By: Samaria Fields
Gloria waves from the couch as we walk in to greet her. Despite feeling weak, she always make sure to greet everyone who walks into her home with a smile.
She stretches her arms while staying on the couch. Her daily stretches help to soothe her stiffness in her joints, although she can only move slowly and gently due to the pain caused by her sickle cell.
Gloria works out on her at home exercise machine. She tries to limit her workouts to a maximum of five minutes due to her fatigue quickly taking over.
Gloria decides to play her guitar in the den while seated on the couch. She loves music and has to find hobbies that don’t take too much strength.
Gloria decides to finish up a few chores that were left over from the previous day, such as the towels. Even simple chores, like folding a towel takes a lot out of her, Therefore, she likes to take her time doing each task.
She scrolls on her iPad, trying to find a game to keep her attention still on the couch. “You know I used to be a busy body, but there’s not much I can do now with my frail body,” she explains, “ That’s why I try to find things that can entertain me that I can use my mind for to try to keep busy even if I can’t move my body much.”
Gloria has finished her Chores in now places her assortment of medicines into her weekly pill sorter. She takes over six pills a day to manage her symptoms to ensure that she’s as healthy as she could possibly be.
Gloria now prepares to take her insulin shot still seated at the couch. Although this isn’t caused by sickle cell, the combination of both Sickle cell and diabetes causes her health issues to be more complicated.
Gloria fans her leg after cleaning it to prepare for her insulin injection. She has to sterilize the injection area because infections can happen quick and are too dangerous for her current health.
She gives herself her insulin injection in her thigh. She has been administering her injections by herself for the past five years: “ You get used to the needle, it doesn’t hurt too much anymore.”
She holds up her phone to show her blood sugar levels. A simple spike in her levels could place her at a risk, so she make sure that she checks her levels multiple times every day.
Gloria now decides to make herself a meal. Even making herself a meal tires her out, but she loves doing it because it gives her a sense of independence.
Gloria pours herself a glass of water. Drinks with too much sugar, such as tea and soda are off limits due to the amount of sugar affecting her diabetes.
Her daughter puts her insulin shots into the refrigerator, restocking them as gloria eats her dinner. Family members are essential to Gloria‘s routine, especially when she needs help with tasks That require her to exert herself.
Her daughter now cleans the dishes after dinner. “My mom always makes sure that everyone eats even if she forgets about herself, now we make sure she gets to rest.”
After eating her dinner, Gloria swallows her daily pills with a glass of water. These medicines are necessary: “ I feel like each day the amount of pills I have to take grows bigger and bigger.”
Gloria picks out a dress from her closet for tomorrow’s doctors appointment. She likes to plan ahead for long days for her hospital visits are always long and tiring.
She now brushes one of her wigs on a mannequin head. She gets too tired to be able to style her own hair that’s why she prefers to use wigs, they take less time and are less draining.
Glorious sit on the couch, watching whatever comes on TV. This form of entertainment offers her an escape from her daily routine that can often feel a bit constricting.
