Not Handicapped, I am Handicap-Able (How I overcome difficult times)

How did you overcome a difficult time? If I’m going to answer this question from my perspective, then I think this is a better way to ask this question, how are you not dead?
Then my answer would be, anytime death comes, I tell him “NOT TODAY”!

You may be wondering, why death? Well, I’ve not lost a very close relative nor have I ever been involved in a fatal accident.

Yes, but why death?

The thing is, I know death, I’ve seen death and I know what death does to his guests. I’ve seen people die more than I see girls apologize. The last time I spent a night in the hospital, there were eight of us and the next morning only three of us were breathing. I was only 12 then. When I left the hospital that day, I told my mom I won’t ever spend a night in a hospital, and for the first time, she didn’t try to shut me down.

My name is Native Boy, I live in Tamale 🇬🇭, I inherited a sickle cell genotype from my parents. The common sickle cells are the SS and As. My genotype is SC. Sickle cell crisis is the third most painful thing that a human being can experience, next to a person burnt alive and a woman giving birth. The SC genotype is a very uncommon sickle cell condition. The difference between SC and the other sickle cell genotypes is that SC carriers have fewer allergies and show fewer symptoms. I went to a boarding for three years and not even my closest friend had any idea of my sickle cell condition, even though I had frequent crises. I would leave school the moment I saw signs of a crisis approaching (my school was not very far from my house).

If you are reading this to find out how I overcome difficult times, there you have it. I have SC genotype and anytime he sends crisis to my door, I tell him “NOT TODAY”!

However, if you have an interest in finding out what it took me to shorn merely surviving with Sickle cell and start LIVING and THRIVING in all realms of life, then you are welcome to my journey of HandicapAble.

this is me

When I was a kid, anyone who saw me for the second time was left in a bombshell, how the hell am I still living? Everyone was convinced I would die the next day. During one of my severe Vaso-Occlusive crises, my legs become so useless that I couldn’t even raise them by myself. When my father finally got tired of my weak ass and dead legs, he yelled at me “YOU ARE GOING TO BE CRIPPLED FOR LIFE!”

My mom and I spent weeks in the homes of countless traditional herbalists in remote villages. Most of them swore that I would not see the next sunset. (Very laughable)

But guess what, most of these herbalists are dead now and I’m still here breathing and enjoying all the best things of life.

The most terrifying thing I’ve read about SC said many children born with SC lose their eyesight before they become teenagers. Well, I’m twenty-balling now and I can confidently say that, if what requires to see tomorrow was good eyesight, I wouldn’t need any glasses to tell you what tomorrow would look like.

However, I don’t mean to say sickle cell is a normal condition and the fact that I’ve been able to get used to it means anyone living with it should feel healthy like everyone else.

I had a terrible childhood, I’ve begged nurses to cut off my legs so that the pain could go away with the legs, and I saw other sickle cell children in the same ward with me die before my eyes, but it has also taught me a lot of courage, grit, and self-awareness. As a child, sickle cell denied me so many experiences. But as a young adult, I’m not depriving myself of any joy because I have a different genotype. I have sickle cell and that can not prevent me from thriving in all realms of life. My parents were traditional and superstitious. Most of the things they prevented me from doing had nothing to do with sickle cell.

I stopped worrying about sickle when I started researching about it. Everything about it gets better when you understand that you are different. Once you accept that you are not like everyone, you will eventually find out the little things that trigger the crisis and that’s how you’ll become free.

I still get frequent Vaso-occlusive crises but I’m able to manage it better now. I take folic acid regularly and I make sure to say away from all the things that I’m allergic to. I don’t even feel any shame talking about it anymore. It’s not very difficult.

me again😃

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Thank you so much for your time, i hope you enjoyed reading about me. Thanks to @hive.ghana for this interesting topic