Regardless of preliminary dismissal of her issues, a affected person’s persistent advocacy for her personal well being led to a analysis of important thrombocythemia in her 30s.
Important thrombocythemia is a kind of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) throughout which there’s an overproduction of platelets.
Pleasure Ann Anderson, a affected person with important thrombocythemia for the previous 24 years, was one of many seven MPN Heroes honored at an in-person occasion in December 2024. Anderson was nominated by somebody who noticed how a lot she places in direction of supporting different sufferers with MPNs. She has offered one-on-one help over the past three years as an Imerman Angel and serves as a liaison for the MPN Analysis Basis.
CURE spoke with Anderson earlier than the occasion to speak about her preliminary analysis of important thrombocythemia and the signs she skilled.
Transcript:
Sure, I had signs. I had extreme complications, and I used to be tremendous fatigued. And I used to be solely in my 30s, and I used to be, you recognize, attempting to work full time and help my household. And I had children, and it was actually laborious.
My PCP [primary care physician] stated, “There isn’t any manner that you’ve this.” I used to be in nursing college, and I stated, “I feel I’ve important thrombocythemia. My platelets have been tremendous excessive. This is my lab work.” And my PCP simply actually — I actually had the push to see a hematologist oncologist.
So I lastly acquired the order to see a hematologist oncologist, and he did a bone marrow biopsy proper then and there, proper within the workplace. And he stated, “OK, we’ll see, you recognize, if that is true.”
And 6 weeks later, I got here again, and he stated, “You have been proper. You’ve got important thrombocythemia. It’s totally uncommon on your age, however it, you recognize — you possibly can simply take a child chemo tablet, hydroxyurea, and are available see me each six months, and, you recognize, regular … bloodwork and you will be superb.”
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