Reply #6: Taking bone samples - very painful

[LeighAnn]

This is a thing that bothers me, because when you read about this procedure being performed at some hospitals, they tell you that they prefer to sedate, on account of this being such a painful procedure. Then other hospital websites describe the procedure saying, "You will experience some discomfort as the doctor extracts the marrow...."

Why isn't it standard to offer sedation for a procedure that is known to be torturesome? I've heard this described over and over again as being one of the most horrible aspects of cancer treatment, yet it doesn't warrant sedation in most places. I've had moles removed under sedation as a child, I've had wisdom teeth removed under sedation, why on earth would doctors not sedate as a matter of course when knocking holes in people's bones? Did your lover request sedation?

I saw a study done in Iran where, during bone marrow aspirations, they sedated so many kids and didn't sedate so many others. The results showed that the children who underwent sedation had absolute minimal side effects (a few percent exhibited nausea afterward) but otherwise there was no downside or risk with sedating children during bone marrow biopsies and aspirations. So why not always do it? It's bad enough to put adults through that, putting children through it seems unconsionable, and yet it is probably done 1000 times a day.

And was he ever offered EMLA for the shots in the stomach? Why are these things not par for the course?

Sorry, I've needed to rant about that for a long time.

Very happy that your ex-lover beat it, curse cancer and all its ugly faces.