This isn't really a health update per se, but I did just return from a bone marrow biopsy in preparation for my CAR-T treatment next month. This procedure draws bone marrow from a hip bone and is short but painful.
This time, however, it was very, very painful. Apparently my bone marrow was too soft and the doctor had a hard time extracting it. Plus the outside of my bone was like "eggshell." After a bit of (literal) screaming and thrashing that I couldn't help, my doctor gave up and decided to try another location. This one produced slightly less screaming and thrashing and was successful.
Apparently this was because the bone in the second location was like "porcelain," which I guess is a step up from eggshell. I don't quite know why my bones are in such fragile shape, since I had three years of treatment with a bone medication and then chemotherapy that kept the level of multiple myeloma low. I gather that it's yet another thing related to long-term use of the Evil Dex™.
But how bad can my bones be? Nobody has told me to restrict my activities in any way, so they must basically be OK. Right?
Anyway, now that it's all done it's only slightly sore. Until the lidocaine wears off, that is.
"Twilight" anesthesia wasn't possible? The prospect of its use made me hesitate at first, but the bone-marrow aspiration went well - better than those experienced by family members who needed a biopsy.
I'm sorry to hear that you had such a painful experience.
My thoughts exactly. All the drugs and medical technology we have these days, there's just no way a procedure like this should have to be "very, very painful"!
Yes, I want to put in a good word for more happy meds in the future. I used to tell my patients (say, during a depression evaluation) that there are no such things as happy meds. However, I realized there certainly are, you just only (should) get them pre-surgery or pre-procedure.
The best benzodiazapenes will make you not care about what's happening, and not remember what happened. Both useful when it comes to painful procedures!
I'm so sorry you had what sounds like a really awful day.
Ugh. Sorry to hear about the pain. One minor upside? And this isn’t meant to be flip in any way. When torture is the subject, in fiction, history, in art, etc., you’ll have a deeper insight into things.
What the literal fck kind of comment is this? “Yeah man that sucks but look on the bright side: now you can definitively talk about torture.” Unlike real time conversation, you don’t actually need to write anything if you can’t think of anything supportive to write when someone tells you of a painful experience online. You don’t have to twist someone else’s pain into a comment about an unrelated topic.
In the future, just shut the hell up whenever Kevin posts about his health in the future, until you take some remedial classes on how to be a decent human being.
Kevin: so sorry you had to go through that and really hope that the results are good for your continued treatment.
Sorry, I thought it might give Kevin a wry chuckle at the Universe. My apologies if I miscalculated.
Well, Greg, I thought you comment was insightful & of value. Traveller
…”But how bad can my bones be? Nobody has told me to restrict my activities”…
I have no specific knowledge, but your speculation makes logical sense to me. Doesn’t seem possible that bones can get significantly (more than 50%?) softer, without snapping a few of them now and then, and warnings….
I know corticosteroids are known for their deleterious effect on bones (avascular necrosis from “long-term” prednisone, cortisone shots directly into joints can degrade bone/cartilage, for instance,
Plus thinned skin, and altered fat deposition - moon face, buffalo hump - And making some people feel like they’re on stimulants.
Could you have significantly softened bones *without* clinical signs of those other common symptoms? Maybe… but reduces probability, as I guess.
Was the dr exaggerating for effect? To hide a poor technique?
Get a quick bone scan? I think they’re cheap and easy, not too radioactive.
I was thinking doc maybe covering for poor technique, too. I wonder if he’s still getting these tests and treatments at City of Hope.
Sorry for your literal pain in the ass.
Steroids and myeloma itself will lead to bone thinning and osteoporosis.
So I guess your MMA career is over?
This is what too much sitting does to your butt bone.
Time to get out there and walk like no one's watching.
Jeez, sorry to hear this. Hope you're feeling right as rain real soon.
Oh dear. Sorry to hear that and I’m glad it’s over for you. . But it reminds me, have you gotten any letters from your t-cells that are away at killer t-cell camp? I wonder how their activities are going? And remind me, how long till they get the bus home?
that sucks! glad it is over. Do you walk or run much? It can help older bones.
but really just get the new high tech treatment and keep on keeping on. oh, and blogging, do that too! LOL.
The ingredients used to carbonize beverages can create bone problems, usually by making them brittle (Porcelain?). Reduce/eliminate carbonized beverages like sodas and make cure you are taking enough calcium through a variety of sources since nutrient absorption is poor with calcium.
Hang in there Kevin. It's all for a good cause. Likely the bones are thining, old age, and chemicals. Just be careful and safe. Wishing you well.
Does it make sense to consider drugs like Fossamax and an annual bone density test? Yes, yes, we all know that those are pretty much exclusively for women for sensible physiological reasons, but the unexpected and unusual does happen.
Kevin, I’m sorry this happened to you.