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For most of my life, I hid the fact that I have sickle cell disease. People only knew about my health if they needed to know. In other words, the only ones I could talk to about it were my immediate family members and doctors. This was not ideal growing…

We were nearing the end of a biology lesson. In an attempt to excite the class for the next lesson, my teacher put up a slide that read, “Why people with sickle cell die young.” I froze. I knew that the topic would come up eventually, but I did not…

Sickle cell disease is a condition that mostly affects people from an African or African-Caribbean origin. Nevertheless, the majority of those who have treated me for this condition have been healthcare professionals of other races. I don’t think they would have typically interacted with sickle cell patients prior to…

I previously shared some tips for managing sickle cell. If you found those useful, I have a few more suggestions that also may help. Deep Heat I find that when I am in pain, balms such as Mentholatum Deep Heat help. Balms that contain ingredients such as menthol…

Whenever I feel ill, I exhaust my options. To make my sickle cell pain go away, I drink hot water, take painkillers, fill my hot water bottle, find a distraction, or sleep. Most of the time it works, but sometimes the pain is so bad that I call 999…

The manner in which technological advances have changed the way we live is nothing short of amazing. So many free applications exist to help us with every aspect of life, from shopping to studying, and from cooking to entertainment. If we can use apps for all of this and…

Living with sickle cell disease presents many challenges. Whether I’m at home or traveling, I need to make adjustments to ensure that I’m prepared if a vaso-occlusive crisis should strike. Here are some things that help me manage my life with sickle cell disease: Hot-water bottle: This everyday…

When we have a crisis or another sickle cell-related complication, we often require urgent medical attention and hospital admission. So we make our way to our local hospital’s accident and emergency department or emergency room. The ER is known for the long wait to be seen by a medical…

For someone who stresses the importance of health, my diet is poor. Thankfully, I have friends who have noticed the harsh reality of my eating habits and haven’t shied away from informing me. It’s safe to say I have seen the error of my ways. I hate vegetables, but that’s…

It is incredibly important for those of us with sickle cell to stay hydrated. Drinking water promotes healthy blood flow and reduces the chance of our red blood cells sickling and sticking together. It keeps our blood cells supple so they can move more freely within our blood vessels. If…