Do you know what your platelet count means?

A platelet (aka thrombocyte) count measures how many platelets you have in a microliter (mcL) of your blood (which also contains red and white cells of various types). My last platelet count was 635. A normal platelet count is between 150 and 400 (sometimes the upper limit is set at 450 by different health centers and organizations). But here's the important thing: A platelet count of 635 means that you have 635,000 platelets per mcL.

Why is this important to know? Because if you don't understand what the number means and you learn that your platelets have jumped from 750 to OVER A MILLION you will be terrified and think you are dying. This happened to my dad because:

a) His lab tests were poorly explained to him, and/or
b) He was busy telling the nurse a story and wasn't listening.

If you remember that 750 is really 750,000, a jump to a million doesn't sound quite so dire. And, in browsing the Cancer Compass (see link at right), it's not that unusual for people to have had platelet counts over a million.

However, ANY INCREASE IN PLATELETS TO 800,000 OR ABOVE means you should contact your hematologist, who may want to review your treatment plan to reduce clot risks.

It's also useful to remember that your hematologist will look not only at your platelet count, but at all your other blood cell levels to see if anything looks out of whack. All cell counts taken together can give your doctor info about how to best treat your ET as well as whether your disease is morphing into myelofibrosis or leukemia.

CAUTIONARY NOTE: I monitor the conversations at Cancer Compass, and most comments are helpful, but a few folks over there push homeopathic remedies instead of conventional treatments. This strikes me as a dangerous game of embolism roulette. It's probably a good idea to at least tell your doc if you're planning on trying something on your own so you can go at it with good info.

Be well!

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