I’m new to this group and appreciate reading both the new and older posts.
The first time I was aware of an elevated platelet count was in 1989 after lab work during a prenatal visit. My Ob/GYN called and asked me to come back for another blood draw He wanted to rule out leukemia. After the second blood draw, he advised that nothing else flagged, and this was probably my “normal”.
In the years that followed, I never gave it a second thought. When I had blood draws for routine health visits, my platelet count was always in the low to mid 400’s. I wonder why my general practitioner did not alert to those numbers?
Fast forward to 2016…I started a weight management program that was led by a young doctor within my medical group. (Interestingly, she is also an OB/GYN.) As part of the program, she asked all participants to complete a very comprehensive lab work-up. After reviewing the results with me, she looked very serious and wanted to add a blood smear to my tests.
That’s when I received the news, ET. How many years have I had this and no one else connected the dots?
I was referred to a hematologist at the Mayo in Rochester, MN. The bone marrow biopsy confirmed ET with JAK-2 mutation. Like most of you, I was shaken with anxiety and worry. Knowledge is my way of dealing with it. I read every medical article related to MFP published in past 8 years to educate myself. Additionally, I learned that women with ET have a higher incidence of miscarriage. Checked that box 6 times! Did anyone else experience similar problems? Now, I realize how fortunate I am to have given birth to two healthy, wonderful children.
For the next 2 years, I added a low dose aspirin to my daily routine and had the platelet count checked every 3 months. The numbers stayed between 450-470. Since it was stable, I opted to only have the blood draws 1x/yr.
Just recently, the count increased to 570, so I’m scheduling an appt again at Mayo for a review and medical advice. If anyone is willing to share names/locations of your expert medical providers, I would be interested to hear. I always like to keep a second name “in my back pocket” should my specialist relocate or retire.