Yellow Eyes

I always wondered why people who suffered with Sickle Cell Disease had yellow eyes. Not yellow contact lenses, but the white part of their eyes were yellow instead of white. I found the whites of my eyes would turn yellow periodically, and the only time they truly became white was when I was hooked up to an IV of glucose (sugar & water) in the hospital after a Sickle Cell crisis.
(picture is from internet...not me)

My curiosity peaked. I wanted an answer to this question, as well as all those people who asked me “Why are your eyes yellow?” Google came to my rescue as I searched key words “Yellow Eyes”, and here’s what I found.

1. Usually yellow eyes result from the build up of by-products from the increased destruction of red blood cells.

2. Yellow discoloration of the skin, and whites of the eyes are a result of an excess of the pigment Bilirubin in the bloodstream (also known as Jaundice) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaundice

3. Bilirubin is the yellow breakdown product of normal hemoglobin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilirubin

4. Heme is formed from hemoglobin, a principal component of red blood cells.

5. Bilirubin is excreted in bile, and if its levels are elevated, it is responsible for the yellow color of bruises and the yellow discoloration in jaundice.

Conclusion,
People with Sickle Cell have an increased number of “damaged/dead” red blood cells. These red blood cells contain hemoglobin that’s damaged/dead too. This damaged/dead hemoglogin contains Bilirubin which is the breakdown product of hemoglobin. A larger than normal amount of Bilirubin in the body, accumulates in the blood causing jaundice. (yellow skin and eyes, and darker than normal urine.)

Shout Out To Clinics

This is the first shout out (say hello) to all those people/clinics who provide comprehensive services for both adults and children and the families of those with Sickle Cell Disease.

The University of Illinois Medical Center has a mission to "improve the quality of life for individuals with sickle cell disease and to reduce the morbidity and mortality of the disease through high quality medical care, patient community education, and research into new therapies.

And, they do just that!

Their encouragement, compassion and quality medical support is greatly appreciated. People with Sickle Cell Disease live better because of your tireless work.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Why Is My Spleen Swollen?

After having a Sickle Cell crisis last year I experienced a new complication of Sickle Cell Disease. I experienced pain and swelling in the upper left part of my stomach. My doctors said that my spleen was swollen and that it should go down soon. Nine months later, it’s still swollen and tender to any pressure or touch. This problem isn’t going away.
I’d heard about spleen problems being associated with the many complications of Sickle Cell Disease, but I hadn’t got my dose of this problem, yet. Now that I’ve joined this happy group, I wanted to know more.

****** The problem I’m experiencing is called Hyposplenism (or reduced spleen function). And, they call it Asplenia (the absence of normal spleen function.)******

MY QUESTIONS ARE: What in the heck is the spleen and what is its function in the body?

1. The spleen is an organ in the upper left side of the abdomen that filters the blood by removing old or damaged blood cells and platelets.
2. It also helps the immune system by destroying bacteria and other foreign substances.
3. It also holds extra blood that can be released into the circulatory system if needed.
4. The spleen is a useful but is a nonessential organ. It is sometimes removed (splenectomy) in people who have blood disorders, such as thalassemia or anemia.
5. If the spleen is removed, a person’s of risk infection greatly increases.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Not much. As my spleen function decreases, I MUST prevent infections and get flu vaccines every winter. Eventually, my spleen may need to be removed as the “absence of normal function” causes more swelling, pain, or disfunction. I’ll hold my breath until that day comes…..just kidding, don’t want to turn blue too.

Oh well, life is hard, I'll get a helmet :-)

News Report About Sickle Cell Disease

News report from Oklahoma regarding the Sickle Cell Care Walk for Life. This report focuses on Joy Harrell, a mother, wife, and Sickle Cell patient.

We must remember, thousands of people around the world suffer from Sickle Cell Disease. Let's keep walking and talking to bring attention to this disorder.

Communication = Attention = Funding = Cure

September - Sickle Cell Awareness Month

SUFFERING IN SILENCE
Art by Nazaire
Order t-shirts of Nazaire's art at www.sicklecellart.com

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