SICKLE CELL DISEASE.

I am going to be very direct with this issue.

I have just completed my rotation in the department of medicine and fortunately/unfortunately I was specifically in the Clinical Haematology/Oncology unit. We deal with blood issues in people, in a nutshell. And the one blood disease that cracked past my hard emotional exterior and deep into my emotional core, is the Sickle cell disease(SCD).

SCD is a group of inherited blood disorders. The commonest type is the Sickle cell anaemia(SCA),
commonly known in our environment as SS. Here there is an abnormality in the haemoglobin of the blood which carries oxygen to the cells in our body. In people with the so-called SS anaemia, under certain conditions such as cold, infection, dehydration and even malaria, their red blood cells  changes from the normal biconcave shape to a sickle shape, hence the name. This complication leads to a cascade of events that makes the sufferer present with a wide range of symptoms from terrible body pains to even stroke! Yes I am dead serious.

There are three main genotypes: AA, AS, SS. People with the AS and SS genotypes who have children with other people having the same AS, SS genotypes are at high risk of those children having SCA.

Biko. Ejorr. I beg you. Before you marry anybody, or have a child with anybody...hell even while you are dating anyone, please, ask. What is your genotype? Personally I think it is irresponsible of anyone with AS or SS genotypes to date anyone at risk of making them have innocent kids with SCA. The suffering is just one of the saddest things ever. And the sufferers are never out of the woods! There has been talk of how people with SCA are "safe" from death after 21years of age. Asi! Nothing like that. They have to live under some rules to prevent having a crisis.

And a crisis isn't the worst of the issues. Especially in childhood, they are at risk of having disfigured arms, legs, face, especially when the disease is not detected early and therefore not managed well. There's the continuous hospital admissions, unending pain meds some of them eventually get addicted to...the list is endless. And of course, some of them die.

There is no love in the matter if you are lucky enough to discover that you and your partner are of incompatible genotypes before you have kids. My dear, end that relationship fast. God will help you get someone else with a more compatible genotype. Because I tell you, by the time you witness your child with SCA going through that crisis once, you'll flog yourself over that decision forever.

And if you already have the SCA disease, there is no need crying over spilt milk. You must live your life, and too the fullest too. But you have to follow the rules.

•  Drink lots of water, at least three liters daily.
• Take your routine meds religiously every day (Paludrine, Folic Acid, Vitamin C)
• Get registered in and attend SCD clinic regularly for proper follow up, preferably in a tertiary hospital.
• Don't overdose on pain meds. Report to a hospital as soon as you feel the onset of a crises
• Eat a balanced diet as often as you can manage
• Exercise well but don't overdo it. You are not the same as others, and that's ok.
• Get adequate rest.

The head of the SCD unit here also has SCA himself. But he's a professor of Medicine, a very agile doctor, a prolific leader and one of our favorite lecturers even while I was a student. He's a living legend. Another friend of mine, also a doctor here, works as hard as I do and dances beautifully too. Yes. You can be anything you want to be, even with SCA. Only follow the rules!

I probably have sounded harsh in some parts of this write up, but it's because this issue is very sensitive. No child deserves to be brought into this world, only to suffer from some inherited disease that could have been easily prevented. There's already enough unavoidable suffering in the world, no need to further worsen their lives.

Love is wise. Love is responsibility.

Help humanity.







Da'alu!