I learned I had ET at my annual Medicare checkup 2 years ago, my platelets were over 900,000. By the time I saw an oncologist 3 days later the count was over a million. They put me on 500 mg of Hydrea right away. Twelve months of weekly blood tests and varying doses of Hydrea later we have settled in on 4 days a week 1,000 mg Hydrea and 3 days a week 500 mg. Now a year after that my platelet count is down to 315,000, the lowest it’s ever been. I’ve had no obvious side effects or symptoms from the Hydrea or the ET and consider myself blessed for that. I stay active but am tired every day. It doesn’t keep me from doing things. It just takes longer.
My first oncologist told me everyone’s different, but if you’re like most people with ET when you die it won’t be because of ET*.
*as long as you take your Hydrea 😊