My WebMD: Inspiring Others With Sickle Cell Anemia
My WebMD: Inspiring Others With Sickle Cell Anemia
Amanda Jackson tells her story of growing up with this blood disorder and then learning to help others.
Today, I'm 61, have seven grandchildren, and my own children are 34 and 36. They carry the gene for sickle cell anemia but don't have the disease. I still have crises about three or four times a year, but I watch my diet -- I don't eat a lot of meat or sugar. And I try not to overdo things. If I get too tired or anxious, I have a crisis. It's like tiptoeing around a monster and not wanting to alert it.
But I'm pretty active; I walk a lot. I lead women's retreats and conventions for churches. And I talk a lot to teens with sickle cell. I try to inspire them to have a life. I tell them not to worry about what they've missed, just look for what's coming next. I never gave up. I had no self-pity.
My WebMD: Living a Normal Life With Sickle Cell Anemia
Amanda Jackson tells her story of growing up with this blood disorder and then learning to help others.
Controlling Sickle Cell Anemia
Today, I'm 61, have seven grandchildren, and my own children are 34 and 36. They carry the gene for sickle cell anemia but don't have the disease. I still have crises about three or four times a year, but I watch my diet -- I don't eat a lot of meat or sugar. And I try not to overdo things. If I get too tired or anxious, I have a crisis. It's like tiptoeing around a monster and not wanting to alert it.
But I'm pretty active; I walk a lot. I lead women's retreats and conventions for churches. And I talk a lot to teens with sickle cell. I try to inspire them to have a life. I tell them not to worry about what they've missed, just look for what's coming next. I never gave up. I had no self-pity.
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