SICKLE CELL 101

Congratulations to the #SickleCell101 Birthday Giveaway winners! Thank you all so so very much for participating in our giveaway, we have gotten so much great feedback and such kind words from you all. Please know it will help shape the way we continue to provide content on our platforms. Sickle Cell 101 looks forward to providing a platform that better serves you the online #sicklecell community. If you would like to still provide feedback, you still can! (link in profile) We hope to host many more giveaways and find other fun ways to connect with our community. Thank you! ❤️ #sicklecelleducation #sicklecellawareness #giveaway https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp-PMDUHZxY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17gnhh2b2unft

LAST CHANCE! We’re selecting our winners in hours! To celebrate our #birthday we are giving away five $50 Visa Gift Cards. Winners will now be announced today at noon PST. If you haven’t already participated, simply repost your favorite Sickle Cell 101 post and tag us and fill out this five minute survey (link in profile) about #SickleCell101. #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp9r3ynntpK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1gnislwlqbmpv

We don’t usually do this, but this upcoming election is an important one. It will determine issues that can affect us all. Vote Save America (link in profile) is an online tool that provides a voter guide to what your local ballot looks like. It provides easy to understand material on each candidate and measures your region will vote on. Many of the items on your ballot may have a direct or indirect impact on those affected by #sicklecell disease. This is why it is important to be informed and vote on Tuesday, November 6 in the U.S. Midterm Elections. Vote Save America also has other tools ranging from whether you are registered to where you should go to vote. Please share with your friends and family! #vote #voterregistration #sicklecellawareness #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/BpxERvBHVux/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wfth0nvmpw4g

Next stop is Prairie View A&M University on Monday, November 5th! If you’re in the area be sure to stop by for #sicklecell education, awareness and empowerment! It’s going to be fun. #sicklecellcollegetour #hbcu #pvnation #prairieviewamuniversity #prairieview https://www.instagram.com/p/BpsNqyXnXH-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ngmwj465yjgx

Sickle Cell 101 is 5 years old! To celebrate our #birthday we are giving away five $50 Visa Gift Cards. Participating is easy! Simply repost your favorite Sickle Cell 101 post and tag us and fill out this five minute survey about #SickleCell101 in the link in our profile. We want to know what you think about us after 5 years. Thank you for five amazing years of #sicklecell education and awareness. Here’s to a better educated community and another five years! Winners will be announced next Thursday, November 8. #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/BpsMs1yHS24/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=i93yd3fs2d47

We’re five years old today! 🎉🎂🎈 We are feeling a bit nostalgic today, so check out some of our favorite #throwback posts, from the very beginning. In fact the very next post you swipe to is our very first post on social media! #SickleCell101 is celebrating into next week with a giveaway of five $50 Visa Giftcards. Check out yesterday’s post to participate (also the link in our bio). We want to know what you think about us after 5 years. Who’s been with us since the beginning?! Thank you for being amazing supporters. We cherish each and every one of our followers. #happybirthday #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/BpphgsinQnQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11jtb65j49fd2

If you are celebrating Halloween, please be sure to be mindful of and if needed, increase your water intake as trick-or-treating/festivities and consuming sugars can cause dehydration and can be a trigger for #sicklecell pain crisis. Have a safe #Halloween! #happyhalloween #SickleCell101 #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpm80FKgZO5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4oeu1ne6do0l

Sickle Cell 101 is turning five years old tomorrow, November 1st! To celebrate our #birthday we are giving away five $50 Visa Gift Cards. Participating is easy! Simply repost your favorite Sickle Cell 101 post and tag us and fill out this five minute survey (link in bio) about #SickleCell101. Thank you for five amazing years of #sicklecell education and awareness. Here’s to a better educated community and another five years! Winners will be announced next Thursday, November 8. #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpm4s4FHdIj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1px6i27wsw4ne

‘Tis the season for flu and colds. What ways do you prevent getting infections? Individuals with #sicklecell disease have a weakened immune system, which is why infection prevention is important. The single most important way to prevent the spread of these infectious diseases is to keep your hands clean by frequently washing your hands especially before you eat. Infections also spread when you come into contact with other individuals. #sicklecelleducation #sicklecell101 https://www.instagram.com/p/BpkZm2unAKS/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=zis0v23ffqzv

The amounts of hemoglobin A and hemoglobin S varies differently from person to person for individuals with sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease. Individuals with #sicklecell trait have mostly hemoglobin A and a smaller amount of hemoglobin S. #sicklecelleducation #sicklecell101 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bph6OlRH4kY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xw6a13xzt3ap

Think about it and look how far you’ve come. Keep fighting. #sicklecell #sicklecell101 https://www.instagram.com/p/BpU--4cnD1_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11lgiri84qi27

We 👏🏾 are 👏🏾 not 👏🏾 opioid 👏🏾 addicts. The only reason we get stigmatized as drug seekers is because sickle cell disproportionately affects blacks. It is heavily documented that the #sicklecell patient population does not abuse opioids more than any other chronic illness patient population. The same source states, “Although blacks make up 13 percent of Americans, they accounted for only 8 percent of opioid overdose deaths in 2015, the most recent year studied.” Source: Dr. Alexis Thompson, ASH; STAT NEWS, ‘Every time it’s a battle’: In excruciating pain, sickle cell patients are shunted aside by Sharon Begley #sicklecell101 #sicklecellawareness https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFeHM-HLJs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=59nqd0dm2nca

With so few resources available for the sickle cell community, we would not be where we are today without their help, for this we’d like to show our appreciation and dedicate today’s post to Sickle Cell 101’s  2018 sponsors. Not only have they helped support #sicklecell education, they help us to keep moving forward. To learn more about our sponsors please visit https://linktr.ee/sicklecell101 (links in bio). #sicklecell101 #sicklecellawareness https://www.instagram.com/p/BpAVcrEguaz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1qrol9qpicda5

Who has experienced sickle cell retinopathy? Generally, SCD patients with Hb SC have higher levels of hemoglobin, which results in higher viscosity (or more thickness) in the blood. As a result, this causes #retinopathy or damage to the retina of the eye. #sicklecell #sicklecell101 #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/BozcQJ3AA5u/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ewg6abeu6cxu

If you’re filling a cavity, you should be take antibiotics a few hours before the procedure. “Because it is not possible to predict when a susceptible patient will develop an infection, prophylactic antibiotics are recommended for all all patients with a compromised immune system.” Source: Guideline on Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Dental Patients at Risk for Infection #SickleCell101 #sicklecell #sicklecelleducation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bow6dJ1A8UY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=glxcpub7ulmy

Describe a specific incident that occured while you were getting care for #sicklecell Did you resolve the matter? For our upcoming podcast episode (The Sickle Cell Podcast), we will be talking about mistreatment sickle cell patients endure while in a healthcare setting. This could range from clinic to ER. #SickleCell101 #sicklecell #sicklecellawareness #thesicklecellpodcast https://www.instagram.com/p/BouTE_GgveC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1v9amladb8bk7

It’s easy to get distracted, but the only way you will succeed is by keeping your eyes on the prize. #sicklecell #sicklecell101 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bor5mooAk0q/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=l486qu1drp3i