Sickle cell, meaning, Types,symptoms, Treatment and prevention

If Sickle Cell Affected the Majority, Would We Have a Cure by Now?

Let me take you into a living room in Lagos.  

Picture this scenario ;

A 10-year-old child is curled up like a comma on a threadbare couch. His eyes are swollen from crying. 

He hasn’t walked in two days. Every breath he takes sounds like a small war is going on inside his chest.

He looks up at his mother and says in a voice that's barely more than a whisper, “Mama, why is my blood fighting me?”

Boom.

Right there. That line alone should make you stop scrolling.

Because that’s what a sickle cell crisis feels like. 

Your blood turning against you. 

Your very life source becoming a battlefield. 

And if that doesn’t make you want to understand more about sickle cell disease, maybe you’ve never met someone who lives with it. 

But don’t worry, you’re about to.

Meet Tega. He’s Not Your Regular Guy.

Tega is 27. He loves plantain (the overripe ones, fried until golden, don’t judge him). 

He cracks terrible jokes. He can name every single Arsenal player since 2005. He also had more ER visits than a rookie paramedic.

Because Tega was born with sickle cell disease.

Every now and then, without warning, Tega's red blood cells turn from smooth, flexible circles into hard, crescent-shaped demons that get stuck in his blood vessels like traffic on Third Mainland Bridge during rush hour.

These sickled cells block the flow of blood and oxygen. 

Imagine trying to force a square peg through a round hole. That’s what Tega’s body goes through. 

The result? Pain. Not "Ouch, I stubbed my toe" pain. Not even "I broke my arm" pain. 

We’re talking writhing, breath-stealing, bone-cracking agony.

Tega calls it “the devil stepping on your spine while juggling machetes on your ribcage.” Accurate.

Sickle Cell 101 (For the Curious and Confused)

Here’s the simple breakdown:

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder. You get it when both your parents pass on the sickle gene.

Instead of round, healthy red blood cells, your body makes sickle-shaped ones.

These cells are stiff, sticky, and die early, causing anemia and blockages.

The blockage? That’s the sickle cell crisis.

It’s common in people of African, Middle Eastern, and Indian ancestry. Why? 

Evolution is a twisted sense of humor. The sickle gene actually protects against malaria but only if you inherit one copy. 

Inheriting two? That’s when the real show begins.

Crisis Mode: Not Your Average Emergency

Sickle cell crisis isn’t just pain. It’s chaos.

One day you’re fine, the next your joints feel like they’re being dislocated one by one by invisible thugs.

There are different types of crisis:

✅ Vaso-occlusive crisis: The classic, severe pain due to blocked blood flow.

✅ Acute chest syndrome: Looks like pneumonia, feels like drowning.

✅ Splenic sequestration: The spleen traps red blood cells, blood pressure drops like it’s got no bills to pay. Can be fatal and Fast.

And guess what? These crises don’t schedule appointments. 

They crash your party, your wedding, your exams, your vacation. 

Tega once got a crisis during a job interview. He smiled, answered the questions, then collapsed in the elevator. 

Hired? Nope. But he got a free ambulance ride.

Things NOT to Say to Someone in Crisis:

❌ “Just take Panadol.”

❌ “You don’t look sick.”

❌ “Again? But you were fine yesterday.”

No. Stop it.

This illness is invisible until it’s not. People with SCD are warriors not by choice, but because they have no other option.

How to Be a Human Being Around Someone With SCD

1. Listen. Sometimes they just want to vent. Don’t interrupt with herbal tea recipes.

2. Support. Offer to drive them to the hospital or sit with them during transfusions.

3. Learn. Understand their triggers. Cold, dehydration, stress, all villains in this story.

4. Advocate. Push for better healthcare, research funding, and public understanding.

Treatment Is A Journey, Not a Fix

There’s no universal cure (yet). Bone marrow transplants work, but they’re expensive, risky, and not always available. 

So, most people live with it, manage it, and pray.

They use:

✅ Hydroxyurea (slows down the sickling),

✅ Pain meds (from ibuprofen to morphine),

✅ Folic acid, blood transfusions, and a TON of water. Think of them as blood lube, keeping everything flowing smoothly.

The Funny Side (Yes, There Is One)

Tega once joked that sickle cell turned him into a "bedroom philosopher" because of the hours he  spent lying still and thinking. 

He has  written a play, started a YouTube channel, and knows the full cast of Grey’s Anatomy by heart.

He says, “If I’m going to suffer, at least I’ll make it entertaining.” That’s the spirit.

A Note To The Warriors

✓ To every child who has asked why their blood hurts...

✓ To every adult who has missed jobs, weddings, life because they were curled up in pain...

✓ To the parents who sit by hospital beds at 3 a.m. whispering prayers...

✓ To the partners who hold hands during transfusions...

We see you, We salute you.

You are fighting a war most of the world doesn’t understand, and you do it with grace, guts, and dark humor.

Final Words: What You Can Do Now

📌 Get tested. 

Know your genotype (AA, AS, SS, etc.). If you’re AS, don’t marry another AS. Love is sweet, but heartbreak is bitter.

📌 Donate blood,  Someone with SCD might need it.

📌 Spread the word, Share this story,  Talk about sickle cell, Make it loud.

Because silence has never saved anyone.

And sometimes, all it takes to change a life is to understand what it’s like to live it.