5th Biopsy done

Had my 5th bone marrow biopsy done yesterday morning and, if I'm honest, I was so anxious about it. The last one hurt so much, and even though the previous three really didn't, I just couldn't get that thought out of my mind. I started to feet a bit sick just thinking about it.

My theory was that all the previous biopsies had been taken from the same spot on my right hip. I thought this was done to aid repeatability but one of the nurses I have spoken to recently said it is normal to alternate between hips to stop one site getting over used. The doctors aren't spoilt for choice on places to extract marrow as they want to go in somewhere the bone is close to the surface of the skin, and if you run your fingers around the top of your hip you get to a point round the back, maybe a couple of finger widths from your spine, where they like to go so it is easy for the same spot to be used over and over. My suggestion to the doctor yesterday was to use the other hip, which she did and I am happy to report it really didn't hurt that much. There were a few teeth clenching, deep beathing moments but overall it was relatively painless and over in such a short amount of time. The doctor could see I was anxious and offered me the gas that is provided to pregnant women during labour. I was tempted as it is good stuff (I tried it when Jo was in labour) but declined this time as it seemed a little over the top. And it does make your throat really dry.

After this I was plugged into a drip to be administered a drug called zometa, which is a bisphosphonate - a bone protecting/strengthening drug - which prevents or slows the activity of osteoclasts which break down bone. In normals like you lot, bone is broken down by osteoclasts but it is replaced at the same rate by osteoblasts. For myeloma sufferers bone is broken down quicker than it can be replaced causing the kind of skeletal collapse I suffered in my spine around about a year ago. I have been having bisphosphonates since I started treatment in May last year, but I could not have them while I was undergoing the stem cell transplant, and I assume I will not have them while I have a donor transplant so it is quite important I have these now as my myeloma does seem to go for the bones.

After having my bone marrow sucked out what better way to forget it than to go to Wimpole Hall, a National Trust property with a working farm. Despite eating our picnic in winds of sufficient speed to blow the coffee in the mug I was drinking from back into my face, we had a very pleasant afternoon feeding pigs, plucking warm eggs from under the bottoms of slightly disgruntled chickens and grooming donkeys.

Also starting back at work next week. It always amazes me how much I miss work, as when you go every day it is easy to think things like 'I can't wait for retirement', or 'if I won the lottery I'd quit'. But time off quite quickly leads to the feeling that your brain isn't quite getting the exercise it needs! So from next week I will back working at home for a couple of days a week. As I am only going back for a short amount of time I will not get any big projects sadly but I am assured there is plenty of work to do as for some reason in these economic hard times, people still need acoustic consultants as much as ever.