Glad this is working for you. It is helpful to hear the positive experiences with HU as it makes it slightly less scary.

I have PV. I take baby aspirin, never had blood removed, yet. I had some swelling in my leg, so my hemotologist ordered an MRI. It came back saying my spleen was hyper enlarged. I was dosed with one 500mg capsule of hydroxyurea, but then the swelling got worse, I ended up being in the hospital, getting two doses a day. I also got red cell transfusions. The blood counts got better, and I was released from hospital. Back to once a day hydroxyurea. I have an upcoming appt with the hematologist. At my last visit, she checked me over for side effects, said I was doing OK. I take other, scarier drugs for my kidney transplant, that leads to SCC and sutures on my head.

I, too, have ET with JAK2 mutation. My situation is similar, although I had a prior heart attack caused by a blood clot. I am 84 years old and have been on Hydrea for 4 months with only fatigue as a side effect. They did do a bone marrow biopsy prior to prescribing Hydrea. From everything shared by my doctor and from my research, this seems to be the right treatment.

Thank you. It's good to hear about other's experiences.

Hi Vicki5,
After my platelet count reached 1127, my doctor prescribed Hydroxyurea (HU). Honestly, I felt sad and spent an entire week contemplating the decision. Now, I’ve been on it for three weeks.
I think everything will be fine. Good luck!