[dianaiad]

Bone Marrow Biopsy

by dianaiad on Sat Aug 17, 2013 11:10 am

Yes, I know...possibly our least favorite topic.

I had my second one on Thursday. Now, I thought the FIRST one was bad...but compared to Thursday's, it was Disneyland. The doc said something about either the disease or the chemo making the bones 'spongy' or something, so that rather than getting THROUGH, the bone just,,,gave. He finally got a good sample, and promised that all future bone marrow biopsies, for me, would be done in the hospital and under anesthesia.

I was 'good,' really. Well, for me. I didn't do my daughter's hand any good, though, and only whimpered a little. She told me that the doc and the technician looked more upset than I did...

I can tell you...no they weren't.

Here's the question: was the explanation they gave me 'true?' DOES the chemo/disease make the bone 'spongy?" My Xrays at diagnosis showed no lytic lesions.

[Riza43]

Re: Bone Marrow Biopsy

by Riza43 on Sat Aug 17, 2013 9:13 pm

I can't answer your spongy bone question, but I will tell you that there other ways of doing the BMB than the kind of pain I know you had to put up with in the doctor's office.

I couldn't do it that way the second time and finally after a battle, they made an appointment for me at Epic Imaging. I don't know if you have this kind of business in your area, but I was given pain medication by IV and I was not unconscious. It was quick and after the initial prick...pain free.
Even more importantly, the test site only hurt for about 48 hours instead of the 2 plus weeks of my first time.

The nurses and the doctor were the best...very compassionate and efficient. I will never have one done any other way.

[dianaiad]

Re: Bone Marrow Biopsy

by dianaiad on Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:04 pm

Riza43 wrote:
> I can't answer your spongy bone question, but I will tell you that there
> other ways of doing the BMB than the kind of pain I know you had to put up
> with in the doctor's office.
>
> I couldn't do it that way the second time and finally after a battle, they
> made an appointment for me at Epic Imaging. I don't know if you have this
> kind of business in your area, but I was given pain medication by IV and I
> was not unconscious. It was quick and after the initial prick...pain free.
> Even more importantly, the test site only hurt for about 48 hours instead
> of the 2 plus weeks of my first time.
>
> The nurses and the doctor were the best...very compassionate and efficient.
> I will never have one done any other way.

I will never have one done any other way, either, NOW.

I tried getting my doc. to let me get it done with IV sedation/anesthesia this time, but he said no...insurance wouldn't cover it. (Kaiser)..However, after this last time, he said he'd see to it that it was done that way in the future.

What, we have to prove to the insurance company that something hurts BEFORE they'll cover the next go 'round?

[Dr. Ken Shain]

Re: Bone Marrow Biopsy

by Dr. Ken Shain on Sun Aug 18, 2013 7:42 am

In some pateints the bone are more fragile- this is likely multifactorial. Age, physical health, bone health (osteopenia/porosis), and a number of things that may be independent of myeloma. Myeloma itself causes bone disease as you all well know. And this can make your bone quite fragile as is the case of fractures and the like. A negative bone survery does not mean that there is no bone disease- just not enough to be assess by Xrays. Bone surveys generally require a 30% reduction of bone in that area to be visualized. This is one of reasons that we are trying to move forward with alternate imaging in MM- consider PET/CT, MRI, or CTs. THis being said every test is limited.