Hello there @Loz, a great big welcome to the forum to you. I’m really so sorry to read of your diagnosis with Essential thrombocythemia (ET) and that anxiety you’re living with. You’ve come to just the right place to share how it is for you. Like dear @Erica and @Jilly20 say, you’ll find many others here living with Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) like Essential thrombocythemia (ET) and Polycythaemia vera (PV) and hopefully it’ll come to feel less lonely for you with your own experiences.
I was diagnosed with Polycythaemia vera (PV) last year, a closely related Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) to Essential thrombocythemia (ET), and much of what you describe so well is very familiar to me. We’re the same age—were you told you’re a “young” patient too?! Nice to feel youthful again at such a stressful time!
But seriously, I hear the worry in what you’ve shared and wanted to offer a couple of science-based nuggets that my haematologists have shared with me that help decrease my anxiety. Maybe I can offer some tips from my lived experience too? But mostly I just want to reassure you that there can be life after diagnoses like these.
Firstly, although I’m not a doctor, what I’ve been told by my haematologist is that if you’re taking aspirin but no other medicines or treatments then it likely means your doctors don’t think you need a cytoreductive medicine like hydroxyurea. This is a great sign that your blood cells are behaving relatively normally and don’t need reducing. Perhaps you’d like to read the Blood Cancer UK research on Essential thrombocythemia (ET), I think it’s really well written: Essential thrombocythaemia | Blood Cancer UK
Many of us with Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are diagnosed after a clotting event and then need to have blood removed regularly via phlebotomy. If you’re not having phlebotomy and not taking any medicine beyond aspirin then this is as close to active monitoring/watch and wait as we we can get with an Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). This would be my preferred treatment. Try to take this as a great sign that you’re probably not at high risk of clotting events. Maybe check this with your doctors. Mine told me to avoid iron-rich foods and iron in multivitamins too as it can contribute to our bodies overproducing blood cells, which we don’t want.
Something my lovely haematologist told me, which I’ve seen other folks here on the forum mention they’ve been told too, is that we are likely to live long normal lives with these Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and will probably pass away with the Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), rather than from it. Hard as it is to believe now but we can live into normal old age with an Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Try to hold onto this in moments of anxiety—personally it can help me feel a bit less overwhelmed by it all.
Another factoid my haematologist shared is to try not to worry about taking hydroxyurea should you be prescribed it. Understandably, it being a form of chemotherapy seems horrible, and the potential side effects do sound scary, but they need to be listed as with any other medicine. My haematologist pointed out that kids with sickle cell have been taking hydroxyurea as their main medicine for decades and research shows they haven’t developed a greater incidence of other cancers.
I’ve taken hydroxyurea daily since my diagnosis and have to say, despite my anxiety about it, it’s been fine for me. I know others do experience side effects and then that’s when our haematologists will change dosage or prescribe us another one of the cytoreductive medicines instead. There are many folks here who have taken the full gamut of Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) treatments and you’ll find we all get on differently with them and can adapt our dosages accordingly. It’s all very Star Trek to me, taking my Polycythaemia vera (PV) chemo in capsule form every day, but thank goodness for science figuring this out!
Know what you mean about thinking of these Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) as cancers, or even saying that word. I gave mine a silly name initially for when I didn’t want to say the C word and it came to personify it a little, taking the edge off the seriousness of all this. It also meant when talking with others that I wasn’t constantly hearing the C word. Just an idea. I like to swear at mine by name, the little bugger 
As for the symptoms you’re experiencing, always tell your doctor. Something my haematologist told me last time I saw him was that I’d know if a clot was occurring due to intense localised pain, so I hope you’re not grinning and bearing that. Keep notes of symptoms you have and share these with your specialists. They won’t plonk you on chemotherapy willy-nilly, there are processes and protocols for deciding when medicines and other treatments need to start/stop/change.
Thinking of you @Loz at this difficult time. Please remember you’re not alone with this and that you can let it out here and will be understood. Maybe talk to loved ones like trusted friends now, it helped me to tell mine. Let us know how you get on please.
my last phone call last week from my consultant was thrilling for me as he stated perfect result.
) and aspirin is a good assistant in keeping our blood moving - Essential thrombocythemia (ET) blood tends to be sticky (regardless of our counts) and aspirin is given to assist the stickiness (it doesn’t effect the platelet counts) and is a good friend to use soon as diagnosed so it’s good your team have got you on to that. Yes do check with your CNS any time you think of supplements or such like as some do effect how the blood works which isn’t always ideal when you have a Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) - I’ve learnt to always check over the years 
. My medical situation on diagnosis meant I did need treatment straight away so had 13 years on Hydroxy then 5 years on Pegasys interferon injections and recently I am back on Hydroxy - if ever the time comes you are offered treatment (which is only done when needed) do know they are for good purpose and many use them for many decades quite successfully - and can work very positively to help us live life safely - keep us posted how you are doing