Columns

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…

I have not felt well recently. I have been struggling with a lot of pain from sickle cell crises. In normal circumstances, I think I would have gone to the hospital at least once in the past two weeks, based on the amount of pain I have been in.

It’s easier said than done. Everyone always says that health should be a person’s No. 1 priority, but it’s not until push comes to shove that we understand the truth of this. I recently realized that my health was not as much of a priority as I was…

In my last column, I shared tips about dating with sickle cell disease. Continuing in the spirit of the Valentine’s Day season, I wanted to discuss in this column tips for those of you who wish to date someone with sickle cell. I have found that this topic isn’t…

Self-love is so important. I read somewhere that we teach others how to love us through the way we love and treat ourselves.  So, I want to ask you: Do you treat yourself with the love you deserve? Do you expect to be shown love from others? Do…

I am passionate about raising sickle cell disease awareness. Increased awareness leads to a better understanding of the condition, which leads to more conversations about it. I believe that this will lead to conversations among people in positions of power, who can then take action to improve our lives.

One thing people always ask me is how I navigate dating as a sickle cell patient. Since we’ve now entered the month of love, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, what better time for me to write about dating while chronically ill? From the start, I am very open…

This week has been challenging for me. A brutal combination of cold weather and stress has left me facing back-to-back sickle cell crises, and there’s no telling when it might end. In the past, I had been known to be quite stubborn about going to the hospital…

In a previous column, I mentioned some of the good things that happened to me last year. This included a decrease in my iron levels and my subsequent switch from Desferal (deferoxamine mesylate) subcutaneous infusion pumps to Exjade (deferasirox) tablets. This was one of my greatest highlights of…

I’m writing this column during a sickle cell disease crisis. I have not had one this bad in a while, so I’ve been feeling pretty low. I recently explained to a friend that I hate feeling like I am helpless and wasting time whenever I have a crisis.