Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles
— Mary Shaniqua

When children become adults, they must transition from pediatric to adult healthcare services. Transition programs are particularly important for helping patients with chronic conditions navigate this switch. A good program ensures patients are…

Imagine: You’ve had a long and stressful few months, you’ve accrued some leave at work, and you’ve saved up some money, so you decide to take a holiday. You already have a bucket list…

It had been roughly four weeks since my port-a-cath was inserted, and I was due for my next blood transfusion. However, that transfusion would be different than previous ones — it was…

When living with a condition like sickle cell disease, effective communication between different hospital departments and the patient is imperative — especially when the patient is having a surgery that could result in…

I’ve shared that I’m on a blood transfusion program as part of my sickle cell treatment. There are two key types of blood transfusions: blood exchanges and top-up transfusions, which…

In my previous column, I shared that I’d contracted what I think was food poisoning, which led to dehydration and, subsequently, a sickle cell crisis. In seeking medical attention, I faced several hurdles…

I was recently hospitalized for a sickle cell crisis. You see, I’d planned to go to dinner with a lovely friend whom I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. But that was…

Health-related stigma, as I discussed in my last column, is not the only stigma that afflicts those with sickle cell disease. There’s another stigma attached to it, one more localized, that can…

Living with sickle cell disease means dealing with constant fatigue and painful vaso-occlusive crises. These symptoms can impede on a normal life with wide-reaching implications, such as limiting social or work capabilities.

In a previous column, I gave a brief overview of my family’s experience with sickle cell disease. Both my parents have the sickle cell trait, and of their four children, I’m…

In recent columns, I have written about why knowing your genotype is imperative when planning a family, as well as the steps to take to avoid having children with sickle cell disease.

Living with sickle cell disease is no easy feat. At 32, I still struggle to understand my body and live as freely as I’d like. Because it’s within our power to prevent children…