I've talked before about my first bone marrow biopsy. The one I had on August 19, 2015 when I was diagnosed. With that one, as I wrote before, Dr. H really had to brace himself against the table and really pound the needle into my hip bone. During that biopsy, my bone section came out brittle. As Eric describes it, like a rotten apple. It was like the slush of a rotten apple. The bone wasn't staying together like it should. That alone showed how this disease, this cancer, had already ravaged my bones. That was how we were able, along with my blood work I had to do, stage my Multiple Myeloma as Stage 3 Kappa Light Chain Myeloma. My first bone marrow biopsy wasn't that bad, from what I remembered. Especially since I had been experiencing some excruciating pain from what I figured was a sciatica (later realizing it was my compression fractures) and I really do have a high pain tolerance. Yesterday I had my updated bone marrow biopsy. The updated one they need for my stem cell transplant.
Yesterday started with Eric at work REALLY early. He had to be there by 7am. We had made the plans the night before that I would come and pick him up around 10:30 or 10:45am since my appointment was at 11:30am and Dr. H asked if we could come a little early. So, I decided that Brandon and I would get to CostCo around 10am so I could grab a few items we needed and and some mocha freezes. A little side note, if you've never had a mocha freeze from CostCo and you are a member, DO IT! Those things are so good and really wake you up. Ok, back to our regularly scheduled blog post. As I was looking at the books before I went to let Eric know we were there, Eric came out and said he was ready. So, off we went to grab the two items we needed, pay, get our mocha freezes and off to Kaiser.
He doesn't look too enthused, at CostCo to pick up daddy
We got to Kaiser, checked in, and waited to be brought back. This time it was much different. For one, I have been going to Oncology for the last 8 months, so we know almost all the people who work there. From the receptionists, the nurses and some of the doctors. Ok, maybe not almost all, but a good portion I guess you can say. We are comfortable there. It is our second home. Some people have vacation homes in the mountains or at the beach or on an island or another state, we have Kaiser Roseville Oncology department. And, honestly, I don't mind it. Enough rambling. The second reason this time was much different is that I knew what I was going in to. I knew what was going to be going on. Our nurse for the day with Dr. H wasn't Kellie. It was a different one I hadn't seen before. We were called back, I got weighed and my blood pressure taken and while that was going on, one of the nurses that loves Brandon (because who doesn't?) Laurie came and gave some love to Brandon and even walked with us to the exam room. We waited maybe 10 minutes for Dr. H to finish up with his patient before us and then he came in.
It's always the same when Dr. H comes in, as I wrote before. He comes in and says hello to Eric & I then its over to Brandon. Really, if you've never met me and have only seen pictures of my little family, everybody loves Brandon. He's a very happy little boy. Eric says it's because of what I am doing. The fact that my cancer has been a blessing in disguise since I have been off work for the last 6 months (really 8) with him and I am able to mould him. Dr. H always says hello to Brandon and then brings up a picture of his son who is 2 months younger to say hello. I hope one day these two boys can meet. I think that would be an amazing thing. Both miracle baby's. One who helped save his mommy's life and the other who's daddy is helping save the little boys mommy's life. After the "hellos" and seeing how we are doing, we got right into the biopsy.
Dr. H had me lay on my left side on the table curled up in a ball almost. He was going to take the samples from my right hip, like last time. The difference this time, no pregnant belly to keep me from really curling up in a ball. First was the betadine to clean the area. Next was the hard part. The part that stings and hurts the most. The lidocaine. Once I was all numbed up in the area Dr. H made the cut and then aspirated out some blood samples from the bone marrow. This time, that part made me twitch a little. I moved my hip/waist area. Now, earlier I mentioned that my first biopsy the bone came out brittle and that Dr. H had to work to get the aspirate blood sample out also. This time? This time, when he went to aspirate the blood sample out, Dr. H didn't have to brace himself at all. He didn't have to work hard to get any kind of sample. This time he put the needle or tool in and immediately the sample came out that he needed. Also, this time, my bone sample he took was perfect. It came out as if you were to take a section of an under ripe apple. My bone was not brittle. It didn't look like slush. It was staying together. Of course, I don't see all of this happening. It's going on behind me. But to have Dr. H, Eric and the nurse assistant all say "WOW! That was easy!" It just goes to show that my treatment is working. That my bones are healing. Maybe not all the way my lumbar and T12 area where the compression fractures are, but my pelvic bone must be looking MUCH better!
The position I was in for the biopsy
After the biopsy, Dr. H said everything looks good and he was going to send my samples off to pathology. A little side note. One of my dad's friends from high school, Gardena High School, actually works at Kaiser Roseville in pathology. He's a pathologist. So, he may get my biopsy to test. Kinda cool if you ask me! Anyways, Dr. H told us to give him a call in about a week. He should have the results back by then. So, now we wait. Oh the waiting game. There's always a wait when it comes to all this medical stuff. I used to be very impatient when it came to waiting. I've learned over the last 8 months how to wait. How to just be patient and let the medical staff do their work. We will get the results and get our answers. So, waiting we will do. And in the mean time I will blog, play with Brandon, talk to friends, "shop", and just relax. Because really, that is all I can do. I can't make things go any faster. And honestly, I want the pathologists to take their time and really look at my samples and get the readings right. This is definitely going to show how well the treatment has worked on me.
After the appointment we went and got some lunch and then I took Eric back to work. I decided that since I didn't go say hi to his coworkers in the morning, so I went inside to say hi when I dropped him off. They all love seeing Brandon also, so it was only fair. And, since my pain tolerance is pretty high, I felt fine to walk inside and around CostCo a little bit. We went inside, said hellos, and Brandon ended up falling asleep in his carrier. Luckily he fell asleep and when I transferred him to his carseat he stayed asleep. All the way home and even when we got home for about 15 minutes. All in all, the bone marrow biopsy experience I have had hasn't been bad. They don't really hurt, well, this time I am a little sore, and everything is going to work out in the end. My next goal? To be in "complete response" after my SCT on June 6.
After dropping daddy off, he fell asleep in the Lenny Lamb carrier
Now, for me to spend the rest of the day relaxing and playing with Brandon.
Bonus picture from last night when we went to Target. Daddy carried Brandon in the Lenny Lamb carrier.
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