Posts by: Mary Shaniqua

Mary Shaniqua

Mary is a 30-year-old London-based sickle cell patient using her experiences to build up others and raise awareness of what it’s like to live with a rare disease.

April 9, 2021April 7, 2021

How to Cultivate a Successful Career While Living With Sickle Cell Disease

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

I want to start by stressing that I do not believe a booming career is the only parameter of success. I have previously written about what success means to me ... Read more

March 19, 2021March 17, 2021

What a Top-up Blood Transfusion Looks Like for Me

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

I am scheduled to have a blood transfusion today. So, I want to take this opportunity to explain how I prepare and what this means for me. I have previously ... Read more

March 5, 2021March 4, 2021

It’s Difficult to Manage Sickle Cell Pain at Home During a Pandemic

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

I have not felt well recently. I have been struggling with a lot of pain from sickle cell crises. In normal circumstances, I think I would have gone to the ... Read more

February 19, 2021February 17, 2021

Here’s How You Can Be a Better Partner for a Sickle Cell Patient

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

In my last column, I shared tips about dating with sickle cell disease. Continuing in the spirit of the Valentine’s Day season, I wanted to discuss in this column tips ... Read more

February 5, 2021February 3, 2021

Here’s What I’ve Learned About Dating With Sickle Cell Disease

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

One thing people always ask me is how I navigate dating as a sickle cell patient. Since we’ve now entered the month of love, with Valentine’s Day right around the ... Read more

January 22, 2021January 20, 2021

Sickle Cell May Knock Me Down, but I Will Stand Back Up

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

In a previous column, I mentioned some of the good things that happened to me last year. This included a decrease in my iron levels and my subsequent switch from ... Read more

January 8, 2021January 5, 2021

2020 Was Challenging, but I’m Grateful for My Progress

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

Just like that, 2020 is over. What a year! I do not think 2020 turned out as expected or planned for anybody at all. When the year started, I had ... Read more

December 18, 2020December 16, 2020

Tips for Staying Healthy This Holiday Season

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

Here’s a little fun fact about me: Christmas is my second favorite time of year after August, which I like because it’s one of the hottest months here in the ... Read more

November 20, 2020November 18, 2020

Switching Treatments Helped to Reduce My Iron Overload

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

Iron overload is a side effect that some sickle cell patients suffer from as a result of blood transfusion programs being used as long-term treatment plans. Back in September, I ... Read more

November 6, 2020November 4, 2020

What Does It Mean to Be Successful?

Columns, Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

Recently, I was playing a question-and-answer game with my partner, and one question that came up was, “What message would you like to tell your younger self?” My answer essentially ... Read more