Help! Bone Marrow??

Rebecca- thank you so much for the lyrics. They are beautiful and I will pass them along to my mother. Unfortunately, my dad is not a big believer lately.

Pat- Tell me about it! I think sometimes these Drs. see so many patients and they think that you are overreacting when you tell them something is wrong. It is so frustrating!

I just got home from the hospital. My dad has been there since 9am and now is waiting in the ER....this could go on all night.

Thank you for your prayers!!!!

So sorry Mel......how loud can you get? Obviously they're not hearing you. Why the oncologist did not look into this right away is beyond me...yes the stent can cause it but hey thats a easy fix......but to just ignore you ...i don't get it? Ask the Angel nurse if she knows a better oncologist? They always have the scoop.
I remember when my father was in his late 60's his hematologist became concerned as he was very anemic with no apparent cause..no bleeding..nothing. He had a needle biopsy of the marrow and bottom line he just was not producing as many red cells as he did in his youth...that happens. Dad had to have transfusions about once every 3 months. And it could be that the chemo regimen is suppressing the red blood cells...which i know for sure that it probably is but couple that with bleeding from the neph tube....Well HELLO...wake up call to competent DOCTOR!!
xxoo Pat

I am so sorry to hear that your Dad and your family are going through yet another issue. I don't have any experience with bone marrow transplants, but I wanted to let you know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

When we face tough challenges in life it's hard to see ahead and know that we will endure whatever comes our way. With my bladder and lung cancers, I have learned to just live day by day, just asking for enough mental and physical strength to get through that one day.

Not sure if you have any religous leanings, but the lyrics from one of my favorite songs always comforts me, because I believe that God is still watching and caring for us even when our circumstances make it difficult to believe he even exists. It's comforting to know that His faithfulness doesn't depend on our faith.

HE'S BEEN FAITHFUL


In my moments of fear,
Through every pain, every tear,
There's a God whose been faithful to me.

When my strength was all gone,
When my heart had no song, still in love
He's proved faithful to me.

Every word he's promised, is true. What I thought was impossible
I see my God do.

Chorus:
He's been faithful, faithful to me
Looking back his love and mercy I see.
In my heart, I have questioned, even failed to believe,
but he's been faithful, faithful to me.

When my heart looked away, the many times I could not pray,
Still my God, He was faithful to me.

The days I spent so selfishly, reaching out for what pleased me,
Even then God was faithful to me, even then he's been faithful to me.

Ev'ry time I come back to him,
He is waiting with open arms and I see once again. .


Hugs to you,

Rebecca

Thank you for the links!!

Just got an email from my sister....my dad is getting a blood transfusion and the nurse saw the blood in the urine. She wants him to go down to the ER and possibly be admitted for more tests. My mother has been telling the oncologist and urologist about this blood in the urine for WEEKS! I even posted about it! They told them it was an infection (and put him on an antibiotic) and that the stent could also cause that. his is ridiculous! So now, the oncologist said that depending on what the tests show, he may or may not do the bone marrow test. I just don't know how much more of this we can take.

Mel,

I have no personal experience but these links may be educational:

lymphoma.about.com/od/testsforlymphoma/tp/bonemarrow.htm
www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=3948
www.wisegeek.com/what-should-i-know-about-having-a-bone-marrow-test.htm

Quote from last link:
If a doctor orders a bone marrow test for you, it means that he or she wants more information about your capacity for blood cell production, or that the doctor wants to look into anemia or a cancer like lymphoma. Bone marrow tests are relatively rare, and many people never need a bone marrow test. If you are one of the people for whom a bone marrow test is requested, being prepared for the test can make the experience less stressful for you.

There are two types of bone marrow tests: bone marrow aspirations, and bone marrow biopsies. In both cases, a sample is taken from the hip, because this bone is large, and it provides an easy target and plentiful marrow for sampling. In a bone marrow aspiration, a thin needle is inserted and used to suck up a small amount of liquid. In a bone marrow biopsy, a larger needle is inserted so that a plug of bone marrow can be removed for testing.

Just because a doctor orders a bone marrow test doesn't mean that you should panic. Your doctor should explain the reason for the test clearly, and provide information about when you can expect results. In addition to the reasons discussed above, people also receive bone marrow tests to test for compatibility as potential bone marrow donors, so you may even find yourself volunteering for a bone marrow test at some point.

It seems that lately after every treatment of chemo that my father needs a blood transfusion. Well, he went today for chemo and they couldn't give it to him because his blood cells are low and he needs another one. They also want him to have a bone marrow test. Is anyone familiar with this? Is this a sign that the cancer has spread to the marrow? We know it is already in the bones.

We are very scared