That's my kid sister with me and though she is 25 now, sometimes we still treat her like she is 12. The urge and the need to want to protect and fuss over our loved ones who have sickle cell disease can be difficult to control because we love them so much and just don't want to see them get hurt. I know my brother didn't really enjoy it when my mum would constantly fuss over him as a child and even at age 33. I can understand that need when they are children because they still need to be taken care of and supervised but at the same time, we should be mindful about making them feel like something is wrong with them or that they are different from others, even if they are.
Kids really don't want to be made to feel like they are different from others under any circumstances but it is our job as parents, siblings, friends and loved ones to help them understand that even though they may be different, it isn't anything to feel ashamed of or fearful about and that regardless of whatever, they can have a quality of life that is just as beautiful and rich as anyone else's. When these kids become adults, they feel confident and take pride in themselves that despite having health issues that require possibly more attention and monitoring, they can still live full and vibrant lives.
As an adult, friends play a more prominent role. Don't leave them out of activities or make them feel like they will be unable to do things just because they have SCD. I know my brother had a lot of friends and he never felt left out of things because his friends understood that he needed to feel included. He was very social and did a lot of fun activities with his friends all the time. Whenever he felt tired or stressed, he would be the one to make the decision not to be a part of something and not his friends excluding him from whatever was going on. Sometimes he would even still want to partake in activities when he was tired just because he did not want to feel like he was missing out and that was a psychological thing for him. It could be a different set of standards for guys and ladies but I will address that in my next post. It's only been recently that my family really became more open to letting my sister be more social and go out with her friends.
I know how much of a struggle it can be as a sibling and a friend to want to be overprotective of those we love and care about but it is important to make a conscious effort to let our friends and family live their best lives and trust that when they do need us to worry, they will let us know...LOL.
I appreciate that you keep coming back to read my take on sickle cell disease from a personal point of view and hope you are learning a few things and enjoying the content as well. Are you currently struggling with this as a friend or family member? Or are you someone living with SCD and are still being treated like you come with a 'TREAT AS FRAGILE' label? Interested to hear your opinion.
Love Always
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