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It had been roughly four weeks since my port-a-cath was inserted, and I was due for my next blood transfusion. However, that transfusion would be different than previous ones — it was an exchange transfusion, when until that point, I had mostly been receiving only top-up…

Zinc is an essential mineral and a vital component of many proteins in your body, and it plays a crucial role in immunity, vision, taste, smell, skin health, and sexual function. Scientists have known since 1975 that people with sickle cell disease have low zinc levels and often…

My main focus in managing sickle cell disease is preventing vaso-occlusive crises, the symptom I struggle with most. However, due to the seasonal change in weather, fatigue is another common sickle cell symptom that has been difficult for me in recent weeks. On a typical day, I…

Recently, I’ve been trying to recall what the pain from a sickle cell crisis is like. Not remembering must sound a little weird, since a crisis is my most prominent symptom of sickle cell disease. Even on good days, I should have a solid grasp of what…

When living with a condition like sickle cell disease, effective communication between different hospital departments and the patient is imperative — especially when the patient is having a surgery that could result in complications. I recently had a port-a-cath placed so I can receive blood exchange transfusions…

I’ve depended on optimism to protect my sanity, but I’ve always known I needed to be realistic. Sickle cell disease affects people on a spectrum, and pain is always a feature no matter where someone lies on that spectrum. My son, a 2-year-old with sickle cell, and I have…

Now that the summer months have passed, I find that it’s harder to forget that I have sickle cell disease. You may be thinking, “How can she ever forget that she has sickle cell?” Well, I never really forget, but there are times when looking after myself requires less…

The mind is a powerful tool. One phenomenon I’ve become aware of in the last year is speech impairment after a sickle cell crisis. It’s as though the volume of my voice has been turned down and no one can hear me. I’m usually soft-spoken, but during this phenomenon,…

I would love to go on one of the Bali swings I always see on social media and then capture the moment. However, my friend informed me that the reality is that there are long queues and it’s not as good as it looks in photos. The reveal…

I’ve shared that I’m on a blood transfusion program as part of my sickle cell treatment. There are two key types of blood transfusions: blood exchanges and top-up transfusions, which are quicker and delivered through a cannula, usually inserted into the hand. I started undergoing top-up…