Now that the summer months have passed, I find that it’s harder to forget that I have sickle cell disease. You may be thinking, “How can she ever forget that she has sickle cell?” Well, I never really…
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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
“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…
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…
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…
I have been self-isolating since March 19, and already I have been through a series of emotions during this lockdown period. Initially, most of these emotions were negative. A week into my self-isolation, the realization…
As a sickle cell advocate, many people have come to me for advice, especially in this pandemic period. Those with sickle cell want all sorts of advice during the coronavirus outbreak but accurate information is…
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