I am sorry you are so distressed at your ET diagnosis - and shame on your doctor for not explaining that while this is a life-long disease, people who get diagnosed and treated can live a very long time and will likely die from something else. The bone marrow biopsy will confirm your diagnosis and will allow your doctor to prescribe appropriate medication. I was scared, too, at the initial diagnosis and the prospect of a BMB. The procedure wasn't bad and it helped me tremendously that when I told the nurse practitioner how anxious I was, she ordered a mild sedative to be added to the IV during the procedure.