Columns

“When can I tell my child that they have sickle cell disease?” As a physician living with the condition, this remains one of the most frequent questions I receive from parents and caregivers. Many parents delay that conversation until their children reach their teenage years or older. Some only…

Leg ulcers are one of the most distressing and disabling complications of sickle cell disease (SCD). These open wounds mostly affect patients with sickle cell anemia (HbSS), although people with any type of SCD may experience them. The severity varies widely; some heal in weeks, while others…

One of my most important takeaways from therapy is the idea of building a body of evidence — proof that things can go well, and that my fears don’t always predict my reality. This applies to many areas of my life, but most recently to my relationship with cold weather,…

Pursuing a purposeful life while living with moderate to severe sickle cell disease can be very tough, as it presents a unique set of challenges. When the pain is frequent and the complications are real, it’s easy to lose track of one’s goals. However, I’ve learned that living with purpose…

Being a medical doctor who also lives with sickle cell disease remains one of my greatest achievements. Becoming a physician, despite the odds, was not an easy journey. It demanded resilience, relentlessness, dedication, and hard work. Nearly a decade into my medical career, I’ve realized that being a doctor with…

Note: This column discusses suicidal ideation. Resources for help are listed at the end of the column. Growing up, I was a happy-go-lucky child. I was always in a good mood and rarely cried. I believed depression would never find me until sickle cell disease said, “Hold my beer.” Depression…

I recently had the first-ever MRI scan of my brain, not something I ever expected. Getting an MRI came up during one of my routine sickle cell disease checkups, appointments I usually have every six months. As the doctor reviewed my medical history, she noticed something important. Here…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with hydroxyurea and thoughts about other treatment options. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. I spent the first week of the year recovering from a nasty cold. After two…

In my 39 years with sickle cell disease, pain has been an uninvited and frequent guest and my most prominent symptom. Sickle cell crises are acute episodes of pain caused by the sickling of red blood cells, which impairs blood flow throughout the body. While I’ve had countless painful episodes…

As the new year begins, I’ve been reflecting deeply on all that happened in 2025. Living with sickle cell disease has never been easy, but last year marked a decisive shift for me. For the first time in a long while, I stopped allowing the condition to dictate every…