Diagnosis is an awful shock -- please know your friends here are sending love and support.

Who has ever even heard of "ET"??? And then to learn that you have something totally different from what you had first been told -- that's an awful lot to deal with.

Yes, ET is a chronic blood cancer. It happens when the "drivers" that regulate platelet production mutate, causing our blood marrow to churn out platelets like mad.

Having extra platelets makes us prone to blood clots, and this manic over-product also depletes our bone marrow.

But don't be discouraged! The low-dose aspirin you've been taking is already protecting you from blood clots. And there are effective medications for ET.

HU is what most of us take. Some ETrs have been on it for decades. It's cheap and it works.

Should you have adverse side effects, some other options exist too.

Finding your effective dose may take a while. Frequent blood draws will be part of the process.

You can learn SO MUCH on this forum. Whatever concerns or issues you may have -- someone else here will share them.

You are not alone!