Connect
← Return to After 3 months on hydroxyurea, I am going to ask to switch to Besremi
Discussion
After 3 months on hydroxyurea, I am going to ask to switch to Besremi
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Oct 17 7:43pm | Replies (19)Comment receiving replies
Hi @eferret. Sounds like you have a good team behind you with your local hematologist and your 2nd opinion from a doctor in Seattle. They both concurred with the switch to Besremi to see if you have better success with reducing your hematocrit levels.
Having the bone marrow biopsy (BMBX) will allow your doctor to check the over all health of your bone marrow.
Myelofibrosis can cause scarring of the bone marrow and impact its ability to function properly and create healthy blood products. It is one of the myeloproliferative disorders in the same group with PV and ET. A bone marrow biopsy is necessary to confirm myelofibrosis. So your doctor(s) are being very thorough. The bone marrow biopsy is the gold standard for confirming the diagnosis. Do you have any questions about the BMBX? When do you have your first Besremi treatment?
Replies to "Hi @eferret. Sounds like you have a good team behind you with your local hematologist and..."
Connect
They probably want me to do the biopsy first, so that will take several weeks.
Several people, including the hematologist in Seattle, have told me that the biopsy should have been done as standard procedure as soon as they suspected I had PV, to confirm the diagnosis. After taking hydroxyurea for 3 months, my hematocrit is up to 46 and white blood count is almost 17.
After getting the biopsy results, I will have to find out if I qualify for financial assistance for the Besremi. I have an appointment with my local hematologist on Nov. 13 and maybe we can discuss the details at that time.