SICKLE CELL TRAIT AWARENESS . They say sickle cell trait is a benign condition which is not the case for some of us who show symptoms, here’s what Leah V Vasquez-Ward had to say about her experience as a symptomatic sickle cell carrier. I have known officially that I had sickle cell trait after I took some blood work when I fell pregnant with my first-born son at 18 years old. My mother told me that SCT could be why am sick all the time, but the doctors dismissed my mother and diagnosed me with many things. Like, pneumonia, asthma induced by exercise and seasonal allergies, bronchitis, tendonitis in my knees and childhood arthritis, growing pains, breastbone inflammation, TMJ dysfunction aka TMD, and iron deficient anemia. As an adult, I have been told that I have gallstones, enlarged liver, enlarged spleen intermittent, nodule on left adrenal on left kidney, cyst on upper left renal pole, no density in right femoral head but stable (whatever that means), spondylosis of pubic bone, sclerosis of pubic bone, small cyst on a lobe of my liver, mesenteric lymph nodes inflammation, stomach ulcers, renal disease, chronic pain, chronic inflammation, hematuria, sickle cell trait, sickling disorder and sickle beta plus thalassemia, and that is what comes to mind. There are things that I have forgotten. However, that’s enough to paint the picture that having sickle cell trait comes with diagnoses of many other things. I have been recently found to have sickle beta plus thalassemia, which is a sickle cell disease state, that was missed because my Hemoglobin A2 has been slightly elevated for years and doctors didn’t pay any attention. Until I was pregnant with my 5-year-old son. I had a new obgyn at this point of my life and he told about my disease and cared for me accordingly. My care was dismal as usual outside of pregnancy, but while pregnant Dr. Lockhart took great care of me in my 3 pregnancies up until 2020. In pregnancy I had complications related to having a sickle cell disorder but my prior obgyns never connected the dots. I could have died on more than one occasion and live with aches and pains my whole life. Although, I was diagnosed as SCT, I live my life to the fullest as if I was truly benign. I married young, had a bunch of babies, worked a high-risk profession, and got my bachelor’s degree. Yes, I lived with symptoms in the dark but I could manage my condition, atleast I thought I could. Until I got pregnant with my final child, a daughter, after my obgyn passed from cancer prior to her birth. Without his care, I caught chorestasis of pregnancy, fatty liver of pregnancy, hives, an upper respiratory infection, low blood count, and had to be delivered earlier. I hemorrhaged after her birth. The new obgyn save my life and stopped the bleeding but it was only a bandaid. I bleed out again one month later. He saved me again and my bleeding was resolved. I was put on DEPO to stop any further bleeding out during menses. But my body stopped me in my tracks. The methods that used to work for my crisis before, no longer work and my crisis are more intense now. I began bleeding in my urine over a year ago. I was vomiting blood and passing blood with intense abdominal pain. This was nothing like the vomiting and diarrhea with the seasonal crisis’s I used to get when I was younger. My crises were never ending it seemed of late. However, I finally got the episodes down to once a month with the help of a courageous doctor willing to take on my complex case. There’s no longer noticable blood in my vomit and stool. Sorry to be so graphic. However, I thought death was near for a while this past year. However, my renal function has also improved. I am hopeful for life again and I am receiving care, which is a blessing. I was passed along doctor to doctor with no help before September 2021. I am deeply grateful. Currently, I’m having a jaw crisis and crisis in my knees and legs but at least I am not vomiting 4 to 5 days a week. I have been blessed in this life despite my ailments. I never wanted my ailments to define me and I keep pushing to be the best mother and wife I can. I put my career on hold because nuclear power is unhealthy. Right at this moment, I cannot work on a career change with my health on my plate and my family’s need. They always come first. This is a summary of my story. It much deeper than this…. But this is the best way to tell it for social media.

SICKLE CELL TRAIT AWARENESS . They say sickle cell trait is a benign condition which is not the case for some of us who show symptoms, here’s what Leah V Vasquez-Ward had to say about her experience as a symptomatic sickle cell carrier. I have known officially that I had sickle cell trait after I took some blood work when I fell pregnant with my first-born son at 18 years old. My mother told me that SCT could be why am sick all the time, but the doctors dismissed my mother and diagnosed me with many things. Like, pneumonia, asthma induced by exercise and seasonal allergies, bronchitis, tendonitis in my knees and childhood arthritis, growing pains, breastbone inflammation, TMJ dysfunction aka TMD, and iron deficient anemia. As an adult, I have been told that I have gallstones, enlarged liver, enlarged spleen intermittent, nodule on left adrenal on left kidney, cyst on upper left renal pole, no density in right femoral head but stable (whatever that means), spondylosis of pubic bone, sclerosis of pubic bone, small cyst on a lobe of my liver, mesenteric lymph nodes inflammation, stomach ulcers, renal disease, chronic pain, chronic inflammation, hematuria, sickle cell trait, sickling disorder and sickle beta plus thalassemia, and that is what comes to mind. There are things that I have forgotten. However, that’s enough to paint the picture that having sickle cell trait comes with diagnoses of many other things. I have been recently found to have sickle beta plus thalassemia, which is a sickle cell disease state, that was missed because my Hemoglobin A2 has been slightly elevated for years and doctors didn’t pay any attention. Until I was pregnant with my 5-year-old son. I had a new obgyn at this point of my life and he told about my disease and cared for me accordingly. My care was dismal as usual outside of pregnancy, but while pregnant Dr. Lockhart took great care of me in my 3 pregnancies up until 2020. In pregnancy I had complications related to having a sickle cell disorder but my prior obgyns never connected the dots. I could have died on more than one occasion and live with aches and pains my whole life. Although, I was diagnosed as SCT, I live my life to the fullest as if I was truly benign. I married young, had a bunch of babies, worked a high-risk profession, and got my bachelor’s degree. Yes, I lived with symptoms in the dark but I could manage my condition, atleast I thought I could. Until I got pregnant with my final child, a daughter, after my obgyn passed from cancer prior to her birth. Without his care, I caught chorestasis of pregnancy, fatty liver of pregnancy, hives, an upper respiratory infection, low blood count, and had to be delivered earlier. I hemorrhaged after her birth. The new obgyn save my life and stopped the bleeding but it was only a bandaid. I bleed out again one month later. He saved me again and my bleeding was resolved. I was put on DEPO to stop any further bleeding out during menses. But my body stopped me in my tracks. The methods that used to work for my crisis before, no longer work and my crisis are more intense now. I began bleeding in my urine over a year ago. I was vomiting blood and passing blood with intense abdominal pain. This was nothing like the vomiting and diarrhea with the seasonal crisis’s I used to get when I was younger. My crises were never ending it seemed of late. However, I finally got the episodes down to once a month with the help of a courageous doctor willing to take on my complex case. There’s no longer noticable blood in my vomit and stool. Sorry to be so graphic. However, I thought death was near for a while this past year. However, my renal function has also improved. I am hopeful for life again and I am receiving care, which is a blessing. I was passed along doctor to doctor with no help before September 2021. I am deeply grateful. Currently, I’m having a jaw crisis and crisis in my knees and legs but at least I am not vomiting 4 to 5 days a week. I have been blessed in this life despite my ailments. I never wanted my ailments to define me and I keep pushing to be the best mother and wife I can. I put my career on hold because nuclear power is unhealthy. Right at this moment, I cannot work on a career change with my health on my plate and my family’s need. They always come first. This is a summary of my story. It much deeper than this…. But this is the best way to tell it for social media.