Monday, June 4, 2007

Bone Marrow Biopsy

Don't believe them when the doctor tells you that a bone marrow biopsy wont be painful, that you will only feel a lot of pressure. HA! Not quite! Man oh man, did that hurt! I hope I never need to get another one again.
While I was there in the exam room waiting for the oncologist to come in, I hear a ringing noise. It sounded like cell phone ring. I knew it was not my phone, not my ring. I'm looking around for where this ringing is coming from. It sounded like it was coming from the trash can next to my chair. The ringing then stopped. I sat there, wondering to myself, "Did I imagine that? Is the tension waiting for this bone marrow biopsy making me hear things? Is the anxiety making me go crazy?"
So I tried looking in the trash but it was a pretty full can of doctor exam room stuff. Paper from the exam table and such. Not really what I want to stick my hand into. So, looking around, I see the box of rubber gloves and think about putting one on my hand and rooting through the trash for the cell phone. But then the thought of the doctor walking in the room while I am elbow into his trashcan with a rubber exam glove on my hand, well...that wasn't really a vision I wanted to come true.
So I chose to believe I imagined the ringing but inside Im giggling at myself, only me...sitting waiting for a bone marrow biopsy would constantly be looking at the trash can, consumed with the idea that there was cell phone in it.
In comes the oncologist, nurse practioner and resident. Do I mention it to them? "No, I would sound crazy, pretend you didn't hear anything." So they start the biopsy. As I lay there on my side, clenching the edge of the exam table about to pass out...Im drifting, I hear the doc asking me if I am okay and I hear myself gasp out a quiet "yes". The room starts spinning as Im realing from the pain and then I hear it...bliiiiiiIIIIiiiinnng....bliiiiiIIIIIiiiiinnng....THERE it is again! but am I losing it? It is real?
I hear the nurse say,"That's not mine." Doc says, "Not mine either, must be the patient's phone."
"YES! I'm not crazy!" I exclaimed in my head but I could not speak yet. They finish the procedure and I sit back up and I said, "This is probably going to sound crazy but the phone that was ringing, I think is in the trash can."
"It wasn't your phone?"
"No" I responded
They look over and said, "Oh it is sitting right on the chair" I turn and look, sure enough, there is the little cell phone on the chair I had been sitting in while waiting for the doc to come in.
So, I was wrong, there wasn't a cell phone in the trash can but there was a cell phone ringing...under my butt. ::Sigh:: it is sad when your butt is so big that you don't feel yourself sitting on a cell phone. Thank goodness they didn't have the phone on vibrate. That would have REALLY freaked me out.
Eh, at least I had a funny story to tell about my bone marrow biopsy experience.

3 comments:

  1. Jane... that is so funny! The good ole days in LFE would have had all of us laughing and Grace heading for the ummm (lol...I love Grace!)

    Yes, MBB's hurt. It's that big long needle that has to bore through the bone ...ouch!

    Any updates? Or results yet?

    Still praying for you ... but I already know that you'll be just fine!

    Love, Tanya

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  2. Janie - Humor gets you through!

    The Luna Vine

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  3. This really cracked me up, Jane. I was cringing thinking of your procedure..but also laughing at the thoughts running through your head about the phone.

    Muah, Chickie,
    Lise

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