Today I met with my new team: the sickle cell research group. Dr. King had me come in and talk about potential projects.

First off, a few sickle cell anemia facts...

-People with SCD are chronically anemic. In addition to their blood cells lasting only 9-12 days versus the 90-120 days of normal blood cells, they also transport less oxygen, because of their shape.

-About 10% of kids have strokes by 15 years. An additional 10-15% have experienced a silent cerebral infarct, which basically means that the stroke didn't manifest physically, so it wasn't detected. It's detectable by scan, though. And they DEFINITELY have been found to effect neurological processes, such as memory, learning, and attention, if you compare them to SCD kids without silent cerebral infarct.

-Sickle cells are less flexible, and shaped like half-moons. A lot of times, this means that they will "catch" each other, especially in small vessels. This can result in a complete blockage of blood flow to certain areas, and is insanely painful (I've seen a few at camp to know that). The crazy bit? Sometimes these can last just hours, but often times, they'll also last days, weeks, or months.

-SCD is now becoming more of a lifelong chronic illness, because of medical advances. Now, over 90% make it through their teenage years (sadly, the life-expectancy is still only until the 40s though). Because they're living longer, there are many unexplored aspects of the disease. For example, now, it's even more important to have high-quality transition programs, adult care etc.

The last part is more of what I'll be focusing on, although I'll use elements from the first 3. Dr. King actually requires her students to complete two studies, instead of just one. A specific project won't be chosen until this summer, but I'll definitely be working with teens on something related to transition planning (getting them ready for the next stage of life by targeting cognitive deficits (consistent with SCD) with functional interventions/adult clinic care).

I'm really excited about the group I'm in and the people that I'm with. Ashley Housten is the other OTD student in the King lab, and she's fantastic! I appreciate that everyone in the group is nice, but still direct. I won't bore you too much with what I'm doing, but I'll update you from time to time, starting this summer. So, a few details to come over the next few years.

Also, I am so so excited about Poon this weekend. I keep hearing of more and more people that are coming! I'm staying at Hotel Paylan (aka Arpi's house) with a host of other people, which is a whole 'nother part of the fun. THREE DAYS!