[dianaiad]

Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by dianaiad on Fri Dec 13, 2013 5:43 pm

OK, I've seen people here talk about bone marrow biopsies as if they are no big deal; no problem, breeze right through 'em. I've also seen posts from those who don't LIKE 'em, but don't have huge problems with 'em, either.

I would honestly have been in the second category ... necessary evil, it'll hurt like crazy for a few seconds and then it's over...

I do have a fairly high pain threshold,

However, this last one (in July) was horrendous. Never mind the details, but not only was it incredibly painful, it remained painful for weeks.

I told my oncologist that I would not do it again unless I was HEAVILY sedated. As in....my body may be there, but my brain had better not be.

At the time of the last bone marrow biopsy, he agreed and promised that I wouldn't have to go through that experience again, but now he's making noises like "oh, you'll be fine with an atavan and local anesthesia"

No I won't. I've had five kids (without anesthesia), broken bones, had knee replacements, dealt with arthritis, had gall bladder attacks and surgery ... yadda, yadda ... and that biopsy was the worst pain I have ever experienced.

Period.

Given this, am I being a wuss to demand being 'out' for the next one?

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by Nancy Shamanna on Fri Dec 13, 2013 6:47 pm

Hi Diana … Nice to see you are back online again, after taking a break for your stem cell transplant. I wrote a column about bone marrow biopsies in Oct. 2012, and was really amazed at all of the comments that came out with that.

Some people are OK with them with local anaesthesia, others (like me) want to have sedation, and I think that others would like to be given full anaesthesia!! (don't think that is done much though)

The advantage of a local anaesthetic is that a person could in theory drive themselves home after that, whereas with the medazaline that I took, one is impaired to drive. They didn't want the patient to take a taxi either, you needed to have someone drive you that you knew. i am sure that a volunteer driver at a cancer centre would also be fine.

Some people have had dozens of these tests, and others just a few. I have only had three of them myself. They are given to determine how successful the transplant was, or before initiating treatment, for example.

I consider myself to be a 'wuss' in this matter!

[Marie64]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by Marie64 on Fri Dec 13, 2013 7:16 pm

My husband will not have one without heavy sedation.

[dianaiad]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by dianaiad on Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:23 pm

Thank you for your reply, Nancy...

I guess it all depends upon who, where, how, and what....the responses to this are all over the map!

As for me, this whole experience has been one of the cure being far worse than the disease (at least, subjectively; intellectually of course I know all this...stuff...is worth it).

When I was diagnosed, the only thing wrong with me, I thought, was a mild anemia. Big whoop. Sometimes I find myself wondering if the medical profession pulled my name out of a hat and said 'Let's see if we can convince Diana that she's dying, so we can do all sorts of nasty things to her; how long will she put up with it?"

But...I'll keep going and doing what I'm supposed to do.

I do reserve the right to gripe, though.

[Multibilly]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by Multibilly on Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:44 pm

I'm in the "breeze category", but only based on one BMB. I am told I am quite stoic and I can pretty well disengage myself from most painful situations by simply going to my "happy place" in the back of my mind. However, I think most my positive BMB experience had to do with the person doing the procedure.

The doc that did the procedure was a pathologist in his 70's with a truly caring personality. He must have literally done 1000's of these procedures over the past 40 years and really knew what he was doing. He was also the same guy that did the subsequent pathological and genetic analysis of the aspirate. I have no idea if that is commonplace, but it was pretty cool to meet the actual pathologist and to be able to ask him detailed questions about how they analyze the sample.

[DallasGG]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by DallasGG on Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:19 am

I had my 2nd BMB today. I've had both of my BMBs with just a local anesthesia. The 2nd one was much less painful than the first one. The only thing that I remember being different was when the nurse doing the 2nd one told me that I would feel a sting when she put the needle into the bone when she was putting in the local anesthesia. I don't remember the doctor telling me that he had anesthetized the bone when I had the first one done. Perhaps he did it and didn't tell me. But if he didn't do it, that might explain why the 2nd one was much less painful...because the bone actually had been somewhat anesthetized first. Does anyone have any knowledge on whether this would make a difference or not?

[Wayne K]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by Wayne K on Sat Dec 14, 2013 12:26 pm

I've had 2 also, one very painful, one not? I suspect it comes down to who and where and that makes it hard to predict.
I don't think anyone would or should judge you however, you're the one who has to deal with it.

[wetm]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by wetm on Sat Dec 14, 2013 2:00 pm

You are not a wuss. Why suffer pain if it is perfectly safe not to? My husband is given Versed, and I think something else (same stuff they give you for a colonoscopy). He remembers nothing, is never asleep, and has zero pain (other than a little soreness afterwards). Take the sedation and you won't have to dread these.

[Gilbert]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by Gilbert on Sat Dec 14, 2013 2:42 pm

Bone marrow biopsy I have had 3 always interesting not terribly painful
Have had 9 SCT in 3 years hard part waiting for results
So far results are good if you are non- secretory multiple myeloma pet scan only way 2 get true reading
Stay Strong

[KayTee]

Re: Bone marrow biopsies: Am I a wuss?

by KayTee on Sat Dec 14, 2013 5:10 pm

Diana, I do not have multiple myeloma but someone I love does. He's told me of the terrible pain he's endured during the bone marrow biopsies. He is given only a local. I cannot understand, for the life of me, why a patient cannot DEMAND twilight sedation. Dentists use this to extract teeth, and doctors use it for minor surgical procedures. Patients come out of twilight sedation quickly vs general anesthesia. I've had twilight sedation for many medical procedures and never any pain. Within an hour, I've been ready to go home. Yes, you aren't supposed to drive yourself home, but it's always been absolutely worth not having to deal with unnecessary pain before, during & after a traumatic experience. I often wonder if the staff doing the marrow biopsies have had to experience getting them done on themselves. If they did, I believe they would be more empathetic & compassionate. You are absolutely not a wuss. Having cancer, going through treatments, etc., causes more than enough undue stress & pain. You should absolutely demand sedation for the biopsies. God bless.