Weds-bone marrow day! UPDATE!!!

The 12 story UAMS Cancer research and treatment clinic where we headquarter while in Little Rock.

There are Sky Bridges that take us building to building across this large campus. Much appreciated when Deb was in a wheel chair and walker. Still pretty nice!

Today is the worst for Deb of the testing days. The dreaded bone marrow test!

Deb takes a few meds to prepare her for the upcoming pain and when we get to the clinic she will take her 'popsicles', which are oral fentanyl meds ( a pain killer) Since I mentioned 'dreaded', I've identified one of the worst parts of coming to UAMS: knowing that the bone marrow test is very important in measuring this disease vs treatments. A specified amount of marrow must be collected from a hole bored in the hip bone. Then, a specified minimum amount of actual bone must be collected. Two techs perform the procedure. One is the driller-collector and the other makes microscope slides and sample prep for the labs. Sort of a good-guy bad-guy approach.

Then a few hours break to recover and then off for another MRI.

Blessings!
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UPDATE

Noon and we just got back from the hospital. We have :45 mins before we have to be back for  DWIBS MRI. (The DWIBS is just next to your gizzard)

After the bone marrow, which was done by an MD, we sat for :15 mins with pressure on the pressure bandages. Classmates in the waiting area were mostly ten or more years older but all rabid SEC football fans. We had FSU, Florida, Mississippi State, Alabama, Arkansas, and of course, two Georgia Bulldogs! What a buzz!

Deb was feeling pretty good but wanted to walk some in order to ease pain in her right hip and leg. At first she was able to walk fine with assistance, so we took a long walk in the hospital hallways. We headed down to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. Lunch was fine, but by the time we were done, Deb was really hurting. We started out of the cafeteria area and Deb almost collapsed. She leaned against the wall and broke out in a sweat. Probably ten different doctors and nurses stopped to help. One found us a wheelchair and off we rolled!

We wheeled past the MRI  just in case we could get in early: Turns out we will actually be getting in late. So, back to the Markham House and Deb required a lot of assistance getting on /off the bus.
It was hard to get Deb to the bed, but she's there for a :45 min rest before the MRI.

Back tracking, lunch is always fun because UAMS is medical School for Docs and nurses. They all gather in one seating area for lunch and have huge book bags and look like High School students. Of course they all have iPhones and are young and energetic.  Now, just next to them is a section for the faculty. Faculty looks like nursing home candidates! What a contrast!

I'm heading down for a wheelchair to take Deb downstairs to the shuttle bus. She has her leg propped up and is in significant pain. I just gave her another strong pain killer.

Later...