Bone Marrow Extraction - June 16, 2011

The big event for today was Eric's bone marrow extraction.  Three spinal cord injury patients were scheduled for this procedure today: Eric, Scott and Michaela.  Michaela is 19 and was about 16 at the time of her snowmobile accident which fractured her T12.  For this surgery we were taken to a different hospital.  The stem stem doctors were there performing over site and administering the anesthesia.  But the hospital doctor performed the minor surgery.  Eric was carted away and transferred to a bed.  They gave him an IV and he was put to sleep for the short operation.  The bone marrow was extracted from his left hip.  

Within an hour he was done and came back happy and talkative because the effects of the gas were not totally gone.  He had no pain from the procedure and never felt pain later in the day.  The procedure required fasting which meant no breakfast so he and the others sure were hungry.  Eric was set on having a Big Mac, but several doctors came back and said no spicy or greasy food today.  We have not found any spicy food in Panama so we are not sure what they were talking about.  But the Big Mac was out and we settled for another Subway turkey sandwich.  We spent the afternoon resting then went out to dinner again with Scott and Joe.

Joe, Scott, Eric & Tracy at dinner after the bone marrow extraction