Nurturing Meaning and PurposeLife is full of ups and downs, and declining health can sometimes make it challenging to maintain a sense of meaning and purpose. Finding meaning and purpose in life has...reactionscomments
Here We Go AgainThe last time I talked about love over two years ago, I thought I had met the one. What a cliche. I'm not sure if there is just one right...reactionscomments
The Best Part of Living with Sickle Cell That You Might Be IgnoringWhy do some people think nothing good can come from living with sickle cell? They feel like every day is miserable for someone living with this disease. Maybe they need...reactionscomments
Withdrawing from Those Around MeWhen my pain levels rise, I tend to withdraw from those around me. What comes to my mind is the safety mechanism of the turtle when the turtle has to...reactions6comments
My Child's Testing & Appointment ScheduleI often talk to parents about sickle cell disease (SCD), even if they do not have a child with SCD. I recently had an interesting conversation with a mom, and...reactions5comments
The Placebo EffectOur minds are really amazing. They can make us believe we’re not in pain when we should be or that we are in pain/danger when we’re not. I really believe...reactions8comments
The Rise and Fall of My Mental Health With Sickle CellWe all know that mental health and mental health issues are not talked about enough and I feel like it is because it is not encouraged in many homes, especially...reactions6comments
Educating Our Kids Living With Sickle CellI am proud to announce that my newest children's book will be published in the summer of 2023. It will be a special book that I wrote together with my...reactions3comments
A Warrior's Perspective on Mother's DayMy mother and I have a complicated relationship. I am not sure there is a mother-daughter relationship in existence that is not complicated. Treading the delicate balance between parent and...reactionscomments
The Three Year Transplant UpdateI can't believe it's been 3 years since my transplant. For most of my life, I thought sickle cell pain would always take center stage in my life, dictating where...reactions9comments
Changing Roles: Allow Me to Reintroduce MyselfAs of April 22, 2023, around 11:53 am, my life forever changed. I went from being Halimat Shadia Owolobi Olaniyan – author, philanthropist, sickle cell warrior and all-around pretty cool...reactionscomments
My Medical Massage ExperienceI try to treat myself periodically to a massage technique called medical massage from a licensed medical massage therapist. A massage therapist rubs and kneads the soft tissues of your...reactions4comments
The Benefits of Sunshine in My LifeI've always thought that there had to be some health benefits of sunshine. Growing up in dull England will make you start to wonder about these sorts of things. I...reactions5comments
A Lonely journeyThis article is for caregivers who sometimes feel lonely or sad. I've thought about it for a long time if it's smart to write about emotions when I'm a bit...reactions2comments
Creating A #SickleCellTribeAs I continue to foster relationships with fellow advocates, one thing rings true for all of us – we grew up not knowing any other person living with sickle cell...reactions2comments
The MatchHave you heard of The Match? Well, it’s the most important day of medical school. The day all 4 years, and all the work before/outside of the 4 years, is...reactions2comments
Where Can I Find More Information About Sickle Cell Disease?As a parent of a child with sickle cell disease (SCD), it is very important that we know exactly where to get the necessary information. A mother called me in...reactions4comments
A Recap of the Sickle Cell Leadership SummitA few weeks ago, I was invited to the Sickle Cell Community Consortium's Leadership Summit in Atlanta. It was the first time health leaders, patient advocates, caregivers, pharmaceutical companies, and...reactions1comment
Sickle Cell & Chronic Pain: The Road to RecoveryMy little princess has been diagnosed with chronic back pain since the summer of 2021. Every time I think about it or write about it, a piece of my heart...reactions4comments
Updates on My First Research StudyRemember when I was on my period and nervous about giving blood for the first time? Well, that appointment had to be rescheduled because of the weather, so crisis averted...reactions2comments
