Sternal biopsies still aren't fun

Well, today's biopsy wasn't any more fun than the last one. In fact, it hurt quite a bit more during the biopsy this time than the last time. This might have been expected, given the amount of pain I've been experiencing lately. The biopsy procedure was pretty well the same as the last time, although there were a couple of tiny differences.

First, it took a lot longer to get started. Prior to beginning the biopsy, this doctor went and reviewed everything back to the bone scan, and he talked to my oncologist. He wanted to get all the information possible about what was going on before he got started. I guess he wanted to know why we'd done this in the first place and why we were re-doing it. I felt really good about this - it instilled in me a lot of confidence in his abilities.

Second, when he took the samples, it felt like he moved the needle differently than the other doctor had. It was like he rotated the needle around a pivot point partway up the needle. That felt really weird. I don't know whether this was good or bad, but it sure was different. He may have taken the biopsy from a slightly different angle, which may have accounted for this weird difference.

The doctor said that he thought he got good samples. He said that got the first one right in the lesion, and one right beside the first one at the edge of the lesion. I really hope that this is true - I don't want these biopsy experiences to have been for nothing.

I am still experiencing quite a bit of pain after the biopsy. We took the dressing off when we got home because of the blisters I got from the tape the last time. Poor Ian - he went to tape a new dressing on, and unfortunately he touched a really sore spot. I felt so bad because I cringed and he thought he had really hurt me. He didn't hurt me - it just plain hurts, even when I touch it.

In other news, the lymphedema is back in my left hand. You might remember that it was this lymphedema that I noticed in the spring that led to the MRI which found the tumour that ultimately led (in a roundabout sort of way) to today's biopsy. The swelling is still very subtle, but I am noticing it much more now than over the last couple of months. I'll have to talk to my doctors about this when I see them after Thanksgiving. Sigh.

On a non-cancer note, we watched Walk the Line this evening. It's quite a good movie about the life and times of Johnny Cash. I'd recommend it.