Hello ET, Not the Flying Bicycle Type….
Essential Thrombocythaemia is such a mouthful, ET is easier
Since my stroke I have been a pretty regular visitor to the doctors’ surgery and have had a series of bloods taken for tests. It would appear that I have a problem, Essential Thrombocythemia.
For some time my white platelet count has been high, outside of the normal range which is between 150,000 to 450,000 per microliter of blood. It went up to about 700,000. So I was referred to the Haematology Deprtment of the local hospital.
What are Platelets and What do they do?
For a start these thingies are small, really small. I believe that they are the smallest of all the types of blood cells. Platelets are shaped like plates in their dormant state. They float about in the blood vessels waiting to be called into action. When the body is injured, say a cut, the platelets make their was to the wound. There they change shape becoming larger and growing tentacles. Using them they all clump together to seal the cut. All in all platelets are a Good Thing.
They are produced by the marrow in bones and the problem (well, mine) started when my marrow started to produce more and more platelets. The issue is that with loads of platelets the chance of them forming a clot in an organ liker you heart or brain increases. My stroke was the result of a blood clot so it is probable that the high platelet count caused my stroke.
The question is whether the high platelet count, over a long period of time, should have been flagged up earlier -before my stroke – by my GP. Ideally, yes, of course. However, as there are about only 500 cases of Essential Thrombocythemia diagnosed a year why would he spot it? I often think that we have too many expectations of our doctors. The chances are that mine was the first case that my GP had come across. Why should he be expected to recognise every rare condition unerringly? Completely unreasonable.
The Good Type of a Stroke and now – The Good Type of Cancer……
I am such a lucky bugger. No one has more luck than me. My stroke was an unusual, “good” sort. That is short hand for an unusual type of stroke and it did not kill me. Now the “good” type of cancer. That is short hand for an unusual type of cancer that will not kill me – unless it gives me another stroke.
The Good News
Essential Thrombocythemia can be controlled, that is the good news. I have to take a low level chemotherapy drug for the rest of my life. It has all the usual chemotherapy side effects, or may have. So far, several months on, I have not noticed any dramatic side effects.
Now the Bad News
A good stroke, and a good cancer, what could be “bad” after those two? Bloody coronavirus, that’s what. As a result of having Essential Thrombocythemia (why is it called “Essential”? No idea) I am in the high risk group for Covid-19.
12 weeks self isolation here I come……….
For more information about Stroke go Here, for more information about Essential Thrombocythemia go Here.
More about my stroke Here, and Here, and Here, and Here, and yet again (I do go on a bit, don’t I) Here . Oops, and another blog here.
Phil’s British Heart Foundation Donation – you know it makes sense
