Her Sickled Journey — Tito Oye

When we have a crisis or another sickle cell-related complication, we often require urgent medical attention and hospital admission. So we make our way to our local hospital’s accident and emergency department or emergency room. The ER is…

For someone who stresses the importance of health, my diet is poor. Thankfully, I have friends who have noticed the harsh reality of my eating habits and haven’t shied away from informing me. It’s safe to say I have…

It is incredibly important for those of us with sickle cell to stay hydrated. Drinking water promotes healthy blood flow and reduces the chance of our red blood cells sickling and sticking together. It keeps our blood cells supple…

I previously shared my suggestions for someone with sickle cell to prepare for a trip and travel by airplane. In this column, I want to tell you about some of the actions I take to ensure optimal…

In my previous column, I shared my suggestions on the preparations you should consider before taking a trip with sickle cell. The environment inside an airplane is not ideal for our bodies. On a flight, we are subjected…

The love I have for traveling is like no other. I love immersing myself in different cultures and experiencing different ways of living. However, as someone with sickle cell, traveling can be a completely different experience. For…

In the past, when I felt a vaso-occlusive crisis coming on, my plan was to wait it out. However, I quickly realized that not trying to improve my situation could potentially damage my health. I decided to remedy…

Clean freak, germaphobe, OCD, finicky — these are some of the terms that people have used to describe me from a very young age. I can see why, and I think that anyone who spent a significant part…

One of the best feelings in the world is cutting a hospital bracelet. Cutting a hospital bracelet can symbolize a fresh start. You’ve been discharged from the hospital. You are feeling like the best version of yourself — happy,…

Sometimes I wish sickle cell anemia was visible. I wish people had X-ray vision and could see how my cells struggle to course through my veins. If people could see the damage that sickle cell anemia causes, I’m…

Ed. note: Welcome to the new column, “Her Sickled Journey,” by Tito Oye.  Living with sickle cell anemia means that you have unknowingly agreed to a lifelong role of teaching. Many others are unaware of the challenges faced by…