I am not a doctor or medical professional. I can only offer knowledge from my experience or from my own personal research. I assume that your diagnosis was confirmed by a bone marrow biopsy. IMHO, since you were just diagnosed with ET at 57, I cannot understand why a SCT is even a consideration for you now. You may very well have a normal life expectancy with current standard of care treatments for ET, which should include regular blood tests at doctor recommended intervals. During my years with ET, I had blood tests every 6 months. If your current hem/onc doctor is recommending a possible SCT now, I think you should consider getting a second opinion from an MPN specialist.

Hi @shellep16 There are advancements in treatments all the time! I had my transplant 6 years ago and already I see changes with some of the protocols for patients. So who knows what changes will come within the next two years if and when you’re ready for your SCT.

My doctors had told me that the healthier a patient goes into transplant it improves the potential for positive outcome. Though I was pretty fried out from months of intense chemo for aggressive AML, my doctors attributed my fairly quick recovery to my daily walking and exercising, even while going through chemo…I was 65 at the time. I used to drive my nurses crazy…had a squeaky wheel on my IV cart…but I’d push that thing for 4 miles daily around the bed tower at my local hospital. (8 times around equaled a mile, so I’d do 32 laps total~a mile at a time). They finally had maintenance get me a new cart! LOL. Anyway, I digress…

Hopefully you won’t need a SCT, but if you do you’ll be ready! You’ll also have the advantage of earlier entry into the procedure without having to go through the riggers of AML treatments because your doctors are already monitoring you. Basically keep on being as healthy as you can be for now. Exercise, eat healthy foods and stay upbeat and positive!