What has been your experience with sickle cell anemia?

I am a 32-year old African American female with sickle cell (SS). My experience has been generally good. I suffered with crises mostly in my teens and early 20's. I find that 'triggers' (cold, wet, stress, infection) vary for each sickler and it is best to know your own triggers to help in pain avoidance or management. read more

My son was born with sickle cell type SS and he suffered multiple crisis at the age of 1yrs old, he was hospitalized every 2 months with splenic sequestration crisis and my entire world was turned upside down.. read more

My experience with sickle cell anemia became easier with the more knowledge I have had over the years. My toughest years were my 20s, when I found myself going to the hospital with great frequency because of a series of crises. read more

Your doctor may want to test you for sickle cell anemia if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above. Blood tests. Several blood tests can be used to look for SCD: Blood counts can reveal an abnormal Hb level in the range of 6 to 8 grams per deciliter. Blood films may show RBCs that appear as irregularly contracted cells. read more

Well, I am 31 years old, married with a child and expecting another. I have a Master's degree, teaching at local University (Makerere University) and hoping to do my PhD in Financial economics in the near future. read more

We have recently buried my father, a sickle cell anemia sufferer for many years. He passed away on Jan. 8, 2010, at the age of 67. He lived a long and productive life, despite the many hospital visits. read more

If one parent has sickle cell anaemia and the other has sickle cell trait, then the child has a 50% chance of having sickle cell disease and a 50% chance of having sickle cell trait. When both parents have sickle cell trait, a child has a 25% chance of sickle cell disease, 25% do not carry any sickle cell alleles, and 50% have the heterozygous condition. read more