“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a famous ballad sung by fans of the Liverpool Football Club. As a Manchester United fan, I hate Liverpool, but I love this anthem. Is that allowed? It reminds me that in soccer and life, you can’t do things alone. Yes, there are always…
Sickle Sagas – a Column by Dunstan Nicol-Wilson
Ah, here we go again. I should have known. If I drank more water, if I wore a hat, if I didn’t walk up all those stairs, if I didn’t eat so much, if I didn’t stress, if I didn’t have so much fun, I wouldn’t have had a crisis.
It’s summertime, my favorite season here in the U.K. Summer brings great music, good vibes, and no crises! Sigh, I wish. I love summer weather because one of my main triggers for a sickle cell crisis is the cold. Unfortunately, in the U.K., summer isn’t consistent in terms of…
COVID-19 restrictions are easing here in the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said we must “learn to live with this virus,” and he is lifting laws requiring masks and social distancing. It feels like the first real step toward a life after the unanticipated pandemic, though I can’t help…
With a chronic condition like sickle cell disease, I sometimes find it difficult to look far into the future. What exactly will my future be like? Will there be more hospital trips? More pain? More sadness? Reflecting on my origin story in a previous column prompted me to question…
I am going to take you behind the scenes of how this column, “Sickle Sagas,” came to be. I will show you everything about how I became an incredibly successful sickle cell advocate and storyteller who changed the world for the better. OK, I’m being slightly dramatic. I haven’t…
Columns
Do We Have to Die for Change?
June 19 was both World Sickle Cell Day and Juneteenth! It wasn’t until last year that I learned about Juneteenth — forgive me, I’m a Londoner. Similarly, many of my peers found out about World Sickle Cell Day only after meeting me. Last year, Juneteenth was highlighted to…
Recently I have been engrossed in sagas about the viking king Ragnar Lothbrok as well as his famous sons’ exploits. A saga is a long story often involving herculean challenges. Although my life isn’t as dramatic as ruling over great nations or fighting for crowns, reading these stories has…
Recent Posts
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- Looking back at the 5 worst sickle cell crises of my life
- Fetal hemoglobin protects against sickle cell lung problems: Study
- Reflecting on a year of choosing myself while living with sickle cell disease
- New year, old goals, because repeating health resolutions works for sickle cell
- Researchers compare gene therapies for sickle cell disease in mice
- Emmaus to sell North American rights to sickle cell treatment Endari
- For sickle cell patients, developing self-advocacy skills starts in childhood
- Standard sickle cell treatments slash stroke risk in children: Review
- Is sickle cell disease considered a disability?