Sickle cell disease is a group of disorders that affects hemoglobin, the molecule that delivers oxygen to blood cells throughout the body.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 70,000-100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease and 1 in 12 African Americas have the Sickle Cell Trait.
Characteristic features of this blood disorder include a low number of red blood cells (anemia), repeated infections, and periodic episodes of pain. The severity of symptoms varies from person to person. Some people have mild symptoms, while others are frequently hospitalized for more serious complications.
There are people that carry the sickle cell trait or even have the disease, but have never been diagnosed and don’t know they have it. This is the story of how I went to a plastic surgeon for breast implants and instead ended up with a diagnoses of sickle cell disease.
“Your blood test results show that you are severely anemic.”
This was a comment I became accustomed to hearing during my regular check-ups whenever I had blood work done. This mysterious blood-thing had plagued me for decades.
When I was in high school, we were encouraged to donate blood to the mobile blood bank that visited the school twice a year. All my friends thought I was crazy to donate my blood, but I thought, “Hey, if it doesn’t affect me or my life and it could benefit someone else, why not?” I entered the trailer with visions of all the people my blood would help. I exited 10 minutes later with a heart-shaped sticker on my chest that sadly read “I TRIED” in bold letters instead of the highly anticipated “I DONATED.” Apparently my blood was not suitable for donation. My friends thought this was hilarious. I was mortified.
Another blood-related incident happened in my early 20s when I went to a clinic to get my birth control prescription refilled. The doctor called me in. With a very sympathetic look, she gently said, “This is a well-woman’s clinic. We’ve tried to work with you to get your blood count up, but it’s still very low. Unfortunately, we can’t continue to prescribe birth control pills until we find out why you’re so anemic.” I was devastated. No more $10 co-pay birth control pills. I didn’t understand it. I felt fine. According to the doctors, with a blood count as low as mine, I should have felt extremely weak and tired. I tried taking the mega doses of iron that the doctor suggested. All I got was constipated. No elevated blood count. I stopped taking iron pills.
Years went by. I knew I still had the blood-thing, but I never had any health issues. Life went on and I rarely, if ever, thought about it. At one point, I thought that my blood disorder might have something to do with sickle cell anemia. But how could that be? I had heard that people with sickle cell anemia had painful episodes of fatigue and abdominal and bone pain and had to be hospitalized. I didn’t have any of that.
As gravity began to take its toll on my body, I considered getting breast implants. I wasn’t getting any younger, and I thought the “girls” could use a little lift.
I went to a cosmetic surgeon for a consultation. He asked me a series of questions, including what size implants I wanted and why I wanted “breast augmentation” as he called it. I told him, that I wasn’t looking to be Dolly Parton or anything, for me a mid C cup would do just fine. In response to why I wanted the implants, I told him, I wanted to balance out my figure. Satisfied with my answers, he said that I was a good candidate for the procedure. The first step would be to have some tests taken, including a blood test.
A few days went by, and I received a call from the surgeon’s office. “Everything seems to be fine, but there is something going on with your blood. You’re severely anemic. However, this may be something that’s normal for you. Before we can schedule the surgery, we’ll need to get an authorization from a blood specialist.” My heart sank. Not again. I had flash backs of the “I TRIED” sticker from high school.
He sent me to a hematologist who took more tests. When the results came back, she went over them with me, comparing my blood count with the normal range of blood cells. My range was definitely outside the norm. “Okay, so what does that mean?” I asked her. She hesitated and finally said, “Well, the tests indicate that you definitely have an anemia.” Tell me something I don’t know!
“I don’t want to say anything until I get confirmation from a specialist at UCLA,” she said. Another specialist? What the heck was going on?
My appointment at UCLA was brief and to the point. The doctor and I chatted about my overall health, eating and exercise habits before she got right to the point. “Your blood tests show that you have sickle cell disease.” She said that all my family members were most likely carriers of the sickle cell trait, as well. “You have a high level of fetal hemoglobin, which is probably why you haven’t experienced any symptoms.” She explained that the transition from the fetal to adult form of hemoglobin—the oxygen-carrying protein in blood—starts the onset of anemia and painful symptoms. Fetal hemoglobin has a much higher affinity to bind oxygen. If fetal hemoglobin remains the predominant form of hemoglobin after birth, the number of painful episodes decreases in people with sickle cell disease. “You’re very lucky,” she added.
That was over 10 years ago. I’ve remained symptom free since then. Needless to say, I never got breast implants.
Cynthia Gibson, is a runner, rower, hiker and all-around outdoor adventurer. She is also a consultant with CKG Communications, a boutique marketing and public relations firm based in Culver City, Calif. www.ckgcommunications.net
