I’m looking forward to life after shielding with sickle cell, despite some of the anxieties I have about what the new normal will be like.
Like many others living with sickle cell, I have been shielding since March 2020 when sickle cell was named as a high risk condition in the covid-19 pandemic.
My experience shielding is definitely a period of my life I will never forget and although I initially thought it would be a great time to rest and recover – from a hip operation I had in February 2020 – It did at times become overwhelming for many reasons.
As the government lifts the restrictions allowing those in high risk groups to end shielding and go out from 1st August 2020, I shared some of my thoughts in this BBC Three article along with other young shielders.
It will be interesting to see what life will be like after shielding with sickle cell, as I still have some anxiety about being ‘free’ but I feel like the best thing for me to do, as the title of the great book goes, is ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’.
