Hello there @alix, welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry to read of your diagnosis with Essential thrombocythemia (ET), but am glad you felt a sense of relief. Funnily enough I think I did too when I was diagnosed with another closely related type of MPN (Myeloproliferative neoplasms) called Polycythaemia vera (PV). Think I’d rather know what I’d be dealing with than tolerate all the anxious unknowns, I reckon.
Although I’m not a doctor, it sounds like you’re having tests that are typical with diagnoses like these. Perhaps when you fancy a read here’s the great Blood Cancer UK information about Essential thrombocythemia (ET): Essential thrombocythaemia | Blood Cancer UK
My doctors also called me young at diagnosis, although I suddenly felt aged by decades! I get the impression that people are usually diagnosed with MPN (Myeloproliferative neoplasms) later in life, so when diagnosed under age 60 we’re considered young and less at risk, unless there are additional health concerns. My haematologist tells me we can live into normal old age with these MPN (Myeloproliferative neoplasms) and that they’re unlikely to be our causes of death. Sounds good enough to me!
Thought you may be interested to know that sometimes our spleens can start producing blood cells with these MPN (Myeloproliferative neoplasms), hence why an ultrasound is done to check spleen size. As your platelets aren’t very high I would say try to take this as good news. It’s when our platelets are elevated that we are more at risk of blood clots, which carry on as our main risk. Treatments like that aspirin will help lower clotting risks.
There are many lovely forum members, like dear @Willow, who have years of lived experiences with these dratted MPN (Myeloproliferative neoplasms), and I wish you well too. We’re here for you as you go through testing, but please know you are not alone with that diagnosis. Perhaps you might like to see how other folks living with Essential thrombocythemia (ET) are managing in this lovely supportive thread: ET diagnosis finally sinking in
Thinking of you @alix, do please keep us posted about how you get on.