One thing that my good friends and family know about me is that I am amazingly stubborn. I like to think that this is a particularly amazing characteristic that I have which has enabled me to remain motivated and tackle obstacles against all odds. And those odds are definitely stacked against me. I am currently 24 weeks pregnant with my second child 😨 I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t I learn my lesson the first time? The short answer is yes...and no. So maybe there is no short answer. But I do know that individuals with sickle cell disease and other chronic illnesses have the same human urges to procreate. I'm not saying everyone desires to be a parent, but generally, we have similar wants, needs, goals and dreams as healthy people. I've accomplished a lot in my short time on this Earth and I am so proud of me for hanging in there through some tough situations. But maybe you don't know about those? Okay, I'll tell you. I wasn't diagnosed with Sickle Cell D...
Dear Providers, You may not know this about me, but I am a fighter. This means I am going to fight you, tooth and nail, for you to do what's best for me as a patient. I am going to challenge you to see me as HUMAN first. I wear many hats. I am a mom , wife , sister , an aunt , a niece , a daughter , a granddaughter , a cousin , a friend , a confidant , and an advocate. I have qualities you may not be aware of yet. I'm educated, passionate, devoted, outspoken, charismatic, funny, sarcastic and sassy. I just happen to have Sickle Cell Disease. But I spend a lot of my time being emotional and fearful that the first thing you see when I walk into your place of work, is a combination of my skin color and my disease. You make judgements about why I am there. You question if I am truly in pain. You may even accuse me of drug seeking. I will go along with all of your tests designed to rule out imminent death, and will ride along as you do the minimum allowed to void yourse...
If you are keeping count, 32 weeks has come and gone and now I am being told to hang on until at least 34 weeks. Considering that I am in significantly less pain now since the blood transfusion, I believe I can do it physically. But mentally I have hit a block a few weeks back where all I did was cry over the guilt of wanting little man out and being exhausted from the amount of things that are happening during this pregnancy. I am so hard on myself but I find solace in the fact that I have handled this situation with understanding and determination; what mother wouldn't? I tell myself "one day at a time" or as on Finding Nemo "just keep swimming" and rely on close friends and family for that extra boost of support. I am holding out and taking it as easy as I can but as some symptoms and pain decrease, others ramp up their efforts which are a normal part of pregnancy. I have a list of complaints but I will save it for those unsuspecting sympathetic ears. --Yes,...
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