Trials and Blessings of Sickle Cell

I have to admit I was pretty depressed when I wrote the post “Not Cleared for Surgery." Nearly two weeks have passed since then and the black fog of depression has lifted; though there still is some haze.

Previously I have written how important it is to remember that “Somebody Has it Worse Than You.” No matter how bad things are, this is always true. And I have to admit, it’s a concept that I have not applied as I should have over the past few weeks.

On the news for the past week or two there has been a story about a ten year old girl who needed a new set of lungs. Unless she received those lungs within ten days, she was going to die. This poor girl was stuck in a hospital for, I don't know how long, relying upon a machine to help her breathe. Thankfully, with only a few days left to live, she finally received those lungs and went into surgery on Wednesday. Listening to her story on Wednesday really hit me on at the core.

I’ve been so depressed over the idea of spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair. My thought was, “I’m thirty-nine years old for crying out loud!” But I finally woke up and realized: my mind and intellect are in tact; I can read; I can write; I can draw; I can drive; and I can still do many things. I’m not stuck in a hospital bed; I don’t have to have a machine help me breathe; I’m not a child fighting for my life praying that somebody dies so I can have their lungs, and most likely feeling bad about that; there are many, many, many things that I’m not battling with. What right do I have feeling sorry for myself? Somebody, many-bodies, have it far worse than I do.

My objective here is to help readers of this post remember what I finally did, that things could be worse. Though the trials we are facing today seem, and in truth are emotionally taxing and a trial of faith, there is still much to be thankful for. Rather than thinking on all the things you or I cannot do, embrace those things you and I still CAN do; and there are many.

There is a facebook page entitled Sickle Cell Warrior, As survivors of Sickle Cell Anemia, there is much we battle in life, thus making us warriors in our own right. My brothers and sisters, as warriors we must always keep the shield of faith close to our hearts. I pray each of you find the courage and strength to always count your blessings, trust in God, and endure your trials well.