Her Sickled Journey – a Column by Tito Oye

We celebrated World Blood Donor Day on June 14. It reminded me that blood donors are a heavily relied upon and greatly anonymous source of support all over the world. If blood donations did not exist, medicine as we know it would be so different; the whole system would…

June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day, and I have been reflecting a lot on my life with sickle cell. From a young age, I was always encouraged to keep my diagnosis hush-hush. People would only know I had sickle cell if they needed to know.

Small veins and sickle cell are never a good mix. As luck would have it, I have both! From an early age, I associated my health with injections. I would beg not to be taken to the hospital to treat a crisis, as I knew I would be treated…

Dealing with sickle cell disease is a constant battle. In every moment, I either am fighting my way out of a painful crisis or fighting to stay out of a crisis. There is no rest. I can’t take my foot off the gas. I can’t decide one…

My parents knew they were carriers of the sickle cell trait before I was born, so they made an effort to find out if I had the disease during the prenatal stages of my mother’s pregnancy. Once they found out I had it, plans and preparations were made to…

One of the most widely discussed symptoms of sickle cell anemia is a sickle cell crisis. This is an episode of pain caused when sickle-shaped red blood cells block the body’s blood vessels and prevent oxygen from flowing. One can read the biological explanations of such a crisis, but…

My activity levels have steeply dipped because I’ve been restricted to my house. I’m unable to go on my normal walks or to the gym, and many friends are in a similar position thanks to the pandemic. To combat inactivity, my friend proposed an exercise challenge: “The 1,000 Reps Challenge.”…

“What’s wrong with you now?” I am all too familiar with that phrase. From a young age, I have often felt like I’ve had to prove myself in regards to my health. As if this disability isn’t enough, I’ve also had to deal with others’ opinions. Sickle cell can be…

In the early days of this outbreak, only a couple of media outlets nonchalantly reported the events surrounding COVID-19. Back then, we had no idea how serious this virus was. The word coronavirus wasn’t even an active part of my vocabulary. Fast-forward a few months later and it…

The intentional practice of gratitude is an essential life skill that’s helped me endure the toughest situations. A couple of years ago, my health went through a really tough period. I thought I knew everything about managing sickle cell but everything…