4 replies to this topic

[Shara]

Ok, so I am sitting in the Hemotology/Oncology waiting room, waiting to be called in to see the dr. The waiting room is incredibly crouded; a man is there telling everyone he has a blood disease and what treatments he is getting today.

 

While talking a man and women start asking him questions, the couple are there for the man to have a bone marrow biopsy. They said they are just starting the process of finding out what really is wrong, what type of Leukemia he has etc. We've all been there. The other man starting telling them all the worst case senarios that could happen, how bad all the procedures are, how horrible the dr. is etc.

 

I was getting so upset, why would someone purposely scare them, make their anxiety worse than it probably was. I interrupted the guy and asked the couple what dr. they were scheduled to see. It happened to be the same one I see. Who is excellent. I told them they are in great hand, the dr. is excellent and is even head of the department and a professor at the University for Hemolotology. I tried to undo the damage the other man did by telling them the biopsy is not that bad, shouldn't hurt too much.  I am hopeful that couple felt some reassurance from me.

 

I am telling you all because it affected me so much. I hope that the people here havn't experienced anything like that.

[janne]

I have heard a number of stories about awful bone marrow biopsies, but it was really wonderful that you were there and able to tell a positive story and put a new spin on thoughts about the procedure. Good for you !

[dede5]

I think you did the right thing by stepping in. That was probably the most terrifying thing in my life (my first bmb) and don't know if I would've been able to go through with it if someone had done that to me.

[klf2013]

Hi Shara,

You absolutely did the right thing! Prior to my diagnosis, my experiences with BMB were to hold children down during the procedure. ( I was a pediatric oncology nurse long ago). So scarier than the diagnosis itself was the fact that I had to have a BMB myself for confirmation. Thankfully, I didn't have much time to obsess about it as he literally told me 10 minutes before he did it. The amount of time a person has to think about it, coupled with horror stories about the procedure truly does heighten a person's anxiety. I am sure those people were very thankful you intervened!

[chrissy778]

God bless you Shara. I hope everything you told them will keep them hopeful over the next few days while they are waiting for the results..... If someone was telling me all bad stuff at my first appointment I don't know what I would have done. Everyone knows it is scary enough no need to add more fear and doom.