I Sickle Well - a Column by Somi Igbene

I can barely watch five minutes of television before an advertisement for a new vegan food pops up. They’re even more frequent on social media, as every other photo I see seems to be sponsored content for mock meats, protein powders, or a vegan version of a dairy product. Don’t…

It’s one thing to deal with the emotional and psychological trauma that comes with a chronic illness diagnosis, and it’s another thing entirely to navigate the treatment, or more specifically, the management plan that comes with it. I know medical doctors mean the best, or at least I want to…

The trouble with sickle cell disease is that it’s challenging to determine which end of the severity spectrum a person might fall on. A person with sickle cell might do everything correctly — drink water, keep warm, take their medication, get enough rest — and still have severe crises. On…

Would I be a good mother to him? Would he have a good quality of life? How would I know if he is in pain, and would I be able to soothe him? And most importantly, would he hate me for bringing him into the world? These were just a…