Mickey’s MPN Story

Mickey speaks about the importance of discussing symptoms of polycythemia vera (PV) with his Healthcare Professional. He was diagnosed in 2018 with PV, a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Mickey’s journey shows that talking honestly about MPN symptoms can help patients get the care they need.

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(Mickey) …being an old ex‐college football player…you do not admit that you're tired. You don't admit that you've got some issues going on when it comes to your body strength…even your mental strength…

…I may look fine, but I got a whole lot of stuff going on inside me.

(onscreen text) THERE ARE 2 SIDES TO MICKEY’S MYELOPROLIFERATIVE NEOPLASM (MPN) STORY…

(onscreen text) FATIGUED EVERY DAY

I KEPT IT TO MYSELF

NOT EASY TO ADMIT WEAKNESS

EASIER TO DOWNPLAY MY SYMPTOMS

(onscreen text) Mickey Diagnosed with polycythemia vera (PV) in 2018

(Mickey) People know that I have a rare blood cancer called PV. What they don't know is what's going on inside me.

Over…the first year or so…I…had…bleeding gums, extreme fatigue…enlargement of my spleen…… those times of brain fog and not being able to sort some things out…

…I really downplayed the fatigue…

…I’m a high-energy guy

…when someone would ask me how I'm doing, I'm fine…when really I might have wanted to say, if you got 20 minutes…I can tell you that I'm aggravated, I'm angry and that I'm not really feeling all that well…

I had to learn to be able to tell people that…I'm not fine.

(onscreen text) FINE IS NOT ENOUGH

(Mickey) Right from the very beginning…of course I told Nancy about it. She was very, very supportive.

(onscreen text) Nancy Mickey’s wife

(Nancy) …I can see a lot of times how he feels and sometimes he doesn't even have to tell me.

(Mickey) …I don't know where I'd be without her…I'm sure there were days that I was not Mr. Positive…

(Nancy) …He has to work very hard to keep the great attitude that he always has…

(Mickey) …you gotta be mentally tough to tackle this disease.

(onscreen text) SHARING THE IMPACT OF YOUR MPN MAY HELP YOU GET THE SUPPORT YOU NEED

(Mickey) …one of my greatest challenges…I think with anyone who has an MPN… is that we're probably not totally honest in the beginning with ourselves and certainly not with our friends and our loved ones.

(onscreen text) IT’S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO SHARE WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL

(Mickey) … I, really wasn't letting my oncologist know all of my symptoms…

…saying I'm fine is easy to say, it's harder to say, I'm not doing so good…

(onscreen text) ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION ACROSS YOUR HEALTHCARE TEAM

(Mickey) …Being honest with…my oncologist and my healthcare team has made my life better…

…my oncologist copies my internist on every visit. So if you want the full effect of your entire medical team, the best way to do that is again, communicate, communicate, communicate.

(onscreen text) SPEAK UP—AND SPELL OUT-- HOW YOUR MPN AFFECTS YOU

(Mickey) …if you don't say it, they will not know it… and you have to make sure that…they understand what you mean.

This disease…has its downfalls, but the downfalls are not going to defeat me. They're not going to define me.

(onscreen text) FINE IS NOT ENOUGH

(onscreen text) UNDERSTAND WHY FINE IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOUR MPN JOURNEY.

(onscreen text) Learn more at FineIsNotEnough.com

(onscreen text) This video is sponsored by Incyte Corporation.