Biopsy Done... Was It Scary?

Saturday, November 25, 2017


As the post title says, I got my biopsy done.

Was it scary? A little! But I wasn't really that scared!

Was it painful? Yes, I felt some pain, but nothing I couldn't handle.

Let me backtrack a bit. In my last post, I talked about being seriously ill. Doctors found a huge mass in my spleen and suspected I either have Lymphoma or Leukemia. The news was a little shocking, but I wasn't that upset, especially because nothing is definite yet at this time. I figured I'd go into a real crying meltdown once I know for sure that it is indeed cancer. But for now, its too early to jump into conclusions, don't you agree? So anyways, the doctors recommended a spleen biopsy to determine if the mass is cancerous or not. The biopsy was set on the 21st of November.

When the day came to get checked into the hospital, I felt strangely calm. It helped that the nurses and resident physicians were all friendly and accommodating. The residents , in particular, went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and well informed about what to expect from the procedure.  

However, the procedure was moved to November 23, because my blood tests showed that my platelet count dropped again. They needed to get my platelet count up first before performing the procedure to minimize the risk of bleeding, especially since the spleen is a highly vascular, and therefore highly bleedable organ. The doctors said I needed to be transfused with 5 bags of platelet concentrate. We spent two days searching for a blood donor. And I was just so shocked at how some people would take advantage of the sick. An employee in the hospital approached me and said he would be glad to donate his blood for me, and in return for his services, he would like to be paid 6,000 php instead of his usual charge of 12,000 php. I  was dumbfounded. I'm an E.R. nurse and I was never aware that these things happen in hospitals all the time, not till I became a patient myself. Naturally I turned down his offer even though I was desperate to find a donor.  But then guess what? My hematologist found a donor for me, who only asked for a milk chocolate drink. That was all he wanted, and it made me feel so happy, and also felt there is still hope for humanity after all. 

So I finally had a donor, God bless him, whoever he was. I hope I get to meet him someday, or at least find out his name. I was given the platelet transfusion an hour before the biopsy, and then another transfusion right after the biopsy. I guess they were taking extra precautions to make sure I don't bleed to death.


Copyright ©  Drop Dead Pink 2017

The procedure was what is known as Ultrasound-Guided Core Needle Aspiration Biopsy. It involves taking a sample tissue from my spleen for lab analysis. Before the procedure I was asked what type of anesthesia I wanted. Local anesthesia or sedation? The doctors suggested sedation, where they put me to sleep and I won't feel a thing. However, I opted for local anesthesia instead, and they were surprised and went on to explain that I will experience some pain with local. But I insisted. The reason I wanted local was because I wanted to remain conscious throughout the procedure. If something felt wrong, I would be able to voice out my concerns to the doctor. Better to feel some pain than sleeping through the entire thing and never waking up again, if something did go wrong. 

And so I was wheeled into Radiology where the procedure was to take place. The resident assigned to my case took over and made sure I was comfortable, assuring me that everything was gonna be okay. Once the nurses were done with the skin prep, the radiologist came in - a big man in white medicine coat, looking all serious and austere, and that's when I felt my first twinge of fear. This is it. It was really happening. The past days felt more like a dream. But this was just too real. The radiologist approached me and asked me, are you ready? And I said yes I was, but deep down my heart was thumping crazily against my chest. The resident stood beside the radiologist and I understood he was gonna be the assisting doctor. A nurse stood nearby to take my blood pressure and vital signs to make sure I was stable throughout the procedure.

Then ouch!!! A sharp, piercing pain went through my left abdomen. It was the local anesthetic injection. The pain got worse for a few seconds and I closed my eyes and mentally repeated the words, "It's not so bad ... it's not so bad" over and over again. After around 2 to 3 minutes, the pain was  all gone. The radiologist and his assistant then proceeded with the biopsy. The core needle passed through my spleen twice, obtaining enough tissue sample for analysis. The radiologist surprised me by walking me through the procedure as he was performing, explaining each step and telling me to relax and it will be over soon. The whole thing lasted around 40 minutes. When he was done, he smiled at me and said, "All done". He wasn't scary after all. 

After that, the resident took over to apply deep pressure on the site to stop bleeding if there's any. And that part kinda hurt. When he was done, he cleaned me up and covered it all up with gauze and bandage, at the same time apologizing for the deep pressure, which was amusing as I've never seen a doctor apologize so much. I thanked everyone and they all gave me pats and reassuring smiles. Then I was transported back to my room.


Copyright © Drop Dead Pink 2017

Over all, I think it was a "pleasant" experience, despite the circumstances. The pain was tolerable and only lasted for a few short minutes. Everyone was nice to me.

Did I just say "pleasant"? Umm, scratch that off as temporary insanity. When it comes to being sick, nothing is ever pleasant. But you know what I mean.

I was told the result of my biopsy will come out a week from now. I have another appointment with the doctors next week. It's gonna be revelation time.

Am I anxious? Scared? As I said earlier, I am putting off any form of negative reaction and emotion until I know for sure. It is my way of coping through the situation.

Please pray for me 

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