I have had one bone marrow aspiration and was pretty nervous going in. I had heard the stories. My doctor did her best to reassure me and noted that patients who had them at my hospital reported them going much more smoothly than at others. And, in the end, it went really well. The drugs worked during the process -- felt like a hard tap - and then just sort of felt like a bruise for 1 or 2 days after.

I am only sharing this to say that I was skeptical about the same process being "different" at different places and at different times, but it was. Hopefully everyone here can be as lucky as I was with my experience and I'm sorry for those who were not.