What all these posts point out to me is that doctors are doing a terrible job helping some patients understand and cope with the fact that they have a chronic bone marrow cancer. I think those with rare cancers often encounter this. All of us need to expect more of our caregivers in this regard.

For those who would prefer to experiment on themselves instead of seeking conventional medical care, please ask those posting information to provide links to the sources of their info so they can gauge its credibility.

I ran a FB support group for ET patients for several years, and I will tell you that the homeopathic practitioners are just as motivated by the profit motive as Big Pharma, and most alternative practitioners offer treatments that are neither regulated nor have been subjected to rigorous double-blind testing.

I've had ET-CALR for 15+ years. HU + aspirin x 6 years. I've met patients who were allergic to the dye in HU capsules, who had to find aspirin workarounds, who did much better on anagrelide, and who found a good combo of diet and exercise that contributed to overall health and clot risk reduction. I've also known patients who tried to avoid conventional drugs and ended up unable to care for themselves after amputations and strokes.

Wishing everyone here happiness, serenity, confidence, and access to helpful and reliable information in 2024.