Hi guys I'm Tito, I’m a 23 year old London based Tenancy Manager and lover of life. For as long as I can remember I've had a passion for helping others and I guess that's why the idea of writing this blog about my health was weighing so heavily on my mind, so I can help and educate people through sharing my experiences. For the majority of my life I viewed my diagnosis as something that has weighted me down but I am recently realising that I can use it to do the opposite, and I understand that although sickle cell is a part of me, it does not define me. Through this blog I want to change the typical perceptions people have about living life with this disability, encourage more people to talk about sickle cell and ultimately raise awareness. Related content

Sickle cell disease often becomes more severe – and pain episodes more frequent – during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. A pregnant woman with sickle cell disease is more likely to have a miscarriage, still birth, preterm labor, or a low-birth-weight baby and sickle cell pregnancies are almost always considered high risk. Ideally, women with sickle cell disease should receive preconception counseling. This is because with early prenatal care and careful monitoring, women with sickle cell disease can have a healthy pregnancy and successful delivery. Women with sickle cell are more prone to pain episodes during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. Pregnancy creates intense demands on a woman’s body, and the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy – and common complications like anemia – can easily make the sickling of red blood cells worse. If blood vessels become blocked by sickled cells, body tissues may be deprived of oxygen and die.   Related content

Crisis Over is a sickle cell disease blog managed by Aaron Lloyd, a freelance writer, photographer and filmmaker, with an intention to serve the sickle community by creating awareness about the disease. Lloyd is living with sickle cell. He lives in Freeport, NY with his wife, Michelle an educator of almost twenty years. Aaron Lloyd has written about music for over 20 years, ranging from the seminal R&B group TLC to hip hop icons A Tribe Called Quest. His work has appeared in Rap Pages, Vibe.com, and many other media outlets. He is a contributing author to the compilation book, Be A Father to Your Child – Real Talk From Black Men On Family, Love, and Fatherhood. Lloyd is currently producing, directing and writing his debut film Crisis Over, a sixty-minute documentary exploring the complexities of life with sickle cell disease. Related content

As I write this post I am sitting in my bed with a heating pad on my back and a brace on my left wrist, having recently turned down going out dancing with some friends due to being too worn down from a day of sitting in an office and going out for dinner. I will wake up tomorrow morning and feel exhausted, despite having gotten around 9 hours of sleep. I will eat a full breakfast to help maintain my blood sugar and then I will go to one meeting, three classes, and usually one or two more meetings after my classes. Then I will get home, take a nap, take some Advil, do some homework, edit a blog post, and do it all again. That’s a good day. Other days aren’t nearly as productive and leave me in bed due to pain or fatigue the entire day. Related content

Some first-hand advice and information for fellow patients living under COVID-19 Living during a global pandemic is one interesting movie-like experience. However, living with a chronic condition during a pandemic really magnifies health challenges that you have been somewhat quietly dealing with. It puts you under a microscope of careful, worrisome thoughts and concerns. This new challenge has come with certain lifestyle changes for not only the general population but more so for patients suffering chronic illnesses. It is yet another battle we are fighting. So how are patients living with sickle cell disease impacted by the COVID-19 crisis? Related content

For someone who stresses the importance of health, my diet is poor. Thankfully, I have friends who have noticed the harsh reality of my eating habits and haven’t shied away from informing me. It’s safe to say I have seen the error of my ways. I hate vegetables, but that’s not a good enough reason to avoid them, especially at my age. I like fruits a lot but rarely buy them, as they tend to expire before I get the chance to eat them. It feels like a waste of money. Eating fruits and vegetables has many health benefits.  Related content

There are substantial reductions in income over a lifetime for patients with sickle cell disease owing to early mortality, according to a new study that seeks to provide a better understanding of the condition from both the patient point of view as well as a societal point of view. Despite a reduction in the mortality rate of infants and children with sickle cell disease due to various interventions that allow most patients to survive to adulthood, adults have had a more difficult time due to limited access to care and the lack of treatment options; this leaves much to be desired in terms of major improvements in death rates and quality of life. Related content

Whenever I meet new people and tell them I have sickle cell disease (and explain what it is), they often ask how they can help. June 19 is World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, so I thought it appropriate to discuss ways that you can help the sickle cell community, including friends who may have the disease. Because many of the affects of sickle cell disease are internal, the sad reality is that there isn’t much you can do to prevent patients from experiencing them. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t help at all. Related content

I recently was admitted to the hospital during a sickle cell crisis and because of suspected COVID-19. My experience was harrowing. I have experienced many things as a sickle cell disease patient. I have had pneumonia more frequently than I can remember, suffered collapsed lungs, had deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms, spent weeks on end in intensive care, and been intubated a number of times. But this latest admission was the most traumatic of my life. Related content

I previously shared some tips for managing sickle cell. If you found those useful, I have a few more suggestions that also may help. I find that when I am in pain, balms such as Mentholatum Deep Heat help. Balms that contain ingredients such as menthol and methyl salicylate are counterirritants and have pain-relieving properties. Once applied, the change in temperature triggers the dilation of blood vessels and promotes blood flow. Balms can also distract from the feeling of pain. Related content