Bone Marrow Biopsy Procedure

I've been so occupied with further testing and just ordinary medical appointments that I haven't had a moment to relax. Well, and... taking care of the Chondrosarcoma group, and hanging out at Facebook, and playing Words With Friends for a little escapism ( WWF is like Scrabble) and attending a writing class. I am also writing my autobiography-memoirs. I intend to publish. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it. I intend to publish.

Years ago when I had CS, cancer was not something discussed with others. in fact it was a shameful secret. I went through the surgeries and healing process without friends even knowing what was going on until the later years of recurrences. Lost a lot of friends that way. People like calls returned and want to go hang out. It was a lonely journey. It feels so good to know I wont be alone on this. My friends are being very supportive.

Last week on the 28th, I had a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. Kats held my hand, but really didn't need to. It was a really easy and painless procedure. Better than having a tooth extracted. Truly, when the doctor first pressed on me before injecting the numbing stuff, It's what hurt the most, since I have Fibromyalgia. I know there is a lot of talk that it's terrible, but that was not my experience. That is not to say someone else might have a different experience. My behind was numbed out with novacaine. We waited about ten minutes for it to take affect. The doctor inserted (twisted?) a needle into the iliac bone until he reached the bone marrow and aspirated some fluid. Then he used a sort of thick needle to pull out a tiny piece of bone so that it can be sent to a pathologist to further identify what's going on with my Leukemia. I asked to see it, no thicker than a piece of spaghetti and maybe a quarter inch long. I should hear some results by next Friday. The rest will trickle in after that.

Everything points to it being the chronic kind of Leukemia. But I have a million questions. What I'm reading there seem to be different degrees and different genetic aspects regarding staging and so on. With modern treatment, from what my doctor said, my chemo will be in pill form. I will have to take it the rest of my life. As time goes by there will be newer better medication and who knows? possibly a cure. I suspect I will be about 90 by that time. ;-)

I have joined an online CML support group. From reading people's updates, I'm finding that most all do well with their similar chemo.  So, I feel hopeful that my future is assured, as long as I'm not walking down the center divider of a busy freeway and a UFO lands on me. Ha Ha! I know... My sense of humor is warped!

Going over my old medical records (blood tests) and based upon symptoms I've had crop up, it looks like this started manifesting about two years ago. The most annoying symptom is night sweats. Other than sleeping in a vat of ice, I don't know what else to do.

The pictures were taken by Kats in November 1998 when we went to Lake Tahoe.