bone marrow test??

You just need to Google the bone marrow aspiration procedure and it will give you all of the information that you are looking for. Quite easy to find.

Best of luck to you and your family.

I did that search and many more--bone marrow test/low sed rate. low hgb/low sed rate...spent lots of time on emedicine and other reputable sites.. etc etc etc. many times. I know the info I am giving is very vague, because that was the information I was given, vague.

God love my imigrant grandparents, they are huge preventive med pts and with thier neurotic nature will do anything any dr will tell them.

I know I am only getting a fraction of the story...Thats why I was hoping there would be a nurse that works oncology/hematology that would know the link between the bone marrow test and the low sed rate.??

well, if she does end up having the procedure, at least I can tell you from personal experience that it wasn't very painful - at all. I had the procedure done twice. I was 18 at the time and it was to see if I had gone into remission for Leukemia, but I found it more uncomfortable than painful. Sorry to hear your grandmother is having a tough time.

Thanks-- I am relived to know that it is not as painful as it appears...that is my main fear for her is the pain. She is very dramatic to say the least and I was dreading the pain I thought it entailed---more so for my Grandpas sake of having her live with her!!!

I don't have any advice on why, but I wanted to say "keep on advocating until you get the answers you are looking for!" I am sure your loved ones appreciate your attentiveness :)

Sorry, I disagree with JohnnysGirl about the pain of bone marrow aspiration. I had it done, it was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life! (And I've delivered 3 kiddos weighing nearly nine pounds each!)

Maybe there was a different technique, but when they entered the bone, the negative pressure caused made me feel sick, and the agony radiated right down my right leg. I felt like my leg was being torn off! My poor husbands hand was nearly crushed as he held mine, the pain was so intense.

I'd say, if your granma doesn't urgently need this, it's not a test one would choose to have. If the medics however, feel that it would be beneficial in diagnosing, then it may be a necessary pain. Hope all goes well for your dear Granma.

Oh, and JohnnysGirl, I'm glad that this procedure was not as painful for you as I found it to be, I'd be terrified to go for a repeat, you may save your life by doing so! Well done ..you get the Bravery Badge of the day!

Sorry, I disagree with JohnnysGirl about the pain of bone marrow aspiration. I had it done, it was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life! (And I've delivered 3 kiddos weighing nearly nine pounds each!)

Maybe there was a different technique, but when they entered the bone, the negative pressure caused made me feel sick, and the agony radiated right down my right leg. I felt like my leg was being torn off! My poor husbands hand was nearly crushed as he held mine, the pain was so intense.

I'd say, if your granma doesn't urgently need this, it's not a test one would choose to have. If the medics however, feel that it would be beneficial in diagnosing, then it may be a necessary pain. Hope all goes well for your dear Granma.

Oh, and JohnnysGirl, I'm glad that this procedure was not as painful for you as I found it to be, I'd be terrified to go for a repeat, you may save your life by doing so! Well done ..you get the Bravery Badge of the day!

I agree with you - it does hurt more than childbirth. In the hospital, we pre-medicate for it, but I had mine done at the oncologist's office.

To the OP, I hope that you find answers soon, but rather than googling and getting yourself scared silly, why not ask your Grandparents if you can come along? FWIW, knowing what her white cell and platelet count could be more helpful than a sed rate.

Blee

I agree with you - it does hurt more than childbirth. In the hospital, we pre-medicate for it, but I had mine done at the oncologist's office.

To the OP, I hope that you find answers soon, but rather than googling and getting yourself scared silly, why not ask your Grandparents if you can come along? FWIW, knowing what her white cell and platelet count could be more helpful than a sed rate.

Blee

Yes I am planning to go, I am hoping Aunt gets a hold of ordering Dr and writes down what he says before the procedure so I can possibly talk her out of it before hand that is...I asked what her WBC count was and was told via Aunt it was "fine"...I did not think to ask about the platelet count.

I appreciate all your responses ( I was very afraid about the pain part--she is very fragile and dramatic) I know my initial question is very vague. My family God Love them are the typical immigrant family that will do what the Drs say, because they are the Drs.

Drs and Priests---in their mind one of the same....

Grandpa does not have the best hearing (and is short tempered) and Grandma is dingy, so getting anything specific out of them is like pulling teeth. I am not their medical POA nor am I listed on their Hippa forms so I can not call this out of state Dr even if I wanted.

I have taken care of many laukemia paitents (in-patients) who have gone off the floor to have this done - none have come back with horror stories or complaints of pain.

Has anyone known or been a bone marrow donor? Is the procedure painful? Any risks one takes with donating bone marrow?

When I worked in pediatric oncology years ago, I knew many siblings that were donors. The procedure was done under general anesthesia so they didn't feel pain at the time, but because many aspirates are done in surgery, they felt very bruised and sore later. I think the main cause for concern later is infection as with most surgical procedures.

They seemed to bounce back pretty quickly, but kids are so resilient. I'd probably whine for a few weeks.

Karen

I am anMA at a Oncology Clinic. The Dr. is probably trying to see if the anemia is being cause by a disfunctin in the bone marrow.

As I tell our patients, it is painful but only lasts a few minutes and will ache like you were kicked in the butty for a day or two.

Biopsy and donor/transplant are 2 very different things. Bx is done with only local in the Dr. office and only takes about 1/2 ounce of bome marrow liquid and a small bone sample.

Donor transplant is usually in a hospital under general andtakes pints at a time.

I would go with you Gma and ask lots of questions for your and her education.