Year 12 student Tilly speaks with community pharmacist, Olabike, who has sickle cell disease (SCD) which means her red blood cells are shaped like half-moons and don’t live as long as other red blood cells.
SCD also means Olabike’s red blood cells cannot carry as much oxygen and can cause blockages in small blood vessels, resulting in a sickle cell crisis. Growing up, she was unable to play outside too much and remembers always being the one told to come inside, sit down and drink more. Many hospital admissions meant there was a lot of school missed and Olabike says she made excuses to her friends about not being able to join them in activities.
SCD can be painful, as oxygenated blood can no longer reach tissues, and they slowly start to die, resulting in a build-up of aching pains. As a response, the body inflames the area, causing more severe pain which can last several days. Olabike says a crisis starts slow and builds but that it can go from zero to one hundred in 30 seconds. In the past, she had frequent crises that hugely impacted on her life, however 10 years ago she started taking a medication called hydroxycarbamide which has helped a lot. She does still get pain if she becomes too cold, but manages this with over-the-counter painkillers.
Olabike’s childhood ambition was to study medicine, inspired by her dad who is a doctor, and by the time she spent in hospitals as a child due to her SCD. However, she decided that the stress and long hours would make a career as a doctor difficult. Instead, following her passions for science, helping people, and understanding the medications she was on, Olabike pursued pharmacy.
She believes having SCD gives her more empathy in her professional role, especially for those with SCD and other painful conditions. She says: “In a crisis, you can feel quite desperate. People with SCD don’t want to be in hospital, we’ve tried everything else first. It helps when a healthcare professional trusts that we know how it feels, and asks what do you need?”
As she reflects on her time at university, Olabike concludes: “You’ll need a team to lean on. Learn to manage yourself, your stress, know your limits and make adjustments. It’s okay to take a re-sit or ask for an extension, just keep faith that you will finish!”
