Being diagnosed with chronic Sickle Cell Anemia Disease, I am hospitalized almost monthly, sometimes more, due to pain crisis, fever, dehydration and overall body shut-down. Since the age of 14 I have also suffered with extremely high blood pressure and in the last 3 years, I have had a total right hip replacement.
However, I have never let this disease totally rule my life. I have pursued my education with a vengeance and I am starting my third year of college at the age of 20. My current dual enrollment at the University of Medicine and Dentistry and Kean University, has largely increased my need for transportation and mobility.
My first two years of undergraduate coursework, I lived in the residence halls at Kean University which had various means of transportation. The second part of my degree is taken at the University of Medicine and Dentistry. I am taking classes in which it takes an hour by bus there and an hour back (when the bus is on time). When not hospitalized, I often have numerous doctor appointments and checkups and my guardian has to take time off work to take me back and forth to the doctor’s office. I have a minimum of four doctor’s appointments a month due to hypertension, sickle cell anemia, a vascular necrosis and pain management.
In, Now that I have to commute to UMDNJ for school, the extreme heat and cold weather will be devastating to my disease and commuting will be very hard. A car would help me out a lot between school and doctors appointments and achieve my goal of a degree in Health Information Management.
BTW..Christine616 sent me.
