Biopsies, biopsies, biopsies

I went in Wednesday for my marrow biopsy.  Boy, was that fun....NOT. Peter, the PA that did my biopsy was having serious issues. The first attempt he figured he was on the outside of the bone and would have to re-adjust the needle. After numbing me some more, he tried again.  Did you know that the T-handled needle to do biopsies looks like the nails you find at the hardware store with the blue plastic at the head. They are even the same color. I wonder if the hospital buys them from Home Depot for about $.95 each and charges me around $150 for them. Anyway, the marrow he retrieved from the second attempt "did not look right" he thinks he was still hitting the side of the bone and not the middle. Soooo, there was a third attempt with a little more numbing. Jackpot! The procedure that usually takes about 10 minutes took close to 1/2 hour. And man was my left butt sore.  I did get to see the marrow as they put it on the slides. It is not very impressive. It just looks like solid blood.  Now spinal fluid...that stuff is cool! The second time I had the LP, the nurse asked if I wanted to see the fluid. I thought, "not really." But she showed it to me and it was clear. Amazing. Apparently tears, saliva and spinal fluid are the only clear fluids in the body. Learn something new everyday.
Update on Kim:  her first biopsy did not identify any cancer. I thought this would be good, but the surgeon said he wanted to go in again and take a portion of the mass that is in her stomache instead of the lymphnoid he took. Apparently, this mass is full of blood vessels and he said that she should should hope it turns out to be lymphoma because it would be easily treated with chemo to shrink and remove the mass. He says that otherwise, removal of the mass would cause massive hemoraging and could kill her. Nice. Never thought I would start praying for someone to have cancer.