Bone Marrow Biopsy...

Today I had my bone marrow biopsy...this is something that I had been dreading more than the chemo itself to be honest. I barely got any sleep last night, from 3:00 a.m. on I lay awake in my bed filled with anxiety/panic attacks because of all of the horror stories that I have heard of the bone marrow biopsy. I dreadfully awoke this morning and got ready for my appointment. And since I am all about honesty in my blog posts...I admit that I took a Xanax...or two :) just about 30 minutes prior to my appointment, and thank god for that, because it finally calmed most of my anxiety that I was having over this dreadful biopsy.

I arrived just on time to my appointment, and was called back to the exam room where I nervously sat waiting for the Doctor. After running several minutes late, him and his nurse came into the exam room, they told me to lay flat on my stomach, he then put iodine on my left lower back (near my hip) to clean the area well, then in that same area, he injected it several times with Lidocaine to numb the area, this felt like being stung by a bee about 5 times. I of course was not seeing any of that...thankfully :) 

My mom was in the same room with me and was able to watch (she's a nurse, so none of that bothers her). The Doctor then took a 6 inch needle and injected the Lidocaine even deeper. Then came the painful/pressure part! He took what my mom described as a "meat thermometer" looking tool that one would use to cook with, and stuck that in my left lower back and proceeded to "syringe" out the bone marrow. Sorry to gross anyone out!! I wish I could say that I was a champ, and did not mind the excruciating feeling of "pressure," but I slightly broke down like a baby, and cried. I am SO thankful for my mom who was there with me, right by my side to comfort me...that helped more than anything. The whole thing probably only took 5-10 minutes, but it seemed like hours for me. 


After that, they cleaned the area and bandaged it up, then sent me on my way. I am extremely sore, to say the least. It is not intolerable, just not very comfortable either. After finishing that up, I went home for a couple of hours and then had to go back again for a lung function test to make sure that my lungs are strong enough for a certain chemo drug that I will be receiving...the Bleomycin. I finished that test and now have no other appointments today...thankfully :)


I will be having my portacath surgically put in tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. This goes directly under my skin and a catheter connects the port to a vein where the chemo drugs can be administered. This will help from having to get an IV every time I get the chemo, and will save my veins since chemo has a tendency to ruin them. 

And next on the agenda comes Thursday at 2:15 p.m., and it is time for my first chemo treatment. This has been the longest process, but I am glad that they are taking every precaution possible. I am hoping for the very best with my chemo treatments, and only trying to think positively. 
I feel like I have been getting ready for war! The war my body will fight against cancer...where I plan on kicking it's butt and winning! :)