Musing on the latest platelet count

Platelet counts can bounce around like these kids on
pogo sticks.Remember those? I sure do. They were fun! 

Today's a good day! Got my quarterly platelet count results, and the platelet count was down a bit. Counts do bounce around, and it's a reminder not to get too excited about your periodic tests.

You may recall that I was up to 735 in March, an uptick of nearly 100 points from the previous quarter. My main concern was that the platelets would spike again this month and I'd need to talk to the doc about going on hydroxyurea (Hydrea). But for now, I'm back into the 600s (670), and, since no other blood counts are off, I'm still in the mild to moderate risk zone.

That doesn't mean I'm "getting better." You live with ET your whole life. And it's important for me to recognize that, since 2011, my platelets have moved up gradually, from the 400-500 to the 600-700 range. 

So what makes your platelet counts bounce around? No one really knows. ET and other MPNs are mysterious diseases. Researchers are just beginning to make theories about the genetic mutations that cause ET (three mutations that scientists have identified so far) and how those affect prognosis and how quickly (or if) your disease will progress. 

So, while you can do lots to get yourself in better shape (or stay in shape), the progress of ET is not in your control. I think that's worth repeating:

The progress of ET is not in your control.

And maybe that's good news. For instance, you frequently hear people say things like this:

• "Well, of course he got lung cancer, he smoked all the time." 

• "Chugging all that pop? She gave herself Type 2 diabetes."

• "He would have lived on bacon and red meat if he could have. He was a heart attack waiting to happen." 

• "She let herself get worked up about every little thing. No wonder she blew a clot."

My guess is that when you found out you had ET, you immediately wanted to know what you could do to get rid of it. As if having ET was your fault. As if you had something to be ashamed of. Those things went through my mind.

But I do not think this is a useful attitude because: a) it fails to acknowledge that we probably got ET because of exposure to something in the environment and/or a genetic predisposition to a particular mutation, and b) it absolves us from feeling compassion for the sick and suffering. Most of all, it ignores the fact that, no matter how hard we try, none of us is going to live forever.

That's not an excuse to go hog wild. I've seen some good results from my self-improvement efforts to lose weight, get stronger, and reduce stress. But I'm not doing it out of some sense of guilt or with the idea that I can control my platelets; I just want to feel as well as I can for as long as I can. 

So whether your platelets are in a holding pattern, are gradually going up, or have taken a sudden spike, it is not your fault. Do what you can to make yourself feel better. Be kind to yourself. And remember, you're not alone and can come back here anytime to check in.

Be well!

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