[Greg H]

Hey Dick!

You know, one of the great disadvantages of being a patient talking bout this procedure is that you are lying flat on your belly, while they work on your butt. It makes it very hard for me to get a line on what's happening when.

In any case, I too have had BMBs in which the core extraction was painful. In this last case, the doc noticed my squirming and grunting and said she'd had to "go laterally" and "hadn't numbed that area." She did something that I assumed was more lidocaine, and I felt nothing from then on out. I've had similar experiences with other BMBs. I'm pretty stoic, but I also prefer not to endure unnecessary pain, so I keep the doc informed about what I'm feeling during the procedure.

I'm not smart about how long lidocaine takes to work. But I have a nurse who likes to use it prior to inserting my IV for transfusions, and it seems to numb things pretty darned quick.

I don't really need it, but it makes her feel better, which makes the IV needle find its mark more readily.

Take care!

Greg