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Essential Thrombocythemia: Looking for information and support
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Nov 4 11:06am | Replies (597)Comment receiving replies
Most of us will be our PCPs first (and only) ET patient. Doctors just aren't tuned into the significance of elevated platelets. My own PCP, an experienced and caring man, "informed" me my platelet count was high because I made Red Cross blood donations every 8 weeks.
Of course this wasn't true. But it took me 3 years to start questioning him. I live in rural VA and am lucky there's a hematologist/oncologist (Dr Raymond Cruz) just 60 miles away.
It's essential to keep pushing until you find the best help you can get.
Bravo on making that Mayo appointment. Fingers crossed you'll get backup referrals too. You live in MN, right?
Replies to "Most of us will be our PCPs first (and only) ET patient. Doctors just aren't tuned..."
Yes, MN.
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My PCP in rural Mississippi urged me to see a hematologist when my CBC on routine annual labwork showed an increase in platelets which was not that far out of the normal range. Fortunately the oncologist/hematologist I'd seen for breast cancer was very familiar with ET and diagnosed the JAK2 mutation with a bone marrow biopsy.