Tested (part 2)

[First -- Friday was a fine. A little low on energy, but otherwise feeling fine. No fever since Wednesday, decent appetite, a good bike ride. Platelet and red blood transfusions, plus continued antibiotics.]

Wednesday morning -- fever diminished, and pretty uneventful.

Except for the bone marrow biopsy. Roughly 12 days after the start of chemo, they check the contents of the bone marrow to see what effect the chemo has had. I lie face down on my bed, tastefully flashing the doctor. A shot of local anesthetic, and then the doctor works a very thin and strong needle into my hip bone. It's a lot of work for the doctor, and mostly just a numbed pressure for me.

(When I had the biopsy earlier in the month that led to my diagnosis, the doctor -- a different one than this episode -- had to lower the bed so he could put more of his weight into it, and he ended up bending the first needle. Runner's bones are hard.)

Eventually the doctor works the needle through the bone's cortex and into the marrow. The marrow isn't numb, so I can tell the doctor she's there. She sucks out a bit of liquid from the marrow. It's a short, sharp pain that passes quickly.

Step two is essentially a core sample of the bone and marrow, working the same spot, but with a fatter needle allowing them to remove a thin plug of bone and marrow. Again, lots of work by the doctor, mostly numbed pressure for me, except right at the end when they get to the good part.

Then they bandage me up, tell me to keep pressure on it by lying or sitting in bed for an hour -- which I assure them I can manage.

I order a new (for me) item off the menu -- chicken and cheese enchilada -- and I decide to give the chocolate chip cookie a try, since I think my sweet aversion might be fading.

(to be continued)