Here's how Alex Smith responded to his lacerated spleen

Q: Take us through the timeline.

SMITH: "Yeah, [Chiefs trainer] Rick [Burkholder] was pretty spot on. I didn’t notice anything. I walked Rick through the game, I’m kind of guessing as far as a hit, I’m thinking it was that one. It wasn’t until after I showered up and even dressed and the adrenaline got out of me that I kind of noticed that I had some discomfort for sure in my stomach area, and pressure with cramping. I thought it was something I ate, I didn’t even necessarily relate it to a hit, but there was definite discomfort down there. I went and saw doc and he examined me, told me some things to keep an eye out for. I literally kind of took some antacid stuff there; I didn’t know what to make of it. It just didn’t go away, it was the same day, next day same thing, day after that same thing. I practiced on Tuesday. I worked out on Monday, I ran. It certainly wasn’t something that was prohibiting me athletically. I didn’t feel like it was muscular, I just kind of had this discomfort. Nausea coming and going and I knew a bug was going around. I thought maybe it was that. Like I said, practiced both days, I felt great athletically running around throwing but just had this constant deal going on and thankfully Doc urged me to go get the test. I was pretty reluctant yesterday, Christmas Day, I was kind of telling him I’m fine, I’ll be alright and he really kind of pushed me to go get it checked out and make sure everything was okay. Then I obviously got the call, and he told me that I had a laceration on there and that it was enlarged. So obviously just learning this all last night."

Q: Since practice is non-contact, are you putting yourself at any risk?

SMITH: "Not really with the jersey on. We practice well and they have to stay away from us as QBs. That’s the strange thing, I was running around and practicing – I felt like I had two really good days of practice and I felt good about them, I felt really good about them. It’s strange to get this; like I said, I don’t feel like it’s anything that is hindering me athletically. Obviously he (Burkholder) is talking about taking hits on it and what can happen. It’s just obviously a very strange thing to be dealing with."

Q: What could have happened if you guys didn’t catch it?

SMITH: "They’re talking about it rupturing, so you’re talking about emergency surgery or it bleeding out – obviously pretty scary endings. You’re dealing with that and it’s a different deal when you’re getting told those types of things. You remember the past, I know Chris Simms kind of had to deal with his spleen – kind of an emergency situation, going to the hospital. Potentially getting on an airplane, you could potentially be dealing with some dangerous stuff."

Q: What was your initial reaction when you got that call?

SMITH: "I didn’t know what to make of it when they’re telling you. You don’t know all the medical stuff that comes with the spleen, so you’re kind of learning it as they tell you. Once you start hearing how serious it is, you start knowing the implications that could come with this as far as playing – and that’s the last thing you want to hear. At the same time, you’re not crazy, I had this deal going on and it wasn’t going away. I’m really happy the doc urged me to go get it done, get the test done. Like I said, I was very close to bailing on him yesterday and just hanging with my family."

Q: What made you decided to get the scan?

SMITH: "I think that it hadn’t gone away, it was just still there. It was a quick trip, he had set it up, and kind of him urging me, ‘Let’s go get it, let’s take a look and make sure and see what is going on down there.’"

Q: With regard to Sunday now, what’s your role?

SMITH: "Yeah, it quickly changes. It’s tough, I talked to Chase (Daniel) last night, I really feel like I ate up two practices days of his. They would have been important, had we known this earlier. It’s tough, it’s really kind of on me, I feel like. Anyway I can help us now, whatever it is. Helping him prepare, passing on anything I had been thinking, this whole week, what we had been getting ready for. Doing anything I can to help us, getting ready to go win a game."

Q: It was the third quarter hit?

SMITH: "Yeah, we’re thinking. It literally wasn’t until I was getting dressed that I started to feel what was going on. It’s still strange for me to describe – the cramping, pressure. It’s enough that I was aware of it and it was uncomfortable that I had to go see doc. And it just never went away, for three, four days. It’s still there. It was enough that it kind of kept hanging and I didn’t know what to make of it, so he kind of pushed me to get the test."

Q: Will you be on the sideline on Sunday?

SMITH: "Planning on it, I’m planning on being there. The big thing is just no contact. Other than that, I think its normal activities that I think I’m okay with – which is strange in itself to kind of digest. I practiced, I feel okay, but you get hit right or you get hit there, you know."