Columns

Recently, a fellow sickle cell warrior messaged me on Instagram to ask if I thought they should document their health journey by starting a blog. This is something I will never discourage. I started publicly sharing my health journey with a blog,…

I have a lot of pride when it comes to my general knowledge. I think I am a great person to have on your team when playing board games like Articulate and other general quizzes. You can trust me, I’m not being biased in the slightest. As a kid,…

When I go to my doctors with a problem, I’m never under the impression that it’s something permanent. Rather, I’m usually optimistic that they will offer a solution.  Recently, I have been experiencing pain in my lower back and knees. After a few X-rays and MRI scans,…

For the first time in my life, I played a game of football, or soccer as it’s called in the U.S., with my friends. Was it tiring? Absolutely! Was it fun? Extremely, and I would certainly do it again.  I’ve watched my fair share of football…

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 and how sickle cell disease has shaped my outlook on it. Having a successful career is a goal that…

Last Wednesday, I received my second and final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Because I have sickle cell disease, I was among the first groups of people contacted to receive the vaccine due to my high risk of negative outcomes from the novel coronavirus. I…

Sickle cell disease and exercise were antonyms for me growing up. I was raised with the view that they do not go hand in hand. My parents saw how vigorous activity adversely affected my health, so they discouraged it. From primary school to secondary school, I would hand…

I started to shelter at home due to the pandemic in mid-March 2020, and I’m still doing so a year later. I never thought I would be in this position. At the beginning of the nationwide lockdown here in the U.K., most people didn’t know what to…

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 written about my treatment and medication regimen. In that column, I explained that I underwent exchange blood transfusions…

While sickle cell disease is considered a rare disease, and is recognized each year at the end of February during Rare Disease Day, I personally don’t think of it that way. The reason is because it affects millions of people in one way or another. I believe that…