₦airaland Forum

The Identity Shift

Major surgery changes you.
Not just physically.
In the way you understand your own body.
In what you consider important.
In the patience you have — or do not have — for certain things.
In the depth of empathy you carry for other people navigating invisible struggles.

Before surgery, many of us carried our physical capability as part of our identity — the person who was always active, always doing, always present for everyone else.

When that capacity is temporarily reduced, the identity attached to it can feel shaken.

This is normal. And it is worth sitting with rather than rushing past.

Questions worth exploring:
↳ Which parts of who I was before surgery do I actually want to carry forward?

↳ What has this experience shown me about what I value?

↳ Who have I become through this — and is any part of that worth keeping?

The identity that comes out the other side of a significant health experience is often more layered than the one that went in.
Not lesser. Broader.
More aware of fragility and resilience simultaneously.
You are not who you were.
But you are not less than who you were.

Has hip surgery or your health journey changed your sense of who you are and has any of that change been unexpected or even positive?

Rediscovering Your Femininity

There is a version of yourself that existed before surgery.
She dressed a certain way.
She moved a certain way.
She showed up in the world with a particular kind of ease in her own skin or at least a more familiar ease than the one that recovery temporarily removes.
And then recovery happens.

And for a season, so much energy goes into the basics — healing, resting, managing pain, navigating logistics — that the parts of yourself that felt most you get set aside.

Getting dressed up feels pointless when you can barely manage shoes.

Doing your hair feels trivial against everything else going on.

The rituals that used to make you feel like yourself feel distant, even frivolous.

They are not frivolous.
They are actually part of recovery.

Small, deliberate acts of care for yourself signal to your body and your mind that you are still here.

That the woman underneath the patient is still present and worth tending to.

Practical starting points:
↳ One thing that makes you feel like you — a particular earring, a specific scent, a hairstyle — bring it back before you feel "ready"

↳ Dress for yourself on ordinary days, not just when you are going somewhere

↳ Invest a few minutes in your appearance when you have the energy; not because you owe anyone beauty, but because it reconnects you to yourself

Femininity after surgery does not look exactly like it did before.

It comes back differently with more intention, more appreciation, and More depth.
You will find her again.

What was the first thing you did for yourself that made you feel like yourself again? What brought you back to her?

Emotional Intimacy When Physical Closeness Gets Complicated

Sometimes the challenge in recovery is not the physical side of intimacy.
It is the emotional distance that develops quietly while both people are focused on getting through the medical part.
Your partner is managing worry, uncertainty, a new caregiving role that neither of you signed up for.
You are managing pain, dependence, body changes, fear, and the emotional weight of a major health experience.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that the ordinary closeness you had before can feel strangely far away.
Not because the love has changed. Because the dynamic has.
What tends to help:
↳ Name what is happening rather than waiting for it to resolve on its own — "I feel like we've been in medical mode for so long that I miss just being us" is a conversation worth having
↳ Emotional intimacy does not require physical readiness — conversation, presence, small deliberate gestures of connection matter and can be practised independently of where you are physically in recovery
↳ Give your partner language for what they are experiencing too — caregiving during a loved one's recovery is its own kind of lonely
↳ Consider speaking to a counsellor together if the distance has become significant — this is not a sign of a failing relationship, it is a sign of two people who went through something hard and need support coming back toward each other
Recovery changes relationships temporarily. It does not have to change them permanently.

How did your closest relationship navigate the emotional side of your recovery — did it bring you closer, create distance, or both at different times?

Sex After Hip Replacement Surgery

Let's just say it directly.
At some point after hip surgery, the question of sex comes up.
In your head, if not out loud.
And for some people, it was never addressed by anyone on their medical team.
You were told about walking. About sitting. About sleeping positions. Nobody sat down and said — here is what you need to know about intimacy during recovery.

So people either avoid it entirely for far too long, or they navigate it with no information and hope for the best.

Here is what actually helps to know:
↳ Most people can safely resume sexual activity around six to eight weeks after surgery — but ask your surgeon specifically, because it depends on your surgical approach and your individual recovery
↳ The main concern in early recovery is avoiding positions that put the hip into deep flexion, internal rotation, or crossing the midline — the same precautions that apply to everything else
↳ Communication with your partner is not optional — it is the most important practical tool you have
↳ Pain or discomfort during intimacy should not be pushed through — it is information, not an obstacle to ignore
↳ Pillows for positioning and support are genuinely useful — not awkward, practical
↳ The non-operated partner taking a more active role physically reduces the demand on your healing hip

The conversation is not as complicated as the silence around it suggests.
You are allowed to want this part of your life back.

Was this topic ever addressed by anyone on your medical team — or did you have to figure it out on your own?
What would have helped to know earlier?

When People Say You Should Be Fine By Now
The
At some point in recovery the comments begin.
"But didn't you have the surgery months ago?"
"You should be walking normally by now."
"My aunty had the same operation and she was back at work in no time."

These comments come from people who care about you. They also come from people who have no idea what hip replacement recovery actually involves and whose point of reference is one person's experience, a guess, or nothing at all.
They are not being malicious. But they are not being helpful either.

And the damage they do — the quiet shame, the internal second-guessing, the wondering if you are doing something wrong — is real.

A few things worth remembering:
Your recovery is not a performance for other people's timelines. You do not owe anyone the version of recovery that is convenient for them to witness.
A short, calm response that closes the conversation without inviting debate is sometimes the most energy-efficient choice: "Recovery takes longer than most people expect — I'm making progress." And then you leave it there.
Your energy is for healing. Not for convincing people that healing is taking the time it takes. 💛

What is the most unhelpful thing someone said to you during recovery — and how did you respond? Let's share so we can all be ready with better answers.

When The Rain Finds Me

This morning, the weather looked uncertain.

The sky was dull when I woke up, but by the time I was heading out, the sun had started peeking through the clouds. It looked like it was going to be a bright day after all.

And for a while, it was.

I got to the diagnostic centre and went about what I needed to do. About an hour before I was done, the rain started.

I decided to wait it out.

When it stopped, I left.

The first bus ride was uncomfortable.

If you've used public buses in Nigeria, you know the doors are often left open. I was seated where the cold breeze had a direct path to me. It hit my face, my chest, my arms. The rain itself wasn't touching me yet, but the cold was already finding its way in.

I sat there thinking, God when are we buying that car you promised.??

When I got to the next stop, I was intentional. I made sure I got the front seat beside the driver where the door was secured. For a brief moment, I felt relieved.

That ride was safe.

The third ride was a tricycle.

By then, the rain had started again.

Not heavily.

Just enough for droplets to find their way onto my skin. They splashed against my face. Against my legs. Against my arms.

The kind of rain that doesn't seem serious until you realise you're getting wetter by the minute.

Somewhere during that ride, I knew.

I didn't know exactly how the day would end, but I knew my body was already taking notes.

By the time I got to my final stop, the sky had completely changed.

The clouds had swallowed everything.

Nothing beautiful about them now.

Just grey.

Just heavy.

Just rain.

And then the wind arrived.

The rain itself was bad enough, but the wind made it worse. It whipped the rain in every direction and carried the cold straight through me.

I grabbed my cane and ran for the nearest shade.

The shade turned out to be the front of a closed shop.

Not much of a shelter.

Just enough roofing to keep two people from being completely drenched.

Someone who knew me from the area saw me running.

He was excited.

"Look at you running! One day you'll drop that cane completely."

I smiled.

I said amen.

Not because I wanted to have that conversation.

But because I was standing there shivering and wanted the conversation to end.

My teeth were already chattering.

The cold had settled into my bones.

The little shelter wasn't doing much. The wind kept driving droplets of rain onto my face, my chest, my legs.

Standing there, I felt the first warning sign.

A small pain in my ankle.

Nothing dramatic.

Just enough to make me pay attention.

When the rain finally eased, I started the walk home.

By the time I got through my gate, the pain had spread.

Ankles.

Knees.

Wrists.

Elbows.

Every major joint seemed determined to announce itself.

I changed out of my wet clothes immediately.

Cardigan.

Deep heat spray.

Balm.

Pain medication.

A duvet.

Hot water on the fire.

Tea.

Then I waited.

Sometimes that's all you can do.

Wait.

As I write this, I'm still in pain.

The intensity has reduced, thankfully.

But the experience remains.

People often talk about resilience as though it's something grand.

Something inspirational.

Something worthy of applause.

Sometimes resilience is much smaller than that.

Sometimes resilience is changing out of wet clothes before the pain gets worse.

Sometimes resilience is making tea while your joints ache.

Sometimes resilience is lying in bed waiting for medication to kick in.

Sometimes resilience is surviving a day you knew was going wrong long before it actually did.

This is what sickle cell disease sometimes look like.

Not victory.

Not triumph.

Just endurance.

And today, endurance was enough.

Crisis Pain vs AVN Pain
How to Tell the Difference

One of the most significant barriers to early AVN diagnosis in sickle cell patients is this:
The pain gets blamed on crisis.
And sometimes it is crisis.
But sometimes buried inside what feels like a familiar pattern is something structural happening in the bone that is being completely missed.

Learning to distinguish between the two, and being able to describe that distinction to your doctor, could be the difference between early intervention and arriving at surgery years later than necessary.

Sickle cell crisis pain — common characteristics:

↳ Comes on during or after a trigger — cold, dehydration, infection, stress, altitude change
↳ Affects multiple sites simultaneously or in succession — not just one joint
↳ Typically responds, at least partially, to hydration, warmth, pain management, and rest
↳ Resolves or significantly improves between episodes
↳ Follows a pattern you may recognise from previous crises

AVN hip pain — characteristics that stand out differently:

↳ Localised — specifically in the groin, deep in the hip joint, sometimes radiating to the thigh or buttock
↳ Often worse with weight bearing — standing, walking, climbing stairs
↳ Present even between crisis episodes — a baseline that does not fully resolve
↳ Progressively worsening over weeks and months rather than episodic
↳ May include a mechanical quality — stiffness on waking, reduced range of motion, difficulty with certain movements
The overlap problem

The reason this distinction is difficult is that sickle cell crisis can cause bone infarction I.e damage to bone tissue which presents in ways that overlap with AVN. And a joint affected by AVN will also be more painful during a crisis.

The two are not always separate events.
This is exactly why persistent, localised hip pain in a sickle cell patient deserves specific investigation, not just management as crisis.

Did your AVN pain feel different from your crisis pain, or was it difficult to separate the two? How long before someone investigated further?

Why Sickle Cell Attacks Your Hip First

If you have been told you have avascular necrosis and you also have sickle cell disease, you may have wondered — why the hip? Why this joint specifically? What does one have to do with the other?
Today I want to answer that clearly — because understanding the mechanism is the first step to advocating for yourself effectively.

What sickle cell does to blood flow
In sickle cell disease, red blood cells are shaped abnormally — curved like a sickle rather than the smooth disc shape they should be. This abnormal shape causes them to clump together, stick to blood vessel walls, and block circulation. This is the basis of a sickle cell crisis — a vaso-occlusive event where blood flow to tissue is disrupted and pain follows.

Why the femoral head is so vulnerable
The femoral head — the ball-shaped top of your thigh bone that sits inside the hip joint — has a particularly precarious blood supply. It is fed by a small number of blood vessels, and the terminal vessels that reach the bone's core are narrow and easily compromised.
When sickle-shaped cells block those vessels, even temporarily and repeatedly, the bone tissue begins to die from lack of oxygen and nutrients. This is avascular necrosis — death of bone tissue due to disrupted blood supply.
The femoral head is the most commonly affected site in sickle cell-related AVN, followed by the humeral head in the shoulder.

Why it is often bilateral
Because the circulatory disruption is systemic — happening throughout the body — AVN caused by sickle cell frequently affects both hips. Studies suggest that up to 50% of sickle cell patients who develop AVN in one hip will eventually develop it in the other.
This is why bilateral hip replacement, like mine, is not uncommon in our community.

What this means for your advocacy
If you have sickle cell disease and hip pain even pain that has been attributed to crisis — an MRI of the hip is warranted. Early-stage AVN is invisible on X-ray but clearly visible on MRI. And early detection changes your options significantly.
You now have the language to ask for that scan with confidence.

What Nobody Told You About Sickle Cell and Your Hips

If you have sickle cell disease and you have been experiencing hip pain or you have already been diagnosed with avascular necrosis, this series of posts is for you.
My name is Abiola. I am a registered nurse, a bilateral hip replacement survivor, and the co-founder of The Hip Circle — a peer support community for people navigating AVN and hip replacement, with a specific focus on the Nigerian and West African experience.
And I want to say something directly at the start of this series:
The connection between sickle cell disease and avascular necrosis of the hip is one of the most under-discussed, under-diagnosed, and under-supported intersections in our healthcare experience.
Many people living with sickle cell disease do not know that AVN is one of its most common complications. Many who develop hip pain spend years being told it is crisis pain, muscle pain, or growing pains without anyone ordering the scan that would show what is actually happening.
Many arrive at hip replacement surgery without ever having had a proper conversation about what sickle cell means for their surgical risk, their recovery, or their long-term outcomes.
That changes here.
Over the coming weeks, we are going to cover:
↳ The real relationship between sickle cell and AVN
↳ How to advocate for yourself across two medical specialties simultaneously
↳ What your orthopaedic surgeon needs to know about your sickle cell and how to make sure they know it
↳ Red flags specific to sickle cell patients that should never be dismissed
↳ How to navigate a healthcare system that often treats your conditions in silos
Whether you are newly diagnosed, currently deciding about surgery, deep in recovery, or supporting someone you love through this journey you are in the right place.
You deserve information. You deserve advocacy tools. You deserve a community that understands. 💛
💬 When did you first hear about the connection between sickle cell and avascular necrosis? Did someone tell you or did you find out the hard way? 🤍

Hi people.

Two hip replacement surgeries later I'm grateful to be here.
I'm not yet at 100% but I will be.

❤️❤️

Suddenly remembered this little community here and I decided to post this.
Remember that sickle cell struggles are real and you should not make a child suffer for the sake of the love you have for your partner.

ACUTE CHEST SYNDROME (ACS)

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is defined as a new radiodensity on chest imaging accompanied by fever and/or respiratory symptoms.

It is an acute complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) that is potentially fatal and requires immediate intervention regardless of the patient's age.

Various pathological processes can contribute to ACS, including infection, fat embolism, and vaso-occlusion. In practice, it is not possible to differentiate between these causes, which often overlap, so treatment principles are similar for all cases. ACS is clinically indistinguishable from pneumonia in individuals with SCD.


X ray findings in ACS can vary significantly, and it is not possible on X-ray alone to differentiate between ACS and pneumonia.



RISK FACTORS

Some patients are at higher risk of developing ACS:

-Genotype: HbSS and Hb S-beta0 thalassemia are at highest risk

-HbF percentage – higher HbF percentage is protective (infants, and those on hydroxyurea therapy)

-Comorbidities – asthma, recent surgery, chronic sleep apnoea

-Environmental factors – ACS is more common in winter months due to cold temperatures and higher burden of circulating viruses. Tobacco or cooking smoke in the household increases risk.

TRIGGERS

In many cases, a "trigger" can be identified for an episode of ACS. Sometimes multiple triggers are present, and sometimes (30-40% of cases), no trigger can be identified.

Triggers are important to identify, because treating an underlying trigger is important to managing an episode of ACS. These are most commonly:

-Infections:

-Viral
-Streptococcus pneumoniae and other “typical” bacteria
-Mycoplasma species and other “atypical” bacteria
-Asthma
-Acute SCD pain

MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES FOR ACS
-Admit to hospital and monitor closely, especially oxygen saturations
Ensure regular monitoring and documentation of saturations, respiratory rate, auscultation findings, use of accessory muscles, mental state, colour and perfusion.
-Pain control is a key priority : pain makes patients breath less deeply, and exacerbates ACS
-All patients with ACS need broad spectrum antibiotics, since infection often plays a role in causing ACS.
Antibiotics should not be delayed while seeking cultures/Xrays/other investigations
-Fluid balance should be monitored closely, including recording daily weights.
Many patients with ACS require blood transfusion to improve oxygenation.


This is just for education purposes,note that every warrior should see a hematologist from time to time for proper management.

Hello everyone .
Good evening. As always I'm here to lament and rant.
Apparently, No one told me registering for NYSC as a sickle cell patient is damn stressful. I had to start looking for my doctors phone number, address,even medical and dental council of Nigeria (MDCN) code, etc.
The embarrassing part was the part that they were asking for the contact to be called in case of emergency or death.
Death for crying out loud!!.
Shey won fe pa mummy won si camp ni?.
I sha hope I get it done tomorrow coz they say portal closes on Tuesday and I don't wish to carry over service year till 2024 . Put me in your prayers.
Thanks for reading.

Peace ✌️✌️

*FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR HEALTH*

� You are the number one stakeholder in your health

�Your health is what you eat

�Your health is what you drink

�The way you think will affect your Health

�Your Health will affect the quality of your life

�Your health will determine how long you will live

�The number of people spoons and knife killed are by far more than the number of people Guns and bullet killed

�Nearly every disease or ill health can be reversed if you change your lifestyles, by changing what you eat, drink, smoke and how you live and relate.

�When health fails every other thing takes the backstage.

�Your health is your greatest wealth.

Remember no medical or traditional healer will treat you for free when that serious health challenge occurs.

*Health Tip*

Avoid putting your bare foot on tiles or cemented grounds for a long time

Most of your nerve endings are found under your feet.

When it gets in contact with prolong coldness,it diminishes blood supply and reduces nutrients and oxygen supply.

The reason why the white have bathroom sandals and bedroom sandals is for a good reason.

Today, lot of people have all kinds of arthritis because of this.

Modernization comes with it's associated health challenges.

Therefore, move with time.

GOOD MORNING

�️�️�️�️�️�️�️�️
It's a sad time in the sickle cell community as we lose another loved one to the cold hand of death.
Every loss is painful but this one, this one feels like my heart was ripped ooen and broken �.
She was a good friend, a lovely person, a sickle cell advocate (the type that never stops talking and educating people), she was a fighter, a vibrant warrior with a heart of gold.
A priceless human being.
A Lady with balls.

That's the gem sickle cell stole from us this time, the gem it stole from me.
I was first in denial, then the tears started coming.

I love you my friend,
I'll miss you
You'll forever be in our hearts.
Rest on Pharm Fadeelat ��

sweetcoral:
i wish you good health dear

Thank you. I've just experienced a bit of relief3

And again I left y'all for months.
Emabinu
I'm sorry.
Work has been overwhelming.
And right now we're at it again, yunno the usual crisis.
I don't want to go into details.
I don't have the energy but it feels like it's going to be a brutal episode so let me go and brace myself.

Enjoy the rest of your day.
Peace ✌️

The crisis I had this week was like i had felt nothing like it before.
IT WAS INTENSE
I know I should start this story from the very beginning but the situation I found myself in before that crisis began is still something I'm really ashamed of. So please bear with me.
I traveled on Monday in great health and got to my destination in status quo. Around 8pm the heat was pretty much and I had taken a long walk so I took a cold bath and went to retire from the night. And two and half hours later (my eyes had seen very awful and mentally disturbing things between 8pm and 10:30pm) it started.
It started from my right knee,, I endured it for a while before taking the only Diclofenac tab I was lucky to find in my handbag.
Rather than experience a relief of the pain,, it skyrocketed by 3 folds and spread to my back and chest and waist .. That was when I knew that night was going to be a nightmare.
In few minutes I started to groan and grunt and wince in severe pain,, they drug was yet to kick in and I didn't even have another so I just had to wait. I waited for an hour and then 2,, still no change..
Then I joined hallelujah challenge on YouTube,, it ended 1am, and I was still in serious pains. Then I moved to WhatsApp and other apps for distraction. I finally was able to sleep around past 2am and I woke up around 5am with more pain in my back..
I wasn't in my comfort zone that night so I left for my place early in the morning . Got home on Monday and got infused with 1L of NS which helped a little wit the pain. Took an injection that night as well.
Wednesday morning still come with the pain but a bit fair,, took additional 500mls of infusion and more injections.

I was finally free of the pain by Thursday afternoon. This one episode robbed me of a weeks work, robbed me of being productive, robbed me of time and everything else i could have gotten done.
I didn't tell my parents about the whole episode until today and they are still very worried

The thing about sickle cell crisis is that each episode is never like the last one.
You never know the episode that will get you hospitalized.
You never know whether It's going to last for an hour or two or three or for a whole day,or for a whole week.
You never know when it's going to happen or where it will meet you.
You just never know...

Peace ✌️✌️

Hi.
So one thing I'm grateful for this year when it came to my birthday was that I was on duty that morning and i got home quite late in the afternoon so i didn't even have time to think about how i wanted my life to be or how horrible I am , or how lonely I am. And I think I'll just hope that the next birthday will meet me in a busy atmosphere as well.
It was as uneventful as last year but this year was different because I didn't have any expectations from people not to talk of raising those expectations.
I now think that's a really good way to live life.
HAVE NO EXPECTATIONS FROM PEOPLE AND YOU WON'T BE LET DOWN.

SO YES , I'M 26 and I'm happy �.

Peace ✌️

Hi NairaFam,
Good evening to you all. How have you been. I've been good �.
Most of the time i decline invites to sleep over in people house especially if such person is not a relative or a close friend who know my health condition. I don't honour sich invites because you never know when a crisis will creep in, AND there's no way to know if the next crisis is going to be a major one. So I always refuse..
Last week i got bored at my work and i was off for 4 days so i decided to travel and called a friend that i was going to sleep over. They were excited coz i had always declined visiting.
So i got there, and on the very first night , the evil i had been hoping would stay away crept in...


Then I silently went in, took PCM and told my host that I was taking it for an headache.
But the pain won't just go, and my observant host noticed something was wrong . I laters had to confess when the pains it got quite unbearable..
The thing i wanted to keep away brought itself to limelight and i couldn't help it,, I was so ashamed that night.
I still feel ashamed as I write this now.
But there really are some things you don't have complete control over.

*SIGH* ��

On a lighter note, it's my birthday in two days, last year was really bad as i spent the whole day crying about God knows what.
I really want this year to be different though. Well, it's going to be different coz I'm on duty that morning and that spells that I'm going to be busy.
This Year I WON'T CRY for any silly reason.
This Year I WILL BE HAPPY.

Have a great weekend.
Peace ✌️

[

yunqdady:
Congratulations.
You are strong.
Please, did you apply through an advert for Ido? Also, what conhess are Intern nurses placed on?

Please reach out to me through mail or my phone number. I think it may be better to respond to that there.

Please reach out to me through mail or my phone number. I think it may be better to respond to that there.

I want to talk about a lot of things ranging from the relationship between sickle cell and peptic ulcers to how to handle unsolicited advices from total strangers.
Meanwhile I want you to share you personal experience with people and their unsolicited advices.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022 FAM.

I am so excited about the new year and I hope you're too. I almost didn't go for crossover service last night but I changed my mind last minute. Been having hip pain since I returned from work yesterday but that's not enough to stop me.

I'm glad to have you all here with me this new and I pray we do great exploits together.

And Yes it's my birth month so let the countdown to January 31st begin. I really hope this years birthday won't be like the last.



Thank you for staying with me guys.

Peace ✌️

Good afternoon fam.

Back to my story.

Before I knew it, it was 2 weeks already which meant it's time to retake the test , so I did and result came out with PCV as 15% .
I was shocked, i began to tremble because I knew that no doctor would see that and not transfuse such Patient.
I took the result to the doctor the following week, and just like I assumed, he really wanted to transfuse me which I declined after he counselled me. Seeing that he was out of option, he referred me to the HEAMATOLOGY CLINIC of the institution . I got to the clinic and i was informed that they run their clinics on Wednesdays but I had to have another PCV done on that Wednesday . So the following Wednesday, I did the test and went to the heama clinic.
Long story short , PCV result came out with 22% ,, I could almost not believe it, I was so elated ehn .
That's how I escaped blood transfusion yet again .
So , that clinic will continue to manage me and it's quite convenient because I work in the hospital.

----------------------

So the outgoing year started on a rough note for me but I survived through it all by the unending grace of the Almighty God.

Here's me wishing you the best of 2022.

Peace ✌️

Good morning All.

The last one month has been hectic so I'll start from the very begining. November came with the good news I had been waiting for after my induction (5 month ago). I was asked to pick up my appointment letter at FEDERAL TEACHING HOSPITAL IDO EKITI, ÈKÌTÌ STATE. Happy would be an understatement of how I felt that afternoon after I got the call, i was giddy with excitement, I was so happy and grateful to God but little did I know the mental and physical stress I was about to face.
I travelled the next day to Èkìtì in order to begin medical fitness tests so I can resume work asap( against my sister's advice who asked me to wait so that she could get me my drugs and other necessary things).
I arrived late in Ekiti , so I started the clearance the next day. We were to do a range of test including Chest X-ray, HIV screening, Hepatitis, FBC, genotype and blood group, urinalysis and fecal microscopy.
You don't get to do all the test in one place so you walk around a lot and that's where the stress started.
Then the results started coming out and I got scared �, there was blood in my urine, sepsis in my blood, PCV at 17% and WBC count at 17×10^9 . The thing is if you're not cleared medically you can't continue with the rest of the clearance not to talk of starting work. The first thing doc did was shake his head and he's said "these results are not good". {Ha, egbami ,i know it wasn't good but oga I don dey find this placement for 5 months o, no do me like this abeg (I said all that in my mind but water don dey comot for my eye small small sha)}. he asked basic questions and then took me to the Consultant of the unit. Thankfully, the Consultant was conversant with SICKLE CELL cases so he asked what my stable PCV was (usually around 19%), what drugs I have been taking, etc. then he placed me on Antibiotics (Augmentin) for 7 days and then retake the FBC test. He was kind enough to clear me medically sha do I was able to complete clearance in 2 weeks.

Second Part coming up soon.
Stay tuned.
Peace ✌️✌️
stay tuned.

Hey guys.
happy Sunday
How was your day ?I'm sorry I often remember this space when I'm in deep shit and by shit I mean in crisis . It's one of those episodes again , the day had been fine so far and then I just get into bed and chest and back just started .I'll be fine though .

I've been trying to get placement for my internship and that has been a handful or bucketfull if I may add , but it is going on well. Expect some good news soon.
I hope I'm fit enough to share the struggles of getting a nursing internship placement soon.

Thank you everyone and good night

REAL STORIES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH SICKLE CELL

Tristan's story

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at 6 months of age in my hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. At that time, I was only the second person in our city to be diagnosed with sickle cell disease. This was back in 1983, when there wasn’t much known about the disease. The doctor who diagnosed me told my mom and grandmother that I wouldn’t live past 20 years old. However, trusting in God, and having praying grandmothers and a family of faith, I am living well with sickle cell at age 37.

Life with sickle cell has had its challenges, especially in my younger years. When I was age 9, I suffered a stroke and spent almost 2 years in the hospital recovering. My entire life changed after I left the hospital. I had to do years of physical therapy as well as occupational therapy, relearning to walk, talk, use the bathroom, and a lot of everyday activities people tend to take for granted. When I returned to school, kids were very mean and cruel to me. Adults were constantly looking at me weird. I felt very uncomfortable in my life at that time. I was depressed and constantly feeling sorry for myself.

Everything changed one day when I decided to try out for a play. I asked my mom if I could do it, and although she was apprehensive about it after seeing how people treated me, she still allowed me to try it. That’s when my life changed for the better. I made the play and was great in it. I noticed that when I was on the stage, people were still looking at me. But instead of looking at me for my disability, they were looking at me for my talent.

I began doing more acting and started modeling school about a year later. I really found my voice and came into my own. Walking the runway helped my balance and posture. Acting helped with my speech and my facial expressions. I was thriving despite what had happened to me. I had more confidence in myself. l felt empowered and positive about my life again. After I graduated from high school, I continued to pursue acting and modeling. I got some real acting work on TV shows as well as becoming a professional model in New York City, doing multiple photoshoots with celebrity photographers. Still to this day, I am doing those things, in addition to having my own fashion line that I created for sickle cell disease awareness, called DiVo Stars.

As an independent fashion designer, I did fashion shows for Harrisburg Fashion Week, Baltimore Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week, spreading sickle cell awareness through fashion in each of these places. I even created and produced three New York Fashion Week shows in my hometown as fundraisers for sickle cell charities I’ve worked with over the years.

Currently, along with being a professional model, actor, and independent fashion designer, I’m a professional patient advocate for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), the Sickle Cell Pennsylvania Sickle Cell Council, and Sick Cells. I am also a peer mentor for the SCDAA, helping youth with sickle cell disease transition from pediatric care to adult care. So while life with sickle cell disease has had its challenges, it has also given me so much strength, compassion, and heart. It has brought things across my path that may never have been there had I not had it. So that’s it. That’s my sickle cell success story.

I’m sharing my story so others can read about people who are living WELL with sickle cell. This year, I have been fortunate to work with the National Organization for Rare Disorders and be the Rare Disease Day Hero of 2021 in the United States, representing sickle cell disease. My story has been shared nationally as well as internationally during the month of February. It’s really been a blessing. I hope that this can make a difference in helping to bring the public health data on sickle cell disease to life and help others who are living with sickle cell disease.

Tips for Others
My advice to kids growing up with sickle cell disease is this: There will be times when this disease will be draining physically, emotionally, and mentally. During those days and times, it will feel like “it’s too much,” and there will be days when you feel like “why me” or feel like you just want to give up. When those times come, just know that you are not alone. All sickle cell warriors go through it, are going through it, and living through it. You are stronger than sickle cell. Just take good care of yourself and never give up. Keep faith that God will never leave you and lean on him when needed. We are sickle cell WARRIORS, which means we were made for this battle. You got this, and your life will get better. You have a purpose, and a destiny like no one else on the planet. There is a whole community of support to help you, listen to you, and that truly cares about you and your life. Keep telling yourself even though you have sickle cell, sickle cell will NEVER have you! Stay strong, and please keep fighting for your life because your best days are still ahead. God Bless.

CDC thanks Tristan for sharing his personal story.

Page last reviewed: June 11, 2021
Content source:  National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Hey guys,,
I really feel good today.
Someone read this thread and gave me a call. We had a very nice conversation even she cheered me on . And then I come here to meet a very beautiful comment about what I do here and a reminder that this has been on for 2 years.
WOW ��
WOW �
And you still think I should be happy abi?.
Theses small wins mean a whole lot to me and I am so grateful and happy and excited.

Thank you all for reading my crap all the time. It's really amazing.
Thank you.


Peace ✌️