Hi Beatriz, I'm sure others will give their experience too, but while we're waiting I'll give mine. I was put on an exam table in the Dr.s office. They gave me a couple of drugs that I do not remember what they were. One was supposed to make me "forget" the experience since they cannot deaden bone. I was told I would not remember the time period therefore, I wouldn't remember the pain. That was partly true. I do remember the Dr. straddled me and put a drill bit in my hip bone. I remember him asking me if I grew up on a farm, why? I asked, he said because I had real tough bones. The next thing I remember was being in an elevator in a wheel chair, looking up at my wife and asking her where are we?

So it was a strange experience for me, but wasn't bad, not as bad as several others along the way.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, a fairly simple procedure, for me anyway. You should do fine.

Hey Beatriz!

I'll be honest, it wasn't my favorite procedure-- but then again it was a last minute surprise for my first consult! I didn't have any medicine other than some freezing spray, and it was still very uncomfortable. Just make sure to have something to ease stress, and it will go fine. You will even find some have no issues with the procedure at all!

I may not have liked it, but I would have another if I had to. Next time, I'm going to ask for the forgetful medication Greg had-- I don't have to remember everything!

Beatriz, I do remember they gave me a dose of Librium and I am thinking ativan. But there was something that made me forget the time period. Very weird.

My oncologist promised me it wouldn't hurt. I was awake the whole time. The doctor and the nurse did the procedure in outpatient surgery physically in the hospital. I was on what amounted to a gurney and the doc used a local anesthesia.

Did it hurt? Not really. Deucedly uncomfortable pressure, though.

Hope the procedure went well for you! My Son had it done back in Sept.. He said that it was painful but did well. He is my Hero! 23 years old and starting the third round of treatment on Monday 10/29 in the hospital for about 7 days. It will be the third round of about 8 from what the doctors are saying. t-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. So far the chemo regiments have went well for him. Hope all goes well with your treatment. God Bless You.

Mine was done right in the doctors office. They wouldn't allow anybody in with me for comfort since it is a sterile procedure. Just the doctor and a nurse. I did not have the medication that Greg spoke of, but I wish I had! They only gave me a local. If I had to go through it again, I would ask for something to ease the stress. It is a "blind" procedure, so the doctor had to put the local in the bone area, then remember where she put it to go back in and get the biopsy. Needless to say, she missed. It was not a fun experience, like I said , I would ask for Valiuim or something.

Hi Beatriz,
My bone marrow biopsy was not painful, even though I was very fearful about pain. My oncologist promised me that the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis was experienced with the procedure & controlled pain very well with medications. She was absolutely right. I was awake through the procedure which was done as an outpatient in the treatment center. The only thing I felt was pressure, but no pain. The nurse showed me the bone marrow samples taken. I walked out of the room after bandaides were applied to the two biopsy sites on my hips.

I have had 2 bone marrow biopsies done. One at my initial diagnosis (with my oncologist) and one before the bone marrow transplant I had just last month (at the hospital as part of the pre-bmt workup). Both procedures went exactly the same. They numbed up the skin around the back of my hip where they took the biopsy with I think Lydocaine and all I really felt after that was pressure as they went into the bone with got the biopsy sample which was smaller than I thought it would be. The first time I had no meds the second time they gave me Adavan which didn't kick in until after the procedure was over with. But overall the procedure was simple, I walked out with a bandaid over the sight and it just felt like I had run into a table on that spot for a couple days (which was no problem because I'm very accident prone and do it all the time anyway!). You will do just fine! Good Luck!!!

My husband really worked himself up before hand, worrying about the bone marrow biopsy. It was not nearly as bad as he thought it would be. In fact, he did not think it was bad at all. Good luck!

My experience with my bone biopsy and bone marrow biopsy is that it was uncomfortable to mildly painful. I did not get any spdcial drugs to "forget"it, and i was awake the whole time. It was not terrible, in other words, i don't rank it as something i wouldn't go through again if i needed one. A spinal tap was worse if you ask me...

Someone mentioned they couldn't have anyone in the room with them... I WAS able to have someone in the room with me. Mine was not done in an OR or anything, just a small room with glass doors and a curtain, like a procedure area. I likened it to a pre op area.

Hope it went well. For my husbands they put him to sleep and didnt remember any of it. The Dr that did it said she wouldnt do it any other way because its just too incomfortable if you are awake for it. The pain after wasnt too bad either. Nothing a few ibuprofen didnt cure.

Thanks for sharing your experience.