October 23, 2009 11:30 PM

Defeated!

On the morning of this date a year ago, the doctors at the hospital had no idea what was wrong with me. All tests had come back negative. They admitted to me and my wife that my situation was beyond them.

At a complete loss, they threw out the lifeline to our local oncology facility as a last resort. However, they firmly stated to us that it was not because they felt that there was any reason to suspect cancer in any way - but that it was intended more to eliminate another possible cause of my problem!

After lunch that day, a short Indian woman entered my room. I have to admit that I fell victim to the first impression syndrome that often affects us. She did not look like that conventional knight in shining armor! But it took only a few minutes before we realized that that is exactly what she was. She sat down with me and thoroughly explained everything that had gone on over the past few days and why testing had progressed the way that it had. She was the one who enumerated the 3 possible reasons for my hemoglobin to be so low(see post of 2 days ago) and she explained what was now going to take place - a bone marrow biopsy!

A bone marrow biopsy sounds like a daunting procedure and I do not intend to downplay it because I have since had some unpleasant ones. I think that I have detailed the procedure before. You lie face down on a bed. They give you a series of local anesthesia injections to numb the area at the back of your hip bone on one side. Unable to actually see the procedure(thank God!), they then use a device to extra a tiny portion of your bone material and also some of your bone marrow. Because I was an in-patient in the hospital, they gave me a mild general anesthestic as well and it made the procedure painless.

Once this was completed, I was released from the hospital under the agreement that I would make an appointment to see this doctor the following week to go over the results of the biopsy. Processing the samples takes a few days so there was no point in starting in the hospital any longer.

When I got home, I phoned my boss to give him the update as to what was known and what was going to happen. He, in his own inimitable fashion, said to work from home until I had a definitive answer to the source of my problem. Unbeknownst to both of us, my last full day of work at the office had occurred two days earlier.

I was now at home and still not worried about the situation. After all, a few blood transfusions in the hospital got me up to snuff - how bad could it be?

My wife and I heard later how others who had had my doctor raved about her professionalism and bedside manner. I didn't need those endorsements - I had seen it for myself. Over the past year, I have seen her a few times and my admiration for her only increased after each visit.

Angels don't always wear white and have wings - but they are always people of God...

Bob