Bone Marrow Biopsy Procedure

Hello everyone,

 I posted here a couple of weeks ago, regarding my 23 yr old Daughter being test for Leukemia..... well on Dec 12, she under went the Bone Marrow Biopsy and aspiration. 

Here WBC is only 11.7 but has been that for apx over a year.  and in 2005 she had irratic high WBC between 13 and 21.9 do to a kidney infection, 3 wks later appendix removal in her 8 mo of pregnancy, C Section 3 weeks later and gall bladder surgery 4 weeks after that.

The Blood Disease Specialist didn't do another WBC or Blood Smear, he just scheduled the Biopsy.

Does the procedure as I am going to describe it, sound normal....

It was done in-office.... The Dr administered the Litacane sp? not even 20 seconds later he reached for the scapal, and made the incision to her bone for the biopsy..... of course she screamed, she said she could still feel everything.... he waited apx. a minute and half, and inserted the aspiration needle.... which caused severe pain...(She normally has a very high tolerance to pain)... she was crying and trying not to scream ... immediatly after that he took the tool/needles to pull out the bone biopsy, which was even worse.  The only way I can describe this procedure was Barbaric!!!!

She wasn't given a sedative or anything before hand.... she wasn't given any written after care for the incision site.... she was bleeding the day after, with sharp pain to her bone... down deep , and only a compression pad was applied, and the day after verbal instructions, that she could remove it.... it is open, and more like a oblong hole than a tight cut... if that makes sense. 

From what I have read... the procedure is uncomforatable and can cause pain... but can be handles by children's and adults..... She said she almost passed out from the pain... I'm sure not waiting for the numbing medication for her skin before he cut her didn't help, set the tone for the rest of the procedure or is this how most Bone Biopsy go???

And no we wait again for 10 days to get results back.

Very fustrated, and feel my daughter was brutalized.

Ok...... we finally recieved the test results, but still waiting to see the doctor.... in the mean time, can anyone help us out with the the following results:

Bone Marrow Aspirate:

1). Suboptimal Speciamen with Cellualr Bone Barrow

2). Slighlty left shifted Granulpoiesis

3). Absent Storage Iron with no Ringed sideroblasts

4). Moderate Increase in Reticulin Fibers

WBC  11.7

Platelet Count:  263

Bone Marrow Differential Count:  Cells Counted 300:

 Myeloid Cells 76 %

Erythroid Precursor Cells  3 %

Lymphocytes  19%

Monocytes Cells 1 %

Blasts 1 %

C-KIT (poly)  Stained rare scattered myeloid precursor Cells

CD34 - Stained rare scattered precursor cells, within normal limit

Thank you....

On 12/26/2007 Lisaj wrote:

Ok...... we finally recieved the test results, but still waiting to see the doctor.... in the mean time, can anyone help us out with the the following results:

 

Bone Marrow Aspirate:

1). Suboptimal Speciamen with Cellualr Bone Barrow

2). Slighlty left shifted Granulpoiesis

3). Absent Storage Iron with no Ringed sideroblasts

4). Moderate Increase in Reticulin Fibers

 

WBC  11.7

Platelet Count:  263

 

Bone Marrow Differential Count:  Cells Counted 300:

 Myeloid Cells 76 %

Erythroid Precursor Cells  3 %

Lymphocytes  19%

Monocytes Cells 1 %

Blasts 1 %

 

C-KIT (poly)  Stained rare scattered myeloid precursor Cells

CD34 - Stained rare scattered precursor cells, within normal limit

 

Thank you....

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is having such a difficult time.

About the Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration. I've had 7 done in less than 2 yrs. Two in my local hospital, and 5 done at MD Anderson. The ones ordered by my doctor where not done in his office, but done at the hospital by a pathologist there.

These things are not easy..I stress out very much before. Only twice have I had any thing to help me with my nerves before. Now myself I don't find it to the point of screaming...but rather just very very uncomfortable. Children do them? Ummm I've been told children are not awake to do them. You can be put to sleep if you requested it in time, but I never have.

Now about the procedure...with me and my experience its been this...a large needle is put in to deaden the skin, muslce and such, but they can not deaden the bone, that pain we have to indure. MD Anderson is very good at the procedure...these people that do this there...its all they do...so their awesome at their jobs! Now the local ones I had done weren't so easy...There was no cut...it was just needles, only once or twice did I even hurt from them, a lil sore but thats about it...nothing much to complain about.

I suggested you take her some place else to have this done if there is a next time.

I have Myelofibrosis, there is no cure or treatment, only keeping you comfortable as it progresses...I'm lucky...its chronic and not acute.

If I could give a word of advise...don't look for answers till they know, or give you some idea...if something comes back...educate yourself as best you can...and for sure ask questions, be ready to make decessions based on knowledge instead of fear. Don't be afraid to look for the best health care also...I travel 4 hrs one way to go to MD Anderson, most the time I do it alone....but I know in my heart...soul and mind I'm getting the best care possible..

I pray this is all for nothing...its horrible hearing you have cancer, and I'm sure for you to hear your daughter would have something like this would be the worse....I see the results here, and I decline to say anything for I'm for from being educated to do so. Wait for the professionals is my advise.

God bless you all and best of luck...keep us posted.

Peppe 

hello there,

I am so sorry about your daughter condition.  

I am new to this site and your message was posted several months ago. However for future reference. I am a leukemia cancer survivor and I had several bone marrow biopsies. The worse one I experience was the same  way you were describing  your child had.  But it does not have to be that way next time( hoping there is no next time) she can ask to be sedated. She will not be completely out. She will be with her eyes open and feel it but nothing like what she went thru.  It is almost painless. I used to be so afraid of getting a bone marrow biopsy done, but after my last procedure I am no longer afraid. 

Take care,

Julie  

My Mother is having her second bone marrow biopsy in two days. I am going with her and she told me that it doesn't really bother her because the Dr. gives her so much medication. She didn't have problems afterward either and just went on about her day until she got the results. So she isn't worried at all about this next biopsy being painful, she's just worried about the biopsy results. 

There was no need for your Daughter to feel much pain, if any, and especially not screaming in pain! As the Dr gives the meds, tell him that you still can feel a little bit and he can push it all!  I highly recommend using whatever it takes to make patients comfortable during any procedure.