Sickle Sagas – a Column by Dunstan Nicol-Wilson

I recently began training to become a mentor to children with sickle cell disease. As part of the preparation, I’ve reflected on my teenage experiences with sickle cell. What was my mindset during that period? I was fearless and ignorant of my limitations. I thought I was invincible.

Winter has arrived here in the U.K., and the end of the year is fast approaching. During this period, it becomes difficult to avoid things that can trigger a sickle cell pain crisis, including cold weather, stress, exhaustion, and an unbalanced diet. While some things are in my…

In my quest to better manage sickle cell disease, I’ve been thinking recently about the concept of delayed gratification. This involves resisting the impulse to accept an immediate reward in the hope of obtaining something more valuable in the future. I’ve heard this term mentioned a lot in reference…

I can be a slow walker, which is controversial for someone who grew up in the city. The hustle and bustle of city life dictates that somebody, somewhere, is in a rush to get to where they need to be. It’s not that I’m incapable of walking faster, although sometimes…

My ultimate goal as a sickle cell advocate is for advocacy to no longer be necessary. I’m a private and introverted person and usually prefer to keep to myself. However, as an advocate, I must put myself out there and leave my comfort zone to share my journey with…

I’ve recently been asked a couple of times to share something random I’d like to do. I’ve responded that I want to play volleyball. I played the sport a few times in school and loved it, but never pursued it. Last year, I watched an anime show called “…

My main focus in managing sickle cell disease is preventing vaso-occlusive crises, the symptom I struggle with most. However, due to the seasonal change in weather, fatigue is another common sickle cell symptom that has been difficult for me in recent weeks. On a typical day, I…

Recently, I’ve been trying to recall what the pain from a sickle cell crisis is like. Not remembering must sound a little weird, since a crisis is my most prominent symptom of sickle cell disease. Even on good days, I should have a solid grasp of what…

The mind is a powerful tool. One phenomenon I’ve become aware of in the last year is speech impairment after a sickle cell crisis. It’s as though the volume of my voice has been turned down and no one can hear me. I’m usually soft-spoken, but during this phenomenon,…

I would love to go on one of the Bali swings I always see on social media and then capture the moment. However, my friend informed me that the reality is that there are long queues and it’s not as good as it looks in photos. The reveal…