reserve for your body’s use, and around one-quarter of your white blood cells are stored there at any one time. So what happens when things go awry? In the case of damage or rupture in an injury, surgery might be required to remove your spleen. You can live without it, as other organs such as your liver can take over some of the spleen’s work, but

your body will lose some of its ability to fight infections. An enlarged spleen is caused by an underlying disorder such as blood cancers; sickle cell disease; infections such as mononucleosis, tuberculosis or malaria; diseases such as amyloidosis or cirrhosis; or other causes such as lupus. Treating the disorder usually takes care of the problem, but sometimes the spleen must be removed. An injured or enlarged spleen will often cause the left side of the abdomen to be painful and tender to the touch, as well as the left shoulder. Diagnosis is by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan. Treatment can be blood transfusions or removal surgery. With recent research, doctors now realize most moderate-sized injuries to the spleen can heal without surgery, although blood transfusions are sometimes needed and hospitilization is usually required. When surgery is necessary, the entire spleen is usually removed (splenectomy), but small tears are sometimes repairable. Though in medieval times people thought that the spleen was the source of anger, thus the old phrase “venting your spleen,” it really just quietly keeps chugging along, unnoticed and unsung, keeping your blood in tip-top shape.

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Disclaimer: The Library provides public access to a wide range of health and medical information and is not a substitute for medical advice. You are advised to consult with your physician or other health care professional concerning specific questions or to obtain medical advice.