The Biopsy - Chapter 4

It was a Tuesday, Don's regular day off from work. We arrived at the outpatient center by 11:00AM. Don was noticeably nervous. We waited for about 10 minutes in the waiting room until they called his name. I was allowed to go back with him. We entered a room where Don was given a gown to change into. The nurse came into the room and took yet another blood sample. They had to check his platelet count prior to this procedure being done.

Normal platelet count is 140,000 to 400,000. Don's tested at 113,000 that day. That was lower than normal, but not so low that they were going to put off the biopsy.
Another nurse started an IV on Don and shortly thereafter, came to take him back. He was left outside the treatment room and had to wait until the previous patient was done. After several minutes, the door opened and they wheeled a woman out. She was half conscience and moaning LOUDLY. Don later told me, it took all the courage he could muster to stay on that gurney!

Once in the treatment room, he was given a dose of Versed, a drug that calms the patient and lowers the blood pressure. It can also cause some temporary amnesia. It worked and he did relax. Don was moved into the MRI machine. Once the MRI was complete and the exact route for the biopsy was decided upon, the doctor entered the room. He had Don turn onto his left side and lay very still. As soon as it started, it was done. They bandaged the sight, rolled him over onto his right side and brought him back to me in a hospital room. He had to lay on this side for over 4 hours. The nurse came and checked the biopsy sight for bleeding or seepage. That looked good and we were allowed to go home.

It would be another week before we would know the results.