Bone Marrow Biopsy #9 and Bard Power Port Placement December 20 2012

We drove to St. Luke's Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho from Mackay, Idaho for my 10:30 AM appointment for a bone marrow biopsy under conscious sedation and the placement of a Bard Power Port (intravenous access that is place under the chest skin) also under conscious sedation.

Had my blood drawn first. All of my multiple myeloma labs SPEP were drawn too, but I won't get those results for a week or so.

My white blood cell count was low at 2.3 (norms 4.5-11). Hemoglobin was low at 10.9 (norms 12-15); and my platelets were awesomely normal at 143 (norms 140-440). My Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) was 1.51 (norms 1.9-8.8) which means I need to watch my exposure with persons who are couging and/or sick. 

My LDH was great at 516 (norms 313-618). This slightly down since my 11 Dec 2012 value of 529.

They ran Protime, INR, aPTT, PFS Collagen-EPI since I'm on the blood thinner Fragmin 15,000 units subcutaneous injection daily. They, incorrectly said I was on Coumadin in the report of 20 Dec 2012.

Jani and I were taken to the Interventional Radiology area where I met my nurse for the day - RN Mendi and surgeon, Cameron Evans, MD.

RN Mendi started my IV on the first poke and decorated it for the Christmas season :)

That little piece of plastic hanging down from the nasal oxygen is CO2 monitor.

Kirk Peterson, MD from the Pathology Department did my bone marrow biopsy first - all under conscious sedation. I remember meeting Dr. Peterson, but that's all. 

Conscious sedation with intravenous Fentanyl (275 mcg was used total for the 2 procedures) and Versed (14 mg was used total for the 2 procedures) administered by RN Mendi is the ONLY way to go! I'm sorry I fretted at all prior to the procedures. This was my 9th bone marrow biopsy since diagnosis 19 months ago and by far "THE BEST" (my first at St. Luke's Hospital).

After the bone marrow biopsy, Dr. Evans place a Bard Power Port under the skin of my right chest wall just below where I had a previous Bard Power Port placed 13 June 2011. Me and Jani after the port placement.

Especially nice was the fact that RN Mendi was my nurse for EVERYTHING - I was never passed to another nurse and I LIKED THAT! RN Mendi was an excellent nurse with all the technical skills and caring bedside manner that every patient should experience!

We were on our home to Mackay, Idaho at 3:15 PM. I slept the entire 2 1/2 hour drive home while Jani drove. The port insertion site was VERY PAINFUL and I'm glad I had Percocet to take.