What is Avascular Necrosis?

Avascular Necrosis is one of many complications of Sickle Cell Disease. This condition is a result of temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to bones. Without blood, bone tissue dies and causes the bone to collapse. If dead bone tissue is near a joint (hip or knee), the joint may also collapse.

Is this painful? YES

I was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis (also known as Osteonecrosis) in 1992. After having multiple Sickle Cell "crisis" in my legs, the lack of blood supply to my hip joints over-time caused Avascular Necrosis in both my hips. The cartilage has also decayed causing bone-on-bone exposure. When I walk, sometimes I hear a crunching sound from joint and bone rubbing against each other. The only long-term treatment for this condition is hip replacement.

A few years later, I was also diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis in my right knee which also causes joint pain and swelling. The eventual treatment for this condition is a knee replacement.

Am I afraid? NO

I have found herbs and vitamins that strengthen bones, help with pain, reduce swelling, and have given me some relief (and postponed the hip and knee replacement).

NOTE: I drink LOTS OF WATER everyday and I don't take any of these items everyday. I alternate them and sometimes I rest my system and don't take anything at all. Everything in moderation!!!!!!

Here's what I take:

Osteo Renew - for bone strengthening
Women's Ultra Mega - for bone health
any Multi-vitamin - any brand for vitamins A-zinc
any Antioxidant (with Green Tea, Grape Seed and Pine Bark) - to keep infection down.
Folic Acid - for blood
B-12 - for blood
Maxi-Minerals - for extra minerals needed for bone health
MSM - for joint and cartilage health
Garlic - for overall infection reduction
Iron - for blood
Cod Liver Oil - for vitamins A & D and joint lubrication
Flax Seed Oil - for overall health and joint lubrication
Arnica massage oil - to massage on knee and hip joints for pain
Yogi Joint Comfort Tea - drink tea to help relieve pain (It works!)
Echinacea/Golden Seal Tea - drink for immune health (helps cold/flu)

It's 2008, I'm not dancing anymore, but I'm still walking and still thankful for no titanuim replacements in my bones. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris

Doctor's at Emory University and Harvard Medical School are working for long-term solutions to find a cure for Sickle Cell Disease, not just a treatment.

Chris is one story about receiving a bone marrow transplant. The long-term results are yet to be seen. But, let's cheer on the doctors for making these treatments available.

Roxanne

This is not uncommon. When admitted into the hospital, some Sickle Cell patients encounter doctors unfamiliar with Sickle Cell Disease. Some doctors may think you're on drugs, over-reacting to pain, or unsure of how to treat you. The more we talk about Sickle Cell Disease, the more doctors will investigate this disease and educate themselves.

DNA in Cord Blood Cures?????

Healthy DNA is taken from stem cells that are in the cord blood of healthy pregnant women. Stem Cell research is going on at Johns Hopkins and other hospitals around the country.

Read about this story at:
http://www.cordblood.com/cord_blood_banking_with_cbr/realpeople_realstories/davis/index.asp

Your Story - Preston Carson

My first story is about Preston Carson. Born January 27, 1949 in Evansville Indiana, Preston was the second of nine children of Cora and Charles Carson. He weighed 9.5 lbs, but his mother Cora sensed something was wrong.

The first six months of his life were normal, but Cora noticed the whites of his eyes were sort of yellow. He was first diagnosed with Yellow Jaundice with low blood count. After swelling of his hands, feet and belly, doctor’s diagnosed Preston with a spleen dysfunction. It wasn’t until Preston was three years old and after various illnesses; he was diagnosed to have Sickle Cell Anemia. Preston inherited a Sickle Cell hemoglobin (S) gene from each parent.

Preston’s parents never heard of Sickle Cell disease and never knew they each carried the trait. Once they were educated about the disease, they had all their children tested, and out of 9 children, all but one tested positive for the trait. Preston had one Sickle Cell crisis after another, enduring swelling, bloating, pain and seizures. He also lived with great risk of infection because his spleen would always swell with every Sickle Cell pain episode.

As a child, when Preston was admitted into the hospital for one illness or another, doctors would bring groups of interns in to study him; observing and writing while he sat and watched them. In the 1950’s, doctors just didn’t know enough about Sickle Cell Anemia, so they used patients like Preston to learn. Preston’s first memories of life were having needles in his arms and blood transfusions. Doctor’s originally told Preston’s parents that he would not live five years after his initial diagnosis. Later, they told them, Preston wouldn’t live past 15 years old. Preston did live.

Preston grew up, got married, and was the proud father of a daughter. He rode a motorcycle, enjoyed 4H Club activities, wrote poetry, fished, drove race cars, and played tennis. Beside living life the best he could, Preston did feel the strain to not be depressed, or feel physically inferior. He believed people automatically looked down at him because of his physical limitations. He also believed if people knew how it felt to live in pain all of their lives, and have no one understand their hurt, they would be more caring. He wanted someone to tell his story and his mother-in-law Beatrice did.

Beatrice Brewer wrote “Crystals in My Bone”, Authorhouse, 2005. This book is sort of scrapbook of Preston’s family, his life and his struggles with Sickle Cell disease. In this book, Beatrice tells funny family stories mixed with Preston’s own stories about life. Beatrice ends her book with an obituary and a poem. The obituary reads, “Mr. Preston Eric Carson, January 27, 1949 - August 30, 1996.”

The poem reads,

"Millionaire by Preston Carson (written when he was 32).

A millionaire with surplus cash I’m sure I’ll never be,
But with my dear ones by my side this will not bother me;
I’m sure it’s true for most of us small families everywhere,
We’ve all the riches that we need if we have love to share.”