Bone marrow biopsy

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• July 11, 2018 at 4:35 pm #36828
  Pam Tumpane

  Participant

  Hi there…
  I thought I’d post my honest experience about my 1st bone marrow biopsy for those of you that are waiting to have one and are as terrified as I was about it.

  I’d read so many posts and the experiences varied greatly so I’m guessing many factors play into each individual experience.

  I was not offered the option for conscious sedation but was offered anti anxiety medicine taken an hour before. My Dr. explained to me the appointment is an hour long but the majority of it is the prepping with the numbing medicine and the watching you after the test for a half an hour for any bleeding. The actual aspiration and biopsy part is only 10 minutes. This was true for my case.

  The prepping injection of lidocaine wasn’t bad…1st injection hurt the worst. The others were just pinches. It didn’t take long to get numb and the aspiration and extraction began right away. I was quite relaxed from the anxiety med I took which I believe was a big help in keeping my heart rate and fear at a minimum however – I will be honest – the actual aspiration and extraction is quite painful – yes a screaming type painful but, with that said, it was quite quick and manageable – at least for me. And, I really believe the anxiety medicine helped me through the pain a lot keeping me in a much calmer state through the worst part.
  I understand why they don’t want to put you out now. That 5-10 minutes of pain to me isn’t worth the extra hour it takes to come out of anesthesia and how anesthesia can make you feel the rest of the day.
  Exactly an hour after I got there I was on my way home.

  For approximately an hour after the test I had some soreness from my butt cheek on down my leg. Ibuprofen relieved that. A bit sore to bend over but I can say it wasn’t as horrifying as I had imagined or worried about. If I had to ever do it again – I could do it again without conscious sedation.

  I hope this helps anyone that is as afraid as I was about having this procedure.

  Best wishes
  Pam

  • This topic was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Pam Tumpane.
  July 19, 2018 at 2:57 am #36921
  Alex Dixon

  Participant

  I respect you and thank you for sharing your experience here. This will help everyone who is scared of it. We have to be positive and ready to face any discomfort that you could feel. Cool!

  July 20, 2018 at 9:14 am #36926
  Linda Anderson

  Participant

  I was terrified but it ended up being not bad at all. My doctor performed the procedure in his office and I found the pain not much worse than getting a tattoo. Afterward. I drove home and went on with a regular day.

  July 20, 2018 at 2:51 pm #36928
  emily59

  Participant

  Everyone is different. I have had both. I much prefer conscious sedation. My last was just a few weeks ago. The nurse was so great with controlling the meds. There was literally no after effect. I felt clear headed in just a couple minutes. It was great. No discomfort at all other than the pinch from the first lidocaine stick.

  My prior experience with the awake MBM was painful and unpleasant all around. Not doing that again.

  July 22, 2018 at 12:12 am #36931
  Lisa Dana

  Participant

  I’m glad your BMB went well. Mine did not. On my first appointment I was worried and was not given any anti-anxiety meds, my Dr. was 1 1/2 hours late as I tried to wait patiently on the table. Couldn’t stand it so I re-scheduled my appointment as I was having a panic attack after seeing the tools in plain sight I was terrified. I went in the next week with no anti-anxiety meds. It Hurt like crazy! The next BMB I have I will be sedated. My Dr. took four samples, 3 of blood from the bone and 1 of bone marrow. After the first 3, the nurse said “you may feel a bit more of a pinch”. Pinch would not be the word I would use at all. I ended up on the table with the weighted sand bag for 2 hours after because they could not control the blood. It was awful. I don’t mean to scare anyone, and I understand everyone is different but that was my experience.

  July 29, 2018 at 7:27 pm #37031
  Curtis Hicks

  Participant

  I don’t want to scare anyone, but I must admit I was a little aprehensive going into my first BMB. Now that Ive had four BMB at three different hospitals in Dallas, I can honestly say it was a quick in quit out procedure with no pain whatsoever. I started chemo in February of 2017. Now with that said, the drug of choice has been Vidaza. My platelets, wbc and red blood cells always take a dive, the second week after chemo, but by the time the next month rolls around we’re good to go! I’m 75 years old, and to date, never had a sick day. It’s always interesting when you talk with your Oncologist because they always say…Everyone is different!

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