“When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” ~Audre Lorde

As my 41st birthday approaches, I am reflecting on my life since September 22nd of last year. I am amazed and even a little proud of how much I've grown and learned about myself...and about sickle cell.…

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It deeply saddens me that there are so many of us who still suffer in silence. I know what its like to feel like you are all alone in the struggle to be well, maintain, manage and cope with having SC. I understand the constant battle to live a 'normal', productive and uninterrupted life.

Likewise, I also know that it can be difficult to keep a positive attitude. To focus on what is good and right in your life instead of the pain and what you…

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This is Worth Sharing. Take What You will From It...

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE

1. Accept Your Disease. Don't ignore it. Respect it, don't fear it. Learn how to master it and not let it master you.…

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Perhaps the most important thing we can undertake toward the reduction of fear is to make it easier for people to accept themselves, to like themselves.

~Bonaro Overstreet

FEAR

Like my favorite fragrance, I have wear it around my neck.

Its heavy.

It…

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I am wondering if anyone on this forumn has done or heard of research on the medicinal value of smoking marijuana? I have always smoked marijuana - long before I knew what the world medicinal meant - but it was mainly because I wanted to. I enjoyed it.



Now, I honestly believe that my smoking marijuana aids me in managing SC in many ways. Not only does it serve as a buffer to stress, it also helps me sleep and makes it more bearable to endure the constant, everyday pain in…

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Unlike most, I never make resolutions. That's because, in part, I know me well enough to know that I won't keep them, but also because I really do try each and evry day to be better than I was was the day before. I spend a lot of time thinking...reflecting...looking for the lessons that I may have missed. Always trying to be honest about who I am and how I feel. I think a lot about the why behind the why I am the way that I… Continue

I am trying really hard to do as the Good Book says, Be joyful in hope…faithful in prayer, but what I really feel right now is OVERWHELMED! I have been getting my hands dirty...so to speak...trying to make a difference in our community. This past weekend I had my very first board meeting with FACE Foundation Inc. and all I can say is WoW!!



There is so much that needs to be done that I find myself wondering if I can really make a difference. There… Continue

Since this is the perfect place to share information and more importantly, in effort to support one of our own, I invite you to check out Dominique Friend.



Dominique is an activist and advocate who is doing her part to raise awareness and funding to support improved treatment for those living with Sickle Cell. She has authored a book that has captured the essence of the daily struggles and unpredictability of SC. The book is titled SICKLE, A Story of… Continue

For years I have struggled to understand who I am. I can't say how many times I have wondered what my life would've been like had I not had SC. Would I have had children? Would I have earned a college degree? Would I still suffer from depression? There's an enormous host of 'what ifs' that have run across my mind, but I always come back to the truth. My reality.



The truth is that I do have Sickle Cell Anemia. The truth is that I didn't go to college because I was too lazy to… Continue

Many times...more than not...I have wished pain on others. WAIT...its not as bad as it sounds...let me explain.



My sister endured a recent hospitalization and it was one of those doozies where when they ask where you're hurting you can only mumble "everywhere". I took her to the closest hospital, which is under five minutes away. She was in immense pain and hurting so bad I could feel it. Unfortunately my sister knows this particular hospital's practices pretty well and… Continue

Lately I've been talking about SC a lot. More than I ever have in my entire life. It is the one thing that I have always avoided and hated talking about.



Back in September I celebrated my 40th birthday. Words alone can't adequately express just how THANKFUL I am to have made it to the BIG 4-0!



According to my doctors, I have long out-lived my life expectancy; however, the Father said otherwise. I’m still here. Turning 40 had a major impact on me in several ways. First, it… Continue

So grateful I am to have found this community of SC bloggers. It is impressive to see the number of members here sharing themselves with one another.



The following post is something that I journaled about earlier this month. I feel compelled to share it here on this forum with all of you. Be encouraged!



~NO MATTER HOW HARD IT GETS, FIND A WAY TO FIND SOMETHING TO BE GRATEFUL ABOUT



For some reason I thought that the very next time I'd have to be admitted into the… Continue