Dick M, age 77 At the age of 69 I appeared to be very fit and active, cycling, hill and dog walking and managing a half-acre garden. However, one morning I woke up with severe vertigo, had difficulty standing and was vomiting at the least provocation. A visit to my GP suggested it was an…
I was diagnosed with ET in August 2000, aged 30. My only symptom at that time was priapism; (wikipedia.org/wiki/Priapism) originally lasting an hour or so and occurring three months apart but gradually developing into 2 or 3 times a week lasting up to 7 hours ! At that time I was being treated by a…
My name is Jeffrey and I was diagnosed with Primary Polycythaemia several years ago. (I can’t actually remember how many) having been called back to my doctor following blood tests for another completely separate problem. I remember the consultation well, “ Jeffrey you have elevated red blood cells and I need to send you to…
In June 2011 the haematology consultant at a London hospital suspected a myeloproliferative disorder because my platelet count had shot up from its normal range to 937 and he asked for a JAK2 screening. This was carried out later that month. On reviewing the test results in July, the JAK2 test was negative but there…
Jennie Barnes aged 25 has lived with essential thrombocythaemia (ET) since she was diagnosed at the age of 13. In November 2013 at a routine consultation she was told that this had transformed into leukaemia. In the weeks that followed Jennie wrote an honest and moving blog about the ups and downs accompanying that diagnosis…
My name is Annette and I am 62 year old. Fourteen years ago I was feeling ever so tired so my GP decided to have blood tests done for this and the results kept coming back with a rather high platelet count. ‘Don’t worry’ he said. But three tests later I was diagnosed with a…
ET was discovered when I went for a routine blood test and a cholesterol check. The results showed that I had high blood platelets. I didn’t really know what blood platelets were and found out more information at a follow up appointment with my doctor who had referred me to see a haematologist. At that…
Hi, I’m Chris, 58 years old reasonably fit as I like to run and kayak, and the am the fittest of my friends and family in my generation. In April 2010 I was on post Christmas diet and was feeling how slim I was when I noticed a lump below my rib cage that didn‘t…
October 2013 I was the fittest I had ever been, 10K’s under my belt along with a half marathon and the GreatSouth Run. I felt a little poorly the morning of my last run however I put it down to nerves. I started the race well, set out fast pushing myself harder than I had…
I was diagnosed with polycythaemia ruba vera and essential thrombocythaemia five years ago. This was due to a blood test for something totally different and a complete fluke. A number of friends said I had looked very red and not well and I also had some health issues which I didn’t associate with the condition.…