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Pictured are Kim, the physician's assistant who will
be performing the bone marrow aspiration, me, Jonnie, I'm more comfortable
with my head covered during a procedure, and Annie, the nurse taking
care of sedation and monitoring my vital signs. |
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An anesthetic cream called EMLA is used to numb the areas
where the bone marrow aspiration and the lumbar puncture will be done.
The cream was applied an hour before the procedure started and was
covered with tegaderm to keep it in place. Kim is about to remove
it. |
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Annie gives me more Versed, a sedative that doesn't put
me to sleep like it does some kids, but makes me very drowsy and also
makes me forget what happened. She also gives me Fentynal so that
most of the procedure doesn't hurt. I can communicate with everyone.
Kim tells me what's going on. |
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Kim swabs the bone marrow site with a cleaning and disinfecting solution called Betadine. |
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An injection of Lydocaine is given to deaden the pain in the area where the larger bone marrow aspiration needle will be inserted. |
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Now the stainless steel bone marrow needle is inserted
into my hip bone. I can feel some pressure, but no pain. |
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A syringe is screwed into the needle. |
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Bone marrow is withdrawn from my hip bone. This does
hurt because there is no anesthetic for the pain inside the bone.
At this point I am very unhappy and I'm letting everyone know about
it in no uncertain terms. |
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Some of my bone marrow is smeared across a piece of glass
to make a slide that can be viewed under a microscope. |
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The samples are ready to go to the lab. I'm ready to
pick out my toy. |
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