@kimmy5. Oh my gosh, Kim, so much has just been tossed at you out of the blue. It’s very normal to feel terrified of the unknown. You came to the perfect place to find information to help grasp what’s going on and what you might expect from your new diagnosis.

We have several members in our forum who have CML
(chronic myelogenous leukemia). You may already have read some of the replies by @suzie71 @pam62 @bobmon @pam62 @dmmurph in this discussion. I know that they’re very willing to speak with you about their experiences and give you some hope so that you’re not feeling alone.

I can shed some light on your bone marrow biopsy. It sounds worse than it is in reality, especially since you’ll be having it done with sedation. This makes it super easy and it’s over in 10 minutes from the time you drift off.
The biopsy is an important tool for your doctor. It takes samples from heart of your blood manufacturing site, the marrow. It will give your doctor vital information about your marrow’s ability to supply you with healthy blood products, define your diagnosis and help create an appropriate treatment plan.

The sedation is given through a little IV that’s in your hand or arm. Very small needle and you barely know it’s there.
The sedation is light but you won’t feel or remember a thing about the biopsy. You wake up quickly and are able to walk out of the out patient area within 20 minutes.

There’s no open wound. This is just a needle that is inserted into your hip bone, near the area where you feel the big dimples above your bum. The doctor or NP will take sample of the marrow and also of the peripheral blood that is in the marrow. You’ll have a compression bandaid over the site with a large wad of cotton under to keep pressure. You only need to keep that on 24 hours. After that the bandaid can be removed and you’re free to shower and resume all activities. You can choose to put ice there if you’d like. You’ll be given instructions before you leave and usually you’re offered some crackers or cookies and a beverage. There’s really nothing to fear.
It takes about a week for the doctor to receive all the elements of the report.
That will be a long week of waiting for the results. From experience, the best thing is keep distracted. What are some of your favorite activities?