Columns

Sometimes when we patients talk about the stigmas associated with sickle cell disease, I don’t think people fully grasp what we mean. I’ve written about some of the negative connotations about sickle cell patients expressed by people in the healthcare sector and society in general. An overarching…

Pain and anemia seem to be the loud hallmarks of sickle cell disease. Because many patients and caregivers prioritize addressing the challenges posed by these issues, they tend to overlook infections. But despite their quieter nature, infections pose a grave threat and stand as the leading cause…

There is something that some people do that bothers me when I tell them for the first time that I have sickle cell disease. I’ll introduce sickle cell disease into the conversation, and they’ll respond by telling me that they knew someone who died from the disease. They usually…

During a recent weekend, I was hanging out with my friends and catching up on life. One of my long-term guy friends mentioned he had become a blood donor and had been giving blood for several months. However, he couldn’t donate at his last session because of low…

Living with sickle cell disease presents unique challenges that can impact various aspects of one’s life, including romantic relationships. The experiences of those with sickle cell disease vary greatly, which affects how each of us approaches and maintains our relationships. In over three decades of living with the…

For those who are unfamiliar with my previous columns, I often write about a recurring theme: the importance of preventive action in the management of sickle cell disease. I am a staunch advocate of identifying health risks and doing what I can to prevent them. I take my…

Living with sickle cell disease for nearly 38 years has taken me through various phases: an initial phase of cluelessness about sickle cell complications, a phase marked by fear of those potential complications, and the current phase, in which I’ve managed to conquer that fear. During my childhood…

Last Friday was notable for two reasons: my most recent column was published, and I canceled a planned meeting with two friends at the last minute because of pain. That had me feeling quite deflated and annoyed because I’d made plans I couldn’t realize because of my…

While sickle cell falls under the umbrella of rare disease, it doesn’t feel so rare among my circle of acquaintances. In my community, somebody always knows someone else with sickle cell disease and has a vague understanding of what it is. In the broader community, however, much less is…

I’m extremely passionate about raising awareness of sickle cell disease. That probably comes as no surprise, considering I have the condition and write a patient column focused on precisely that! Still, I like to imagine how greater awareness could improve our patient care and quality of life. It’s…