Dr. Tee

I shared a post on SICKLE CELL CELEBS support group some hours ago, and the response has been nothing short of extraordinary.

The comment section completely exploded with proof of resilience.

Sickle cell warriors in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and even 70s flooded the post to share their triumphant milestones.

For decades, individuals living with sickle cell disease have had to fight more than just physical pain, we have had to fight devastating social stigmas.

If you are living with sickle cell disease and you have ever been broken down by cruel words

If you’ve been called a "money waster" or given an expiry date like not surviving past 21 years of age:

Go Check out sickle cell celebs comment section and be inspired

Living with sickle cell disease is undeniably challenging, but you will always be stronger than the pain.

Your innate strength is extra-terrestrial.

Summon your courage and never, ever give up, no matter how daunting or heavy the road gets.

You can do this, warrior. Yes, you can!

Be inspired. 🌟 💪🏾

And let’s keep rewriting the narratives





June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day 🩸✨

Clock it!



June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day

Today is ! 🩸

To everyone who selflessly chooses to donate blood to patients in need, thank you!

Thank you for your sacrifice of love, especially within the sickle cell community, where blood transfusions are a life-saving intervention when patients face acute exacerbation of anemia and chronic complications. Gracias. ❤️

To mark this day, kindly read one of my columns which explores the impact and life-saving role of blood transfusions in sickle cell disease management.

Read the full piece here: https://sicklecellanemianews.com/columns/blood-transfusion-lifesaving-part-sickle-cell-management/

Countdown to the D-day: June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day!



Dr. Oluwatosin Adesoye (Dr. Tee).

Blood transfusion is a lifesaving part of my sickle cell management Columnist Oluwatosin Adesoye addresses some of the myths about blood transfusion and explains why it's important in managing sickle cell.

AFRICA URGENTLY NEEDS DEDICATED SICKLE CELL DISEASE (SCD) SPECIALISTS
-mirroring the subspecialized care models found in the United States.

As a physician living with sickle cell disease, a SCD advocate/educator, and a SCD community leader who collaborates closely with healthcare professionals across the field, I strongly believe Africa needs more hematologists who focus exclusively on Sickle Cell Disease.

While specialized hematology training provides an essential foundation, sickle cell disease deserves far more than being just one topic among many hematological disorders. It is not merely a blood disorder; it is a complex and virulent multi-systemic disorder that requires continuous learning beyond the limitations of many textbooks. Most standard hematology textbooks allocate only a few pages to SCD, leaving critical clinical nuances undocumented. Sickle Cell Disease deserves its own subspecialty.

Furthermore, thanks to remarkable medical advancements, management has evolved beautifully, and patients are living significantly longer lives. However, with an increasing adult population comes a unique set of complications, many of which remain undocumented in standard literature or are yet to be researched.

To provide optimal care, hematologists must remain committed to lifelong learning through contemporary scientific journals, direct clinical experience, and region-specific SCD research. Equally important is active engagement with patient communities.

Some of the most valuable insights about this disease come from listening to the patients themselves. Understanding their lived experiences, daily challenges, treatment journeys, and priorities is the only way to achieve true, patient-centered care. Patient perspectives matter. Patient experiences matter!

Nigeria has the highest incidence of sickle cell disease while Africa has over 75% of the burden. SCD is a complex, multi-systemic journey that cannot be mastered in the margins of a general textbook. It is high time our medical infrastructure reflected that reality by establishing a formal sickle cell disease subspecialty.



Dr. Adesoye Oluwatosin, MBBS
(Dr. Tee)

Why I refused to stay silent about my sickle cell disease

Click the link to read the article

https://sicklecellanemianews.com/columns/why-i-refused-stay-silent-sickle-cell-disease/

Author: Dr. Adesoye Tosin

Why I refused to stay silent about my sickle cell disease Despite the stigma surrounding SCD, columnist Oluwatosin Adesoye couldn't stay silent. Instead, she chose to advocate and educate.

For Africans both are expensive

As treatment options for sickle cell disease continue to expand, understanding how clinical outcomes compare with treatment costs is increasingly important.

New research published in Blood found that stem cell transplantation was the most cost-effective treatment option for adults living with sickle cell disease when compared with gene therapy and standard of care.

Read the press release for more: https://ow.ly/rPnh50Z7aR4

Blood Journals Portfolio

Do not mind them
Keep talking about your sickle cell

June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day

STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS LIVING WITH SICKLE CELL DISORDER

I wrote this article over a year ago on my Facebook profile but didn't put it here because this page was yet to be created, I called it "Coping with stress as a student with sickle cell disease". Since schools are just resuming after a long break, I'm bringing it back because warriors will gain from it.👇

Stress is one of the most important triggers of sickle cell crises
Proper management of stress is one the factors that reduces frequency of crises.
Check out these Quick tips in managing stress

PRIORITISATION
--Prioritise your life activities,you should know what is most important to you at every point in time because you are not as strong as the next person to you.Little stress breaks you down and causes crises so you have to cut down unnecessary stress.

MAIN PRIORITY
- As a student you have to realise your main priority is being healthy and coping with your academics,every other thing is secondary

DISEASE SEVERITY AND STRESS
- Like I have always said severity of sickle cell disease differs because of various factors. There are people who have it mild and can cope with a lot of stress without having a crisis.If you are one of those who have it mild ,then this post might not be for you. Majority have moderate severity while some people have it severe and are affected a lot by stress. These 2 set of people who have it moderate and severe will gain from this.

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS
-As an adult with sickle cell disease, I expect you to understand your health and your limitations but fact is some of us don't ,thereby we end up worsening our health with our lifestyle.

COURSE OF STUDY
- It is always safer to choose a course of study that isn't stressful as a warrior.Although, if you have a strong conviction about going for a stressful course , you can go ahead but you have to manage your health carefully. Medicine is usually called the most stressful course of study I think. At a point in med school when i had some complications, i was like who sent me to go for this stressful course but what i never did was give up and i eventually succeeded. I know quite a number of doctors that are warriors so who says you can't. Regardless, I will always advise a warrior to go for a less stressful course except they have a strong conviction/passion to go for a stressful one.

NEVER MISS SCHOOL
Never miss a class when you are fit,make sure you always attend your lectures when you are not sick so that you can make up for the time you might fall sick and miss classes in order to meet up with your attendance.

NOTIFY YOUR LECTURER
If you ever fall sick at a time you have tests or exams or your sickness is making you have less than the expected attendance. Inform your lecturer/professor about your health even if you have to tender a medical report, it is sometimes called extenuating circumstances. Possibly ,if your lecturer is nice enough you can get a make up test when needed or your attendance issue might be overlooked if there is a medical report backing you up.

READING
Finishing with school stress and going to the library to sit in a position for 6hrs might be stressful. It is always better to find a comfortable, non stressful position to read. If you can read in your room it's better, so that you can easily lie down anytime you feel stressed or feel a back pain when you sit for too long.

SIESTA
Always learn to to take a siesta or a nap when you return from school ,it helps manage stress and regain your strength so make it a habit.

FOOD/EATING
Anytime you know you are stressed or you need to preserve your strength to read for exams.You should only cook easy food that won't stress you or even buy food if possible or opt for already made food.

- CLUBBING OR NIGHT PARTYING
You know when we are in higher institutions , we just want to live the life, that youthful exuberance . As a sickle cell warrior, your sleep is very essential, insufficient sleep triggers crisis. You have to understand you are different, there is a limit to how you can stress yourself. You should find other ways to have fun that won't affect your health. What does it profit you to enjoy yourself at the club all night and not be able to go to class the next morning because you are down with crisis? Learn to sleep for like 8hrs every night atleast 6hrs.

- SMOKING AND ALCOHOL
These are lifestyles many youths of adopt. Smoking triggers acute chest Syndrome not to talk of it's non SCD related complications. Alcohol causes diuresis, makes you urinate a lot thereby causing dehydration which triggers crises so stay away from these lifestyles

- RELATIONSHIPS
Make your boyfriend or girlfriend understand your health. Only date a partner who really loves you,understands you and prioritises your health..
Let's give a quick example, you have noticed s*x sometimes triggers your crisis but you have this boyfriend who wants s*x everyday with different rigorous styles regardless of your health status.You feel the need to satisfy him so that he won't dump you for another girl. So, because of this you end up sick and unfit for school almost everyday.
Another example is being in a violent relationship, your boyfriend or girlfriend hits and endanger your health and your life and yet you are still holding on to the relationship in the name of love.
This is the point where I say you have to love yourself and prioritise your health,any relationship that worsens your health is not worth it,drop it.There are men & women who will understand when u are unfit & be patient till u are fit. Always put your health first & say no to a violent relationship, sickle cell or not.

PREGNANCY
Any female sickle cell warrior,married or single should protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies.Pregnancy itself can trigger a crisis,so don't get pregnant when it isn't planned,a D& C procedure or any surgical procedure can trigger a crisis so don't expose yourself to unnecessary triggers. Abstain or use contraceptives when u aren't ready to get pregnant

DRESSING
I know looking good is good business and as students, we just want to slay everytime. It is extremely cold but you still want to show some cleavage or some skin as the fashionista that you are. What does it profit you to slay in skimpy clothes and end up on the sick bed for a crisis triggered by cold. Who told you you can't slay or be a fashionista in clothes that will cover you up. There are many clothes that will be nice and still protect you from cold. Dress appropriately for the weather. You need to love yourself this much.

ABOUT HAIR DOS
I Know we never want to be caught unfresh but whenever you know you are unfit or stressed, that is not the ideal time to go and spend 8hrs making your hair at a salon . You might just trigger a crisis because of aggravated stress. It is advisable to have 1,2 or more wigs. So that when you are not fit and your hair is untidy you can always make cornrows and use a wig

CUT DOWN UNNECESSARY STRESS
If you ever feel the stress on campus , sitting for long for lectures,walking from one lecture hall to another is enough stress on your body. Learn to cut down other forms of stress e.g if your house is far from school, you can decide to take a cab/car or bike instead of walking

WATER MAGIC
- As an adult with SCD take at least 3 to 4litres of water everyday. Always have an extra bottle of water with you. Apart from helping to prevent crisis and treating crisis. It can help with the fatigue that comes with stress.

YOUR ROUTINE DRUGS
I'm aware it isn't easy to be using medications every single day of your life but try as much as possible to adhere to your prescribed meds. Do everything possible to preserve your health so that you can cope with your studies.

IDENTIFY PERSONAL TRIGGERS
I realised some warriors have personal triggers, study your body and identify if you have any personal triggers, if you do stay away from them
If you have flu, malaria or infections of any kind treat on time so it won't trigger a crisis.
Swimming in cold water can also trigger crises for some warriors so even if you have to swim in cold water let it not be more than 30mins .

REST WHEN YOUR BODY TELLS YOU TO
A warrior that understands his/her body should know when they are stressed, you should know when you are at your breaking point. To avoid a severe crisis at that point, resting is the ideal thing to do.
Let me use myself as an example when I'm stressed I feel tired and when I start feeling generalized body pain ,at that point I know I'm at my breaking point. When this happens I take one or 2 days off because everytime I've acted stubborn and refused to rest , I have ended up having severe crises that would last for 1 or 2weeks. You have to understand your body and know when to rest to avoid frequent hospitalisations.

Dr. Adesoye Oluwatosin (Dr.Tee)