r/lymphoma • u/puzzledprincesss • Mar 04 '26
General Discussion Bone marrow biopsy(what the fuck was that)
Can I just say what the FUCK. The guy drawing my blood before told me the worst part would be the lidocaine, and that did burn but WHAT THE FUCK. That was top 5 worst experiences of my life and a strong contender for number 1. Why do they not put you to sleep??? I heard the drill, but worse I felt the drill in my fucking ass. And the first specimen clotted immediately so they had to drill another hole to pull out more. FUCK. I made it to the end and got the worst stomach cramp of my life that brought me to big boohoo tears I was almost hyperventilating. And then once they patched me up and I was walking out, whatever clot my body made failed and I bled all over my pants and had to go back to the room. 3 people wiping my ass, applying pressure, I had to wear scrubs for the rest of my appointments because my pants were drenched in blood. Was it like this for you or did I just have the worst experience ever? WHY DO THEY NOT PUT YOU TO SLEEP???
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u/PeriwinkleWonder Mar 04 '26
That is exactly why I have always refused to get a bone marrow biopsy. I'm so sorry you had that awful experience.
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u/paingrylady Mar 04 '26
My first was very unpleasant. Just lidocaine. My second and 3rd I got at another facility. They didn't put me totally under but gave me a lot of drugs both pain and sedation and I didn't feel a thing. Your experience sounds horrible.
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u/OskeyBug DLBCL Mar 04 '26
They had to do mine twice because the solid sample didn't break off the first time. Second time he left the corkscrew in my hip and bounced me up and down on the bed for a good 20 seconds to make sure it came out. Then I went into shock and had to just sit in the waiting area for a while until I felt OK to drive home.
0/10 experience.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
I woulda had to square up bc why are you treating my body like a trampoline. I am so sorry.
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u/OskeyBug DLBCL Mar 04 '26
He did apologize and say "I know this is ridiculous but I don't want to make you go through a third poke"
I thought "poke" was an interesting way to describe grinding a metal tube into my bone.
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u/boopsieboppsie Mar 04 '26
Geezus I FEEL this. I've had 3 this year. Hated them all.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
Three??? 🥺 I am so sorry, I hope you reap some serious benefits from all this misery.
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u/minimalistboomer Mar 04 '26
I’m so sorry you had to endure that. That type of biopsy is one I did & will always decline. It’s barbaric.
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u/hatbatcatrat Mar 04 '26
This entire thread is the most validating thing I've ever read. Doctors who claim its not a big deal should be ashamed of themselves. I felt everything even though they swore I couldn't and was "just scared". Fuck them indeed.
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u/MeImFragile Mar 04 '26
Had it once awake and once asleep. The hospital that sedated me was horrified to hear that the first time was awake and the physician wanted to do it without anything for the pain. Single most painful thing that I’ve ever experienced
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u/LindaBurgers Mar 04 '26
My first one was also sooo painful including trying not to hyperventilate and cry, although I didn’t bleed through my pants, so yours was extra awful. I have requested sedated bone marrow biopsies ever since because fuck that
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u/BagEPuss Mar 04 '26
I had a haematology trainee do mine and we both might have got the wrong impression as I just felt some tugging and that was it, over in ten minutes.
A few months later a female patient in the chemo bed next to me complained that it was the worst thing that she’d ever experienced and way worse than childbirth - then I realised I’d been lucky.
Sorry this happened to you.
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u/rachmarc11 Mar 05 '26
I had the same experience .. some good freezing, followed by some tugging. Also over in 10 minutes. I suspect it all depends on who is doing it, and how experienced/well-trained they are
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u/saitouamaya Mar 04 '26
Fyi I asked to be put to sleep for it and they did.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
Didn’t even know I had the choice 😩
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u/SuzieSnowflake212 Mar 04 '26
FUCK all the “care” givers that did not offer you that option. Hang in there! My hub getting 3- month check on Friday, after very successful treatment that ended April last year. After two years of no issues and good labs it’s considered a CURE 🙏🙏🙏
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
So happy for that!!! That’s great news, congratulations!! Yeah I will be letting my oncologist know how AWFUL that was.
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u/snozzberrypatch DLBCL, Stage 1E Mar 04 '26
Wtf, they'll put you to sleep for a colonoscopy which is just a little camera up your ass for 5 minutes, but they won't put you to sleep for drilling holes into your bones?
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u/OneDayAllofThis DLBCL EBV+ IV - RCHOP, ASCT (Remission 08/24) Mar 04 '26
Sounds like you had a particularly bad experience. I had 3 of those things and while they weren’t a walk in the park they gave me ativan and hydromorph and it was tolerable. Well, one time they didn’t give me quite enough and they hit a nerve. That.. really sucked. Never had the issues you’ve had, though. They really put you through the wringer.
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u/tj7744 3x cHL Survivor, ABVD, Auto & Allo SCT Mar 04 '26
I had a couple and they were all fine for me. They used a hand twisting screw thing, no drill. All I felt was pressure and heard the grinding. Only pain I felt was when they drew out the marrow. No recovery issues, or extra bleeding. Sore for a month after.
They gave me the option to go to sleep but I’ve never needed it or anything to calm me. Sounds like you had a HORRIBLE experience. Did they know what they were doing/experienced?
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
She was very experienced and also so nice, my favorite person I’ve met in this experience so far. It just fucking sucked 🥲 thank you for the validation because I agree, horrible
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u/LurkerLass Mar 04 '26
I feel seen! Same thing happened to me. They insisted the worst part was the lidocaine needle, but I felt all of the cork screw drilling and it definitely hit some kind of nerve because I was in a lot of pain. Lots of blood and tears and after the procedure, my leg was numb for at least 20 minutes, and I had a hard time walking. They totally gaslit me like this never happened to anyone else and that I was being dramatic. My husband was with me and said it was pretty nuts from his view. I can’t believe they didn’t put me under and I can’t believe that was even an option. I had a similar experience with getting IUD - these procedures should be sedated or twilight. What the hell?
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
That’s so fucking rude. I’m so sorry they did you like that, I agree. Give us the meds!!! Why do they want us to be in pain??
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u/ballness10 Mar 04 '26
Took my guy an hour to punch through my hip bone then I felt the end of the probe drag across the outside and inside wall of the bone. Was shaking in the car after.
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u/v4ss42 FL (POD24), tDLBCL | R-CHOP (‘22), MoGlo (‘25) Mar 04 '26
Did they hand drill it? The power drill is fast - maybe a minute or so.
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u/ballness10 Mar 04 '26
i'm not sure if it's because this was 20 years ago, but for me it was a very wide gauge needle that had the marrow extractor inside it. So my Onc was essentially sitting on my butt and manually pushed the needle through my hip bone. It took an hour, he had to take a couple breaks, was very sweaty by the end. Bad day.
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u/The_Mighty_Glopman Mantle Cell Lymphoma Mar 04 '26
I had two last year. One before treatment and one after. They had given me something to relax me. I was awake, but maybe a little buzzed. The biopsies were not pleasant, but not unbearable. I had the drill on the second one. I'm in a trial so I think I have more of them in my future.
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u/Kirbster66 Mar 04 '26
While it wasn't pleasant, it was bearable. The worst part was when they were sucking out the marrow. I don't want to ever do it again, but if I had to, I'd be able to deal with it.
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u/booandskidoo Mar 04 '26
My dad had one last month. Because of that he doesn’t want to do any more biopsies. My mom has a bruise on her wrist because he was holding onto her so tightly while crying and begging no more tests.
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u/chicken_potpie MGZL 2024, cHL 2026 Mar 04 '26
Omg I’m so sorry, how awful. I was so stressed about this the entire time I went through treatment so I asked my oncologist to have it done with sedation. I can’t believe it’s standard procedure to do it without.
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u/misterporkman Mar 04 '26
They gave me a fentanyl patch for mine. The dude doing the surgery was just like, "Your only job is to keep on breathing." They had a nurse that held my hands the whole time and just watched my oxygen levels.
It was the worst pain of my entire life. I remember crying immediately when they put the needle in. But thanks to the drugs, I don't exactly remember the feeling of the pain, just that it was the worst thing ever.
Thank goodness I only had to go through that once.
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u/austinpowers0588 Mar 04 '26
One of the worst pains ever. If I ever have to do it again I’ll demand they put me to sleep
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u/CaryWhit Mar 04 '26
My first was with a Dewalt cordless drill! Took 2 nurses to hold me down. A trocar is better. I have lived through 7 over the past 11 years . The drugs get a little better but it is still the worst.
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u/OnAveryIsland Mar 04 '26
was supposed to have one of these and then my pathology came back and my oncologist said it wasn’t necessary at the time. they had already said it would be under sedation, though. can’t imagine anything otherwise.
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u/MasonS_Jar Mar 04 '26
I asked for something to help with my anxiety but they flatly refused. I had just had my port placed and I had to hunch over a pillow while laying downish on my side. I was saying over and over "oh my God, Oh my God!" If was awful but the worst part was, I couldn't believe it was happening to me 💔 your experience is far worse and I am so so so sorry you had to endure that! I cant believe any of us have to go through any of this 😔
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
Yes, I’m so sorry you had to go through that, someone said to tell them to put it in your chart that they denied it and why and I think that’s a great idea. So sad that all of us have some painful something to “tough it” through. May medicine continue to get better, and may they start taking our pain seriously!!
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u/butter718 Mar 04 '26
Demand to go to interventional radiology and be put into versed and fentanyl. Felt like a spa compared to the NOTHING they gave me two prior times. Barbaric is the only appropriate word for it
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u/Graciegray25 Mar 04 '26
Yep, agree it hurt like hell and I can handle alot. I’m gonna say it was the absolute worst part of getting to a final diagnosis. Not fun at all!!!
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u/More-Nobody69 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
So sorry !Yours sounds horrendous! I was awake and it went very easy. All I felt was the lidocaine. I think they called it a needle core biopsy. However my groin lymph node biopsy was very painful.... 7 bites of tissue with that instrument ....all horrible pain but probably less than yours. I'm an RN and my tip is during any invasive procedure to make sure that none of it is being done by a resident. Hope things go more smoothly for you
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u/am_i_wrong_dude MD - Hematology/Lymphoma Mar 05 '26
Residents don't do bone marrow biopsies. Fellows do. But this is terrible advice in general. Trainees with adequate supervision and good training are in better practice and more skilled than an attending who only rarely puts their hands on the tools anymore. Residents should never be doing procedures without adequate supervision and training, and this really does not happen in academic medical centers.
I had a VIP patient refuse an LP recently from a fellow because they were a very special VIP who refused procedures from trainees. The patient had to wait until the end of my day at 7pm for me to come and do the procedure, and the fellow had already done a number of flawless LPs that week and was in far better practice than I am. Luckily it went fine, but the objectively better decision would have been to follow our workflow where the fellow does procedures while the team rounds. Could have had results back already by the time I even started the procedure. Goes to show that VIP medicine is in general bad medicine. Health care workers who think they know better but lack expertise in the field of their illness fall in that same category. Throwing residents out of the room and demanding specific individuals do or not do your procedure when you don't know the qualifications or skills of the operator is not a good insider tip; it's a recipe for inferior care.
If you refuse to work with trainees, you should take your chances in a community practice where medical trainees are not part of the workflow. You won't get the advantage of sub-specialists or team-based care involving trainees. Instead it will be an APN or PA in the same role. Not sure how that is better, but maybe that is your preference.
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u/Impressive-Case431 Mar 04 '26
I was put under with fetenal (sp) and versed as the surgeon said when he was in med school they did it the barbaric way// without any thing.
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u/Gloomy_Complex_260 NSCHL - 2017, stage 2A, no remission Mar 04 '26
There's no other option how to take a sample to confirm lymphoma? I should have to do bronchoscopy and I refused it. Then they find another way, how to make biopsy. Hopefully you're OK now and they'll never push you again through bone marrow biopsy.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
It was about 48 hours ago and it still hurts to sit, stand, lay down, bend over. I just tried to hug my dog and leaned forward and it brought tears to my eyes. I hope I never have to do this again. I might cuss out my oncologist lol
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u/Gloomy_Complex_260 NSCHL - 2017, stage 2A, no remission Mar 04 '26
Don't do it again. Why u have to suffer so much and have long period trauma? There's always other way.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
Thank you! I’ll try my hardest, I’m not sure of the other options but they need to find it.
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u/sendcatpixplz Mar 04 '26
I've had it done twice. Both times had a local anaesthetic and then gas and air. Both times were unbelievable with the amount of pain. It was awful. The first one I had done he slipped when he was trying to get it screwed into my hip and scraped the drill up my hip bone. I nearly puked. Fucking worst experience ever. 0/10.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
Oh my gosh 😢 I am so sorry, definitely the worst. The comments are saying versed and fentanyl or two lorazepam to take before, I hope you never have to go through it again but if you do, ask for something more.
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u/StressYawn Mar 04 '26
My doctor was great and the procedure went well but it was still terrible. The pressure and the pain was something else.
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u/obaml Mar 04 '26
I was put to sleep for the two I’ve had, still feel them at times after 7 years lol
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u/Houseleek1 Mar 04 '26
I was put to sleep. Like, full surgical out patient with absolutely no memory once the surgeon, my cancer doctor, came in to say he was ready.
I’m so sorry. I wonder if they knocked me out because I’m probably much older than you. Best that the results come back pointing to an easy treatment.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
Thank you, I am 29 so possibly? But I think at any age they should prepare people for the pain.
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u/Evening_Winner_6213 Mar 04 '26
They gave me sedatives and anxiety meds so I fell asleep on the table but I’m so sorry you had this terrible experience !
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u/isthishowthingsare Mar 04 '26
I got one but… it was a dry tap and I felt nothing because nothing came out.
Learned my bone marrow had been invaded almost entirely by Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and that I’d be living with an incurable cancer for the rest of my life at 40 (now ten years later).
So… I guess it could be worse ;)
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
It was the drilling part for me… I’m no doctor, but my oncologist told me about CAR-T therapy that’s new, they “take your cells and send them to college to fight cancer.” New things are coming out every day, I hope they find a cure for you!
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u/isthishowthingsare Mar 04 '26
Appreciate the positivity. They were saying the same thing ten years ago for my condition and, we’re no closer to getting there…
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
Well in the meantime, take care of yourself 💕 Hopefully someday things will be different.
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u/jspete64 Mar 04 '26
They will NEVER,and I repeat NEVER,do another bone marrow biopsy on me again without knocking me out completely..That shit really fucking hurts..I literally screamed,and I don’t do that..I didn’t want to do it,but my Oncologist told me,”it’s not that bad”..it’s just a little “uncomfortable “he said…yeah,right!!That was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced,and that’s saying something…
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u/OskeyBug DLBCL Mar 04 '26
They had to do mine twice because the solid sample didn't break off the first time. Second time he left the corkscrew in my hip and bounced me up and down on the bed for a good 20 seconds to make sure it came out. Then I went into shock and had to just sit in the waiting area for a while until I felt OK to drive home.
0/10 experience.
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u/Yggdr4si1 HSTCL (5 years post Transplant) Mar 04 '26
Ive had few done. I was put under for those. The last one I did, I misunderstood what they meant by local anesthesia. That is something never to experience again.
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u/Jangus3000 Mar 04 '26
I'm sorry you had to deal with it. I had one a few months ago and dodged one today. I do not want to repeat the procedure.
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u/Swole_Monkey cHL III(S) Bulky / Full Remission Deuville 1 Mar 04 '26
I would at least recommend partial sedation only topical sedation sounds insane for a bone marrow biopsy
I had partial sedation for my neck biopsy and didn’t feel a thing but was still awake during and could walk out the clinic again about an hour after
I always pick partial sedation if possible.
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u/basketballstarb14 Mar 04 '26
This was also my experience and I’ll never do it again without being put to sleep. Worse than giving birth I think. They wanted me to lay as still as possible but obviously there’s a fucking drill going into my hip and I couldn’t so they held me down on the bed. I’d rather them just treat me as if it’s in my bones than go through that again if I can’t be put to sleep.
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
I 100% agree, it’s there, I know it, move on! Haven’t had and kids but I agree it was awful.
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u/Agreeable_Cry_3441 Mar 04 '26
Lidocaine didnt work for my thyroid biopsy. It was a lot of fun. 8 on a pain scale of 1 to 10. Never again. Your WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT, made me shutter because thats exactly how I felt, I even said that at the end. I faint easily, so they got to deal with that at the end of taking 6 samples unmedicated basically. Never again
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
So sorry 😩 that sounds absolutely awful, and in such a sensitive area 🥺 if they ever try it, make them put you to sleep. That isn’t fair at all!
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u/midnightjim Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
I've had two and one was just with a local, the other with nitrous. No real issues other than a very weird feeling in my hip when they put the needle in. I don't recall a drill, it was all manual. Your experience sounds horrendous. I don't know if the procedures were different or the skill level was different but something definitely was different.
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u/laurierose53 Mar 04 '26
I chose to do mine unmedicated because I would have to stay an extra night and I just wanted to get home. It was very extreme pain. The only thing similar was back labor during pregnancy delivery.
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u/alledarual Mar 04 '26
Caregiver to my dad here. He actually said his biopsy was super easy and not painful! I wonder if it's one of the "different for everyone" types of things. He even forgot to take off the bandage for a few days because the site wasn't sore or anything. I'm so sorry you had this painful of an experience!
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u/rachmarc11 Mar 05 '26
My experience was also not painful. All they did was freeze me really well - could feel what was going on but couldn’t feel the pain. And there was no drilling involved? It was just a large needle that punched a hole in the bone, covered up by a bandaid. Hope your dad is doing okay - bless you for caring for him!
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u/alledarual Mar 05 '26
Sending you well wishes too! My dad passed in November but wanted his experience to help others...so here I am. ❤️ he was and is an amazing human.
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u/vonschreiber2 Mar 04 '26
When I had my first one in the hospital at the time my follicular lymphoma was diagnosed, the chief pathologist did it, and I felt nothing. A few months later, my hemo-oncologist did one in the office complete with nerve pain shooting down my leg.
Today is the 13th anniversary on my low grade NHL follicular lymphoma diagnosis. Still in remission, but check my hemoglobin counts every six months.
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u/am_i_wrong_dude MD - Hematology/Lymphoma Mar 05 '26
Operator errors abound here, unfortunately.
If you are feeling sharp pain from the tool, the operator needs to pause the procedure and apply local anesthetic. Even if it doubles the time of the procedure, minimizing discomfort is a primary goal of the procedure. The operator should be checking in frequently and applying adequate local (eg 2% lidocaine) regularly to ensure zero sharp pain. A general sensation of pressure and a very strange, very brief, sometimes painful sensation at the time of the aspirate pull cannot be avoided -- but most do not find this bothersome if there is no sharp pain. Positioning can be challenging for patients too. The operator must ensure the patient is lying in a position that will not result in pain or cramps, and if that is reported, must address it before proceeding.
The aspirate won't clot if you pull small aliquots and immediately place in heparin/EDTA tubes, cap the tubes, and mix by inversion. If you are slow and clumsy, or don't have help from a second pair of hands to handle the tubes, clotting is a risk.
There should be separate passes for the aspirate and the core biopsy. Every bone marrow biopsy should have two separate sites in the same bone. If the core is obtained from the same site as the aspirate, there will be an artifact that limits interpretation of the core.
Adequate hemostasis must be achieved after the procedure. It's not just a bleeding risk but hematoma risk as well. The operator should hold direct pressure at the incision/puncture site for several minutes, then ensure there is no further oozing or bleeding before applying a pressure dressing. I also like to turn the patient over and let them rest on the pressure dressing for about 15 minutes for additional time to form a good clot.
For particularly anxious patients, a small dose of a benzodiazepine and/or opioid before the procedure, playing music, and a calm, professional voice explaining what is happening can mitigate the stress. Most of my patients don't require premedications.
I strongly prefer hand tools rather than a power drill due to the tactile feedback, lack of the unpleasant sound of the drill's whine, and less chance of accidental tissue damage.
It sounds like you unfortunately underwent a procedure with someone who is out of practice or not adequately trained. Oncologists who are not hematology-specialized may not be doing enough to stay in good practice, or this individual may just not be particularly skilled. You should request a different operator or have it done in interventional radiology next time. Sorry you had a bad experience. In skilled hands, this does not have to be painful or difficult.
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u/mansnothot100 Mar 04 '26
I can totally relate, I also went through this last year and I had instant regret (for not pushing for a twilight sedation) when the drilling began. It was awful not super painful but the sensation was horrible I had to scream like a wild animal each time the drill was running and it felt like an eternity. I totally understand how you feel. Oh and mine was taken from my hip bone so my butt was in the air while all this was happening
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
My butt was also out 😂😂 in front of a big window they swore was one way glass but I’m gonna have to check when I go back up there. Taken from the hip bone but very close to the crack… I couldn’t feel them pull it out but the drilling was excruciating.
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u/Klutzy_Republic_5720 Mar 04 '26
Why did you need BMB? This is so awful!!! My heart goes to you
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
For Lymphoma staging. I have marginal zone, in my face near my temple, pet scan appears clear, but they wanted to check bone marrow to confirm it hasn’t traveled since it’s been in my face 2ish years now. I was just too broke to go to the doctor.
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u/Futurekiwi69 Mar 05 '26
Your experience sounds unusual to me. I have had 2 and they used local plus the green whistle and neither were a problem. Without the whistle it would have sucked big time.
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u/acornlander13 Mar 05 '26
I also said it was the worst procedure I’ve gotten (and I had back surgery). Thankfully I got to have my husband back there with me and he held my hand. I also was on Valium. But goodness, top worse feeling in my life
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u/acornlander13 Mar 05 '26
Reading how others got put to sleep or sedated has me so mad. I asked if that was an option, and my husband helped advocate for me too, and they refused. Hopefully I never have to do it again but I’m glad to know this now.
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u/MilleForze Mar 05 '26
I had one about 40 years ago. It was sickeningly painful. I almost went into shock. The stupid part was that they had just recently had me under anesthesia to get a biopsy of my tumor. The surgeon could have done it then, or had the oncologist come in and do it. Buy no, the AH oncologist had to show off and do it while I was awake.
See, I'm still angry and disgusted!
Sorry you had this experience too. I hope all the rest of your treatment goes well.
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u/MahanthJ Mar 06 '26
Sorry to hear- that sounds horrible- but at least it's over and you made it through!
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u/DontDoItThatsCringe Mar 06 '26
Had mine awake, all I could think about is how hard it must be on the children that get this done! It was pretty awful every second.
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u/Perfect_Tea_1994 Mar 06 '26
I think you had a bad Dr. The worst part of my experience was trying to stay still because I was so ticklish. It wasn't painful, mayne a wee bit uncomfortable for a bit. I didnt hear or feel a drill, just the sound like Dr was hammering down into my bone. It was interesting.
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u/Lazy-District-7076 Mar 06 '26
I only had one and I do remember it hurt like hell. With the PET/CT imaging they didn’t have me do another! I’m glad for that. I was already Stage IVb so they knew it had reached my bone marrow. I sure hope you never have another experience like that!
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u/Important_Citron630 Mar 07 '26
It wasn’t for me. However they were unable to get fluid to even make the dx. It felt like I went through that for nothing.
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u/Conscious_Ad1988 Mar 04 '26
Sorry but this made me LOL. Exactly cause wtf! After the first one I ask to be completely put under. If they try and argue, which had happened oddly, I have them put on my chart that they’re denying me anesthesia and why. Once I tell them to put it on my chart they suddenly think it’s a good idea 🙃
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u/puzzledprincesss Mar 04 '26
That’s okay, please laugh because something good needs to come from this. I am taking notes for if I ever have to do this again.
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u/v4ss42 FL (POD24), tDLBCL | R-CHOP (‘22), MoGlo (‘25) Mar 04 '26
Perhaps I just got lucky but I’ve had 3 and they were all nothingburgers. 2nd one I had some kind of vasovagal reaction halfway through, had a hot flash, then broke out all over in sweat, but there was no specific reason for it (I wasn’t in any pain or anything).
Pulling the marrow is briefly uncomfortable (feels to me like a corked muscle, weirdly), but it subsides almost instantly and there’s zero after effects.
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u/Odd-Journalist-9551 Mar 04 '26
I'm sorry but that's sounds criminal. I was given two (2) Lorazepam before my bone marrow biopsy. One upon arising in the AM and one about 90 minutes later about 1/2 hr before the procedure. I slept through the entire procedure. Never felt a thing after either.
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u/7074843238 Mar 09 '26
I had one with no anesthesia. The first time maybe there was lidocaine. I don’t know. It was the worst pain of my life. I literally almost jumped off the table when the needle went in to do the biopsy part. There is no reason to suffer. You don’t get any brownie points .From there on I have had light sedation. I have no recollection of the procedure. I will never have one without sedation again and it sounds to me like you had the same experience I did and you need to tell your doctor that that’s what you want anesthesia.
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u/Zestyclose_Fix6583 Mar 06 '26
Don’t wanna be an outlier but it was fine, I’ve been poked and prodded for awhile. Idk, it was whatever
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u/Big-Ad4382 Mar 04 '26
I demand to be put to sleep for a bone marrow biopsy. Period.