Thursday, February 24, 2011

Cancer Recurrence: Bone Marrow Biopsy

I had my second PET scan on Monday... it went well.  Then today I had my bone marrow biopsy.  Yeah, I was unprepared for that!

All last evening and this morning I tried not to think about it... denial, great tool when used properly!  I knew I'd start getting anxious and worked up... so I settled into denial for as long as possible.  About 9:30 this morning I couldn't deny it anymore... I'd have to leave work in an hour... anxiety, nausea, sweaty palms, deep (DEEP )breathing to try to calm my nerves!  Oh, and I suddenly became a nervous pee(er)... don't know what that was about.  It progressed as the morning went on.  I went at 6:30 before I left for work, then 8, I think I went again around 9 am, then 10, then again at 10:30 before I left the office, then at 11 when I arrived at the doctor's office.  Good thing my appointment wasn't later in the day... I would have dehydrated!

Mom met me at the doctor's office, I went in to have bloodwork done, then waited nervously.  I didn't wait long, they took us back to a room... my temperature was up a tad, my blood pressure... well, that surprised the heck out of me.  I expected it to be high because it usually is when I go see the doctor (White-coat syndrome? Nope, traffic-in-city syndrome!), plus with being so anxious and worked up.  It was 129... that's it... usually it goes up the 140's.  But my heart rate was way up!

So then they get me up on the table (those short table things you sit on when you visit the doctor), on my stomach.  They lowered the back of my pants down just past my butt cheeks... this is how casual they are toward this procedure... just a regular doctors office and no changing into a gown.

They prepped an area just above and to the left of my butt crack.  She started giving me injections of the numbing stuff, about 4 injections (I think), deeper and deeper towards the bone.  The last one felt like it hit a nerve... oh my gosh, how uncomfortable that was.  Kind of took my breath away.  I thought I was getting another injection, but then I felt it!  It was the needle going down and it hit that nerve area... and stayed there!  Oh my gosh, it was awful!  I was clenched up and breathing hard, I think I was making some sort of groaning noise or something. Then, "Son-of-a-bitch!" exploded out.  I didn't know whether to holler or throw up.  After a bit, she says, "We're almost done, 2 seconds more"... I'm like ok, 2 secs and it's over, ok... WRONG!... done with the bone marrow part... now she was screwing that thing down to take a core sample of my bone.  "SON-OF-A-BITCH!!"  She's over top of me, pushing that thing down pretty hard.  That intense pressure, the nerve pain, you will just never know... they can numb the tissue around the area, but they can't numb down into the bone.  It wasn't a sharp pain like I expected... it was an ongoing, never letting up, heavy pressure, intense "hit-a-nerve" pain. It hurt like a mother-effer!  *Excuse the language*

Then I had to sit there for 10-15 minutes with an ice bag against my butt. Mom said I did better than she thought I would, she figured she'd be hearing more cursing than two SOB's.  *I was trying really hard not to*  They showed us the bone marrow, it looks like thick blood with bits of bone floating around in it.  They also showed us the bone sample.  That was pretty cool.

They have this little "shop" with stuff for cancer patients there, I stopped and picked up a scarf and two turbins (I call 'em lil' beanie hats).  Mom went home and I went back to work.  Which I kind of regretted later after the numbing stuff started wearing off, but I needed the hours.

I meet with Dr. Olajide on March 11th to get the results for both tests and my treatment plan.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I will keep the prayers coming your way.

Home on the Range said...

Likewise. You are in the thoughts and prayers of myself and my family (the more prayers the better).

Brigid

Chris R said...

I came across your blog by chance, looking for people that had post-bone marrow biopsy pain. Then noticed you have the same doctor I have (Olajide), although she didn't do my BMB (Erin, the PA did), I am still struggling with some shooting pains and bruising, it's been a week. And still laughing at them telling me it wouldn't be a "painful procedure"... barbaric is definitely what me and my mother thought!! Either way, I just wanted to say hi, and I hope your round of chemo is very successful!!!!

Michelle said...

@Chris R

Erin did my biopsy also. Although we were fascinated, "barbaric" is kind of what my mom and I thought too. I had what felt like inner bruising and some pains for awhile... then I would get what I called "ghost pains" for several months after.

Thanks for stopping by and hope I hear from you again... it's awesome to hear from someone so close and even have the same doctor. How cool is that!

I hope and pray that whatever treatment you end up doing is successful for you.