Summary: Sickle Cell Disease affects 1 in 375 African Americans in the United States. It also occurs in ethnic groups from South and Central America, the Mediterranean, and India. A process called sickling causes severe throbbing and gnawing pain in the back, joints of the hands and feet, long bones, and abdomen. Children as young as 1yr of age may begin having these painful episodes called a crisis, lasting for hours to even days. Albert Johnson, better known as Prodigy, an American rapper and author of the book, My Infamous Life shares his personal story of living with the pain of sickle cell anemia. Dr. William Zempsky, Head of the Division of Pain Medicine at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center then provides “up to date” recommendations on preventing and treating sickle cell crises.
