I’ve had few minor pain crisis in my young adult life so I knew right away what was happening but I didn’t want to alarm my friend who was looking forward to the game, as we had both attended the University at Albany. I sat through the entire game, literally suffering in silence.
I’ve always been the quiet type, but I wonder if my friend noticed that I was extremely quiet during that game. I was more worried about breathing than talking.
As soon as I got to my car I called my parents at home, struggling to talk, and told them that I needed to go to the emergency room. My mother thought I should come home first so they could take me.
Longest, most painful drive EVER!
This ended up being not only my first hospital admission due to a sickle cell pain crisis but it was also the most severe. I could barely talk, hell, I could barely breathe. I thought I was going to die.
Thankfully, after a seven day stay at Albany Medical Center, although the pain hadn’t fully dissipated yet, I was able to go home. It was about a two week recovery, but I was able to spend Christmas at home with my family.
“Any day without pain is a good day!”
I would have a number of minor to severe pain crisis episodes, especially within the two-year period between graduating college and landing my full-time job at the New York State Department of Health. None of these resulted in a hospital admission though (thank God!).
It was during this time where I adopted the lifestyle and phrase, “Any day without PAIN is a good day!” A motto and constant reminder that, with an illness as unpredictable and sometimes debilitating as sickle cell disease, you have to appreciate every single pain-free day.
Appreciate every pain-free breath, every pain-free step, every-pain free anything!
Now, I sign every email with the word “thankful” in my signature for two reasons: 1. Because my name actually means thankful, and 2. Because I’m thankful to be able to live a mostly pain-free life. Glory be to God!
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