Why Start Now?

So, another interesting day... at least to me.

Most importantly, Pam is feeling pretty good.  It is still amazing that a person's condition can change this quickly. She was suffering tremendously last week, feeling pretty close to normal this week.  In fact, I think her leukemia may have cured her snoring... she is sleeping soundly and not snoring at all.  Amazing.

She had he first outpatient appointment today to get a bone marrow biopsy.  Since having a biopsy wasn't trying enough, she thought it would be a marvelous idea to go to the DMV to get her driver's license renewed today before her appointment.  She explained to the nice folks at the DMV that she wanted her picture taken with her hat on, because she is self conscious about losing her hair, and, surprisingly, they let her do it.

To prepare for the bone marrow biopsy Dr. Weinstein gave her a prescription for anxiety. She needed it.  She was little Miss Chatty Cathy before we got to the clinic. I have never heard her talk so much about nothing... I finally asked her to take a few deep breaths and take one of those magic pills.  Immediately. I was tempted to ask her to take two pills, but that probably wouldn't have been prudent.

When we arrived at the clinic, Dr. Weinstein was his usual gentle, affable self.  He explained what he was going to do, made sure we both understood, and, after he made sure I wasn't going to feint or something, he allowed me to watch.

The procedure involves numbing a spot over the backside of the pelvic brim, then inserting a large bore needle in to the pelvis to retrieve some bone marrow.  It didn't go well.  In fact, it didn't go. Pam's iliac crest was so tough he couldn't get the needle through it.  He was literally sweating trying to break through and he could not.  His nurse had never seen this happen before.  All Pam got for it was a sore bum.

So, we now have to go to the hospital early tomorrow morning and have the procedure done under guided CT. It is important to get the test done right away.

I told Pam that we shouldn't expect this to go as expected, nothing else has so far.