Webtext draft

Adrianna Soverall
Multimodal Webtext
October 27, 2008

Sickle Cell Treatments
I was diagnosed with the sickle cell trait after birth. My mom had no idea what is was when the doctors told her that I had it and even though they explained it to her what it was, she really didn’t know what to expect out of it. I was a normal child nonetheless until she noticed that every time I got sick, that is with the flu or cold, that I would complain that my body hurt and I couldn’t walk and I was really skinny.
There after she did more research and realized that it was the trait that contributed to my immune system being especially weak at that time that caused me to be in such pain for such long periods of time. I never had a cold of flu for a couple days but it was more like a couple weeks. Then she knew she had to take the necessary procedures to maintain my health at all times and I had to then learn to take care of myself.
This is more directed to parents whose children are diagnosed with sickle cell disease and or like me, that have the trait, the necessary precautions and treatments that are needed to keep their children healthy.

Treatments
Currently there is no cure for the sickle cell disease. However there are treatments one can take who have the disease to keep it under control. Those being:
Ø Medicines and Fluids
Ø Hydroxyurea
Ø Bone Marrow Transplant
Ø Gene Therapy
Ø New Medicines; Butyric acid, Nitric oxide, Decitadine
Medicines and Fluids

Hydroxyurea
Hydroxyurea is used to treat different types of cancers and blood disorders such as Sickle cell anemia. While taking this medicine a lot of fluid intake is required.

Bone Marrow Transplant
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a relatively new medical procedure being used to treat diseases once thought incurable (Bone Marrow Transplant, 2008). This procedure has had a break through with Pamela’s Newton’s life, by her being considered the first adult cured from Sickle cell disease by means of this procedure. Bone marrow is a spongy like tissue found inside bones (Bone Marrow Transplant, 2008). The bone marrow in the breast bone, skull, hips, ribs and spine contains stem cells that produce the body's blood cells (Bone Marrow Transplant, 2008). These blood cells include white blood cells (leukocytes), which fight infection; red blood cells (erythrocytes), which carry oxygen to and remove waste products from organs and tissues; and platelets, which enable the blood to dot (Bone Marrow Transplant, 2008).

Gene Therapy
Genes, which are carried on chromosomes, are the basic physical and functional units of heredity. Genes are specific sequences of bases that encode instructions on how to make proteins. Although genes get a lot of attention, it’s the proteins that perform most life functions and even make up the majority of cellular structures. When genes are altered so that the encoded proteins are unable to carry out their normal functions, genetic disorders can result.


New Medicines; Butyric acid, Nitric oxide, Decitadine


Recommended Readings
1)Nursing Care Plans by Meg Gulanick, Susan Galanes, Audrey Klopp, Deidra Gradisher.
This is a nursing book which talks about general care of many types of medicines and fluids and what they are used for.


References

Bennett, J. (2008). Sickle Cell Success: promising rays of hope amid the continuing crusade for a cure. Ebony Magazine , 154-157.

Bone Marrow Transplant. (2008). Retrieved October 29, 2008, from Columbia University Medical Center: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/medicine/bonemarrow/bmtinfo.html

Gene therapy. (2008, September 19). Retrieved October 29, 2008, from Human Genome Project information: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/medicine/genetherapy.shtml