Why It’s Important to Learn Your Genotype
If you haven’t already, I would recommend you get your genotype tested. Sickle cell is an inherited disease. This means if both parents carry a sickle gene, there is a chance the baby…
Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles
— Mary Shaniqua
Mary Shaniqua is a sickle cell patient (HbSS) living in the United Kingdom. She was diagnosed with sickle cell at 18 months old and uses “Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles” to narrate her experiences, to educate healthcare professionals, as well as empower and embolden other sickle cell patients. Mary Shaniqua is committed to raising awareness of sickle cell and its impact, with an aim to educate non-haematological specialist healthcare workers and the general public more widely on the life of a sickle cell patient.
Featured Post
What to consider before making a change to your treatment regimen
One of the more annoying parts of sickle cell disease is its unpredictable nature. One day, you think you understand the illness and how it affects your body. The next, sickle cell demonstrates…
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When a Crisis Occurs, I Must Be Honest About the Pain
Last weekend, I had plans to go to brunch with a group of friends I hadn’t seen in a while. We planned it quite a few weeks in advance, and I was really looking…
Returning to Work After a Prolonged Medical Absence
In my last column, I wrote about finally being discharged after a lengthy hospitalization. Once I got home, I rested for about a week and then decided to return to work. Maintaining…
I’m Finally Home After an Extended Hospitalization
In my last column, I shared that I was in the hospital due to a sickle cell crisis. I have finally been discharged, thank God. I contracted an infection at the beginning…
A Frightening Illness Has Resulted in a Lengthy Hospitalization
It’s been several weeks since my last column, because I was unfortunately hospitalized at the beginning of February. I was hoping to have been discharged by now, but sadly I’m still here. Last month,…
The Importance of Accepting Help When My Needs Change
I spent much of the fall of 2019 in the hospital due to a sickle cell crisis. It became so severe that it affected my organ function and triggered a severe case…
How I’m Prioritizing My Health in the New Year
Happy New Year! It’s 2022, and my New Year’s resolution is the same as always: to experience and maintain good health. I’m not completely naive. I’m acutely aware of how sickle cell disease works,…
The Challenges of Using Opioids to Manage Crisis Pain
I have been experiencing a lot of pain lately due to sickle cell crises. I previously wrote that my crises have started to correlate with my menstrual cycle, but I’m now experiencing…
How I Try to Avoid a Cold Weather Pain Crisis
Winter has finally arrived here in the U.K. I really dislike the winter, in case you didn’t know. One of my biggest sickle cell disease crisis triggers is cold weather. Although sickle…
Will Sickle Cell Inquiry in UK Improve Patient Care?
Last Monday, I awoke to a flurry of comments about the results of a landmark sickle cell inquiry here in the U.K. that uncovered evidence of racism in sickle cell patient care in…
The Relationship Between My Menstrual Cycle and Sickle Cell Disease
I wrote about feeling unwell without any apparent cause in September, and then again last month. So, guess what? I was recently sick again. But in my quest for silver linings, I…
Sick, and Sick of Keeping Notes About Being Sick
I was unwell for a week in August. It began with deep lethargy. After about two days of that, the vomiting started. Everything made me vomit: brushing my teeth, drinking water, nibbling food.
