Platelet Disorder Support Association

Join Us:

Become a Member

Support Us:

Make a Donation
    Remember Me     Forgot Login?   Sign up   •  Web site Help & Info
!!! DISCUSSION GROUP RULES !!!

1. You must be a registered website user in order to post and comment. Guests may read only.
2. Be kind and helpful, not rude and cynical.
3. Don't advertise or promote anything. You will be banned from the group.
4. Report problems to the moderators. THANK YOU!

Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy

More
8 years 6 months ago #58504 by kiwi99
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy was created by kiwi99
Can anyone share their child's experience of a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy? My 14 yr old daughter is scheduled to have one next Monday and is a little anxious about it (didn't help that an ER doctor told her it would be pretty unpleasant!). And has anyone used homeopathic remedies to help cope with the discomfort/bleeding/bruising from the biopsy? Her current count is 4 and has hovered between 3-6 since diagnosis, so not sure how she'll cope with it.
  • Sandi
  • Offline
  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
More
8 years 6 months ago #58506 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
I'm an adult but my experience was that it wasn't too bad. It might be different for a child though; I've been through child birth and after that, nothing seems as bad.

Anyway, they numb the skin with an injection, then numb the muscle with another injection. The only really hard part was the actual aspiration which felt like an electrical jolt, but that was over before I even realized that it happened. The whole thing took about 20 minutes in my doctors office. I left with a band aid on my butt. It was sore for about a week, hard to bend over, but not all that traumatic for me.
  • mrsb04
  • Offline
  • ITP since 2014. Retired nurse. My belief is empower patients to be involved as much as possible in their care. Read, read, read & ALWAYS question medics about the evidence base they use.
More
8 years 6 months ago #58509 by mrsb04
Replied by mrsb04 on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
I'm not a child either but quite frankly I found it unremarkable, I'd rather have another bone marrow biopsy than a filling
More
8 years 6 months ago #58511 by Margaret k
Replied by Margaret k on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
I found it awful first time but the next time was offered midazolam which removed pain completely. It means having a couple of hours in the hospital /clinic under supervision but was worth it.
Would a child not be offered this?
More
8 years 6 months ago #58512 by momto3boys
Replied by momto3boys on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy

kiwi99 wrote: Can anyone share their child's experience of a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy? My 14 yr old daughter is scheduled to have one next Monday and is a little anxious about it (didn't help that an ER doctor told her it would be pretty unpleasant!). And has anyone used homeopathic remedies to help cope with the discomfort/bleeding/bruising from the biopsy? Her current count is 4 and has hovered between 3-6 since diagnosis, so not sure how she'll cope with it.


I'm sure it's not helpful, but I still remember my bone marrow biopsy from when I was 8 years old (I'm in my 40s now). What I most recall all of these years later is how much you could feel it, it was like "feeling" the bone. I don't remember them having prepared me for that, so maybe just tell her that she will feel pressure and sensation deep inside where they do it. I'm pretty sure that at age 14 she'll deal with the sensations much better than a younger child. It really doesn't take that long, but not knowing what to expect made it very scary and more painful. Maybe google and read some experiences and talk about them with her.

Good luck and I hope it goes well.
  • Sandi
  • Offline
  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
More
8 years 6 months ago #58514 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
They should give her something to relax. I didn't have anything, but he already scared her by telling her that it won't be pleasant. That probably wasn't a good thing to say; she will dwell on that. I just remember trying to go to a happy place. My husband and the Hemo were talking the whole time and I just wanted them to shut up because they were distracting me. When all was said and done, I realized that the fear of it was worse than the actual procedure. If someone had told me beforehand that it would be awful, I probably would have been more afraid.
More
8 years 6 months ago #58517 by juliannesmom
Replied by juliannesmom on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
My 13 year old daughter was sedated for the procedure, which was ten years ago. It added some time for sedation and supervision after, but she had been extremely anxious, so I was glad it was offered. She wore a compression bandage for a day after, and experienced very little bleeding as a result. I think her activities were a bit restricted for a couple days, to avoid pain, bruising, and, most of all, bleeding. Hope it goes well for you and your daughter.
Norma
More
8 years 6 months ago #58530 by kiwi99
Replied by kiwi99 on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
Thanks everyone for your replies....really appreciate it. I've just heard from the hospital (National Children's 'Starship' Hospital in New Zealand) that she will, in fact, be having a general anaesthetic (standard practice in paediatrics apparently). So, while her body will have to deal with the after effects of a GA, at least she won't (hopefully!) be anxious going in for the procedure. Her last experience at this hospital was in October last year (3 months after diagnosis) when she was airlifted to their ICU from our regional hospital with a life-threatening bleed from a ruptured ovarian follicle. She pulled through....with spleen intact....but understandably she's a bit wary of the whole hospital scenario.

Anyway folks, thanks for your support and I'll post a brief update upon our return.
More
8 years 6 months ago #58531 by Neti
Replied by Neti on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
Hi, my daughter age 13 has had bone marrow aspiration and biopsy last May (2016) and it was done under general anaesthetic (in the UK). The procedure itself was quick and we stayed in the hospital only half a day. They raised her platelets using steroids beforehand so she had 40 at the time of the procedure. She did not have any bleeding and only a small bruise after. Good luck.
More
8 years 6 months ago #58532 by kiwi99
Replied by kiwi99 on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
Thanks for that. Interesting that your daughter was given steroids beforehand. My daughter's platelets were up to 7 on Wednesday (yay!) after being 'stable' at 4 for the past few months. She's currently on no meds at all, as she's been relatively unresponsive to prednisone, IVIg, tranexamic acid and had a transient response to emergency dexamethasone, more IVIg, red blood cell & platelet infusions. So fingers crossed the procedure is straightforward for her.
More
8 years 6 months ago #58540 by Neti
Replied by Neti on topic Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
Hi, she was given steroids initially for having large bruises on her arms and plateles 9 (it happened to be few weeks before the procedure), so by the time the procedure was done she was only on 10 mg prednisolone (40 mg initially for 2 weeks, then 20, 10 and 5mg 3 days each). She was not responsive to IVIG at all and tranexamic acid for her periods. Let me know if you have more questions? Her platelets levels have been between 9-20 last year. All the best.
Moderators: jaycharness
Platelet Disorder Support Association

Donate

About

Stay Informed

Follow Us

IMPORTANT!

The Platelet Disorder Support Association does not provide medical advice or endorse any medication, vitamins or herbs. The information contained herein is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice and is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment, discontinuing an existing treatment and to discuss any questions you may have regarding your unique medical condition.


Platelet Disorder Support Association
8751 Brecksville Road, Suite 150, Cleveland, Ohio 44141
Phone: 1-87-PLATELET | 877-528-3538 (toll free) | or 440-746-9003
E-mail: pdsa@pdsa.org


© Copyright 1997 - 2025, Platelet Disorder Support Association. All rights reserved.
The Platelet Disorder Support Association is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.


Privacy Policy and Terms of Use