On the Saturday of the week he arrived he started aching. His back it was, after administering routine pain killers he went upstairs to try and sleep. An hour had gone by then I received a call from my mum telling me to please come and take him to the hospital this was past 11pm. I rushed up as fast as I could and carried him to the car then drove to the hospital on getting there I realised I forgot his shoe as I was in a major haste so I had to carry him all through (not like he could walk due to the pain), after about an hour at the clinic we went back home. I got him on his bed then left for my room praying I don’t get my own share of episode after the last one I had a month and half ago.

I tried to sleep but got woken up by the intense pain at my waist line this was around 3am. Great!! Of all times. Telling myself I have been through this a lot of times ama definitely ride the pain till morning with the available pain killers. After using the meds i cried and twisted and turned, played music, even tried watching Naruto animation anything to get my mind off the pain and endure, this went on till 6am then thankfully I fell asleep waking up by 9am only to come out and ask after my mum and was told she took my kid bro to the hospital and he had been admitted. What do i do now? I thought. My cousins don’t know bout me being a warrior, they kept on asking what was wrong? I had to send them to wake up my warrior sis who was meant to be at the hospital prepping for her second hip replacement surgery but was around due to the operation being postponed till next Friday.

She then hailed a keke (rickshaw) and we rode that to the clinic. On arrival I was poked and poked by doctors to get a vein for the iv line needed to pass fluids but kept failing as usual as all my veins were fast asleep (lol) and tiny. After the high doses of narcotic drugs injected in me I could still barely sleep. About 2hrs & half still twisting and turning with the pain persistent. Mum stuck with my lil bro, dad old, retired and weak, sis with her leg issue and clueless cousins. I thought to myself I have to get out outta here. Thankfully the pains stopped, after observation I was discharged on Tuesday luckily so was my lil bro (we got off easy this time i thought).

Wednesday came laying on my bed watching naruto as usual on a lowkey my 24yr-old sis who I initiated into watching and loving naruto came to meet me and to also send a few episodes to her phone to keep her entertained and inspired as she was going on admission at the hospital in preparation for the surgery scheduled on Friday. Later that day my stomach started hurting bad. Great!! Am not out of the woods yet now it’s my stomach ulcer which I hadn’t had any since coming back from school for my internship. The high doses of pain meds triggered it. My God it hurts bad!

NB: Don’t forget that the damage caused by my cells has been happening since we were babies. So.. when we have an additional illness (Diabetes, Cancer, lupus, Parkinson, Ulcers etc) it’s is gonna be attacking an already damaged body. So it’s not the same.

Back to the pain I quickly drove down to the hospital where I was given meds to reduce the acidity in the stomach and pain meds (which caused this) as my ulcer also comes with an excruciating spine pain and was sent home if only that stopped it. Knowing i’ll be given more pain meds at the hospital I decided to try and stay home and endure the pain.

Hardly slept then came Thursday same shit (scuz mi cussing) was reluctant but went back to the doctors place. I have no idea the new meds that was prescribed as i was in agony but the syringe was massively huge I mean this must be the biggest syringe I have seen. Oh well.. if it is gonna make me hurt no more carry on I told the nurse and it was administered and was sent home again. Night fall crept in, again twisting and turning, listening to music watching the motivational naruto just to get my mind off the pain and try and sleep. After throwing up the lil food I could consume and the meds a couple of times I slept for about 4hrs.

Woke up Friday morning pain gone, Woo-hoo!! It must be a Friday miracle or was it the thought that i had to be there for my sis who is having her surgery whatever it was boy was I thankful. Before stepping out to meet my sis, had one of those massive injections with the humongous syringe, gladly took it this time and zoomed off to the hospital. On getting there being the clown that I am I tried my possible best to lighten up the ward we were all in till she was prepped for the theatre and I left to go run some other errands and attended the Friday congregational prayers and headed straight back to the hospital. It was around 3pm waited and a few hours later the surgeon came out saying there was a lil complication which is so anatomical even for me having a lil knowledge of anatomy to understand and so the procedure has to be redone in two weeks time.

Now am back home no physical pain but my emotional pain for my sis in terrible pain as she won’t be able to stand for 2 weeks as the old implant had already been removed. So yeah!! This is just one week into a Sickle cell family. Now can you try and fathom what we go through? Would you be able to handle this burden emotionally, physically, and not forgetting the monetary burden? Don’t think so. So please and please lets break the circle…. know your genotype.

#sicklecellisme

#shawnstestimony

Todays heroes for tomorrows warriors.

Ola_miz

http://so-dawn.com/2016/09/24/a-week-in-a-sickle-cell-family-must-read/