"How Do You Manage Sickle Cell So Well?"

Last week I had an experience similar to the one I shared in my post, "Top 1% with Sickle Cell." Wednesday I saw the doctor who prescribes my pain medications. As usual, the student doctor came in first. He sat down and asked me a question, which I didn't quite understand and asked him to rephrase it. Basically, this is what he said:

"I work in the ER. I probably see Sickle Cell patients 2-3 times a week. They come in, in pain; they leave in pain; they are hospitalized because of pain. You are on relatively low amounts of pain medication; you haven't been hospitalized in almost a year; and your health is incredibly stable. How do you manage your illness so well?"

My response was, "I eat healthy; I drink plenty of water; I get the amount of sleep I need. I don't smoke, drink or do recreational drugs or abuse the medications I have. I have an amazingly supportive family. I manage my stress. I know what my limits are, and I live within those limits. I listen to my body. I know what it takes to stay as healthy as possible and out of the hospital, and I do those things."

This doctor was absolutely speechless. He literally sat there at a loss for words. He went on to say, "These patients I see, they are younger than you; in their 20's. Even though you have a more severe form of Sickle Cell, you are in your 40's and far more stable. I can't believe how well you manage your illness."

I couldn't help but be moved by his level of awe. It was quite flattering. I told him about my blog and gave him the web address. We went on to say:

"I am SO GLAD glad to have met you. I now have something to tell my patients; and I can give them your blog."

My purpose in sharing this experience is not to boast, but hopefully inspire. Yes, living with Sickle Cell really stinks. There are a great many things we cannot enjoy without severe consequences. It is easy to feel like we are missing out on life, fun, and enjoyment. But I assure you, there is much life to live, fun to be had, and enjoyment to....enjoy. We simply have to use restraint, know our boundaries, and do what is necessary to stay healthy.

I encourage you to learn from your own experiences. Listen to what your body tells you and take care of it by: eating healthily, getting the amount of rest you need, and drinking plenty of water. Abstain from harmful substances. Manage your stress. Find hobbies and activities that bring you joy. Manage your illness as best as you can. Yes, even when you do all these thing, you are still going to be hospitalized, experience complications and have pain crises. But you can reduce how frequently you experience those things by taking care of your mind and body.

Be at peace my friends. May God be with you.

Life IS Worth Living!

Surviving My Latest Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers

Around the first week of March, yet another foot ulcer broke open. In a previous post I wrote about zinc sulfate and how taking it helped my wounds heal more quickly. When that wound healed, I continued taking zinc sulfate in the hopes that it would prevent new wounds from forming. Sadly, that did not happen. Though this newest wound is not healing near as rapidly my last one did, I am, however, not suffering with as much pain.

When I get a new wound, there is usually a month of sleepless nights because the pain is so bad. Thankfully, I haven't gone through that nightly torture this time. In fact, the pain has been rather minimal. So, while this wound is not healing as quickly as the last one did, the pain has been drastically lower than normal. Is this reduced pain a result of taking the zinc sulfate? I don't know; but it has me wondering.

I know I have a great many posts about my foot/leg ulcers; but there is reason behind my madness. For any readers that may be suffering through the same thing, I like to share what is and isn't working for me. It is my hope that something I write about may benefit someone else and allievate a little suffering. These wounds can be a depressing and painful complication to endure; so any tidbit of info that may help, even in the slightest degree, is a good thing.

As I frequently say: be strong my friends. Find joy where you can. Life is worth living.

Until next time.