When I used to go to the hospital frequently, I would always feel anxious. There are so many little things that go through your head but my biggest question is ‘are they going to believe me?’ I understand that seeing is believing and there is no way to look at someone and tell they are in sickle cell crises, but I never understood why clinical professionals had such doubt about sickle cell patients coming into hospital for crises. It used to frustrate me so much it still angers and upsets me when I think about it. I never understood why they would always treat me like I was lying. I’m not sure what their picture of pain looks like or what they needed to see to believe I was in excruciating pain.

As a child I would cry and scream when I was in crisis but as I got older, the less I would cry; I guess my body built up some sort of pain tolerance. As a child there was never a doubt or question of whether or not I was in crisis. I’ve had clinical professionals say some stupid and ignorant things to me but the one that I hated the most was “do you enjoy coming into hospital?” The sad thing is that most sickle cell patients hate to go to the hospital because of how they’ve been treated, so we stay at home for days in pain.

A crisis can quickly escalate and become dangerous but because of the ill treatment we refuse to go and put ourselves through the stress it causes, which makes our pain worse. It’s a shame that the place you’re supposed to go to if your sick has become the place we avoid. I really pray that in my lifetime there will be a change in the treatment of sickle cell patients. 

My #sicklecellfamily i continue to pray for your health happiness hope and strength … Alhumdulillah 

Aliya 

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