Planning to move to UK

[Liene]

Hello!

I live in Latvia (one of the Baltic States).

I have ET.

I'm planning to move to UK, Manchester and would like to know what do I have to do to get medical care.

[Mazcd Partner MPNVoice]

Hello Liene, you will need to register with a General Practitioner (doctor), in a surgery near to where you are planning to live in Manchester, you will be able to find details of local surgeries from the Citizen's Advice Bureau or a local library. Once you have registered with a doctor you will then need to advise them that you have ET and will need a referral to a haematologist. I hope the move goes ok for you, let us know if we can be of any help. Kind regards, Maz.

[Swede]

Hello, as I am living in the Manchester area you may feel free to contact me if you need any help further down the line.

MLA

[Liene]

Thank you all for the information.

ET probably is the only thing that makes me hesitate about moving...

[hackett]

Leine, I hope you do not mind me asking this question. What sort of treatment is available in Latvia for ET? Or how is your ET being treated? Here in Australia something like HU and aspirin would be considered to primary treatment drugs. I have family in Estonia and have sometimes wondered had I been living there what my treatment options would be. I have asked my family members in Estonia this question, but they have no answer as they know of no one else with ET.Given that Estonia and Latvia are neighbours one would imagine that treatment options would be very similar. Thank you.and Sveiks! Hackett

[Liene in reply to hackett]

Thank you for the question! I was diagnosed in 2009 and my hem wanted to start the treatment with HU but I had serious side effects. Then I started Roferon injections 3 times a week. It wasn't easy because of side effects. After six month of Roferon my hem switched Roferon to Anagrelid and I had it for almost two years. There were almost zero side effects, but I started to notice that I becoming a bit depressed. After discussions with my hem I tryed HU and I'm on HU for six month now. I feel more or less ok.

All the medicine is for free here in Latvia. I can't complain. Doctors are following latest research about ET. I think it is the same everywhere that patients sometimes know more about disease because they have to deal with it every minute in different situation. My hem is always asking me to tell very detailed about my feelings and happy to help me to deal with it.

So, I think the treatment of ET here in Latvia is the same as everywhere.

One more thing, I don't know how it is in Australia or Estonia, but here in Latvia patients with ET can get status of disabled person and can get disablement pension.

I hope I answered your question, but if you have any other questions, please, feel free to ask.

Sveiks!