I was given the option for a bone marrow test and did some research and decided against it. I was diagnosed with PV 1/22 from my labs and confirmation from JAK2 positive. The labs determine your medication and dosage and I was told that my treatment would be the same no matter what the biopsy showed. If my health declines and my numbers change, then I’ll reconsider. I do understand that some patients need that confirmation from this test due to the shock of their diagnosis. I had a few thoughts. Will it change my treatment? If the Doctor is comfortable with me not doing it, I should be too? And the cost was also a consideration. Even with insurance, it would be very costly. PV causes me to meet my deductible every year now in the first few months with phlebotomies, doctor visits and labs. Ask the right questions and do some research on reputable sites. You have to do what makes you comfortable.

Hi,
I think it is a good idea to have a Bone Marrow Biopsy before treatment also. My O/H thought it unnecessary, but I asked for it to define exactly what I have. I was lucky my Senior Advantage Kaiser Plan paid for it I guess. But it showed I might “be transitioning from prefibrotic Myelofibrosis to Myelofibrosis” and not have ET. I have CALR mutation and still no symptoms, thank God. I have strange results on my blood labs I know. One thing constant is high platelets, so I take baby aspirin now. At first, O/H told me not to baby aspirin but to take only Hydrea twice per day which I never filled or took. Then she decided I could take baby aspirin. Honestly, the BMB did not hurt at all and I was not sore after. Our family did our evening walk together that evening as usual and all our usual exercise the following days. My lab on BMB day was the only one super strange time my lab showed low hemoglobin, high white cells and platelets high but almost 400 lower than first time measured two months earlier. My recent two labs have shown normal hemoglobin, lowering but still high white cells, and high platelets but not quite as high as first day measured measured in December 2024 when this blood cancer journey unfolded.
It will be interesting to hear what my O/H says in four days at my second appointment with her.