Athletes and the Sickle Cell Trait

[Lady Chi]

Do you believe these allegations that the Sickle Cell Trait is now all of sudden killing athletes?

[Stefiebunni]

To be honest, right now, I think it could be possible. I only have the trait and I have had a lot of problems like I have the actual disease.I had to go to the hospital not too long ago because I got too hot and passed out and another I was in gym in high school and I passed out,the ambulance came and got me and they said my cells were starting to sickle causing me not to get enough oxygen,anything it possible.

[Lady Chi]

Thank you so much for your answer, I know the American Association of SCA announced that it wasn't possible for a person to die from the trait. I guess with the sudden temper changes, just like those with the actual disease will sickle up (but a whole lot faster and intensely) it happens to those with the trait. But dying? I'm not so sure.

I am in no way taking away from your truth. I appreciate you answering, because I wasn't really hearing anything from those who have the trait on this subject, although many of people do not get tested for it. I just learned that one of my first cousin's, JUST found out at 31 that he has the trait.

Stefiebunni said:

To be honest, right now, I think it could be possible. I only have the trait and I have had a lot of problems like I have the actual disease.I had to go to the hospital not too long ago because I got too hot and passed out and another I was in gym in high school and I passed out,the ambulance came and got me and they said my cells were starting to sickle causing me not to get enough oxygen,anything it possible.

[Stefiebunni]

I think it's possible to die from it because I stopped breathing when I had one and it hurted so bad..if that's just a taste of what the trait is like..I feel so bad for you guys that have the disease.I know that's right, a lot of people don't know they have the trait until it's too late and their child is born with it or a grandchild..I thought they checked for that at birth automatically?When I was born,they tested me and my twin brother but he had the disease and passed. What really confused me is that my dad told me they said he was the one that was going ot live,he was a healthy size,and everything but he caught pnuemonia all of a sudden..and they said I wasn't going to make it because I only weighed about 6.5 pounds,and I was Iron Def.,but i'm still here..I guess it was meant to be that way.Maybe the reason they checked us at birth was because we had a family history of it.I pray when my results come back I don't have SCD or Beta..

[Lady Chi]

Unfortunately the doctors were mistaken about your brother. They check for the traits or disease automatically at birth if you are of African descent. And I hope that you don't have either one also. *hug*

Stefiebunni said:

I think it's possible to die from it because I stopped breathing when I had one and it hurted so bad..if that's just a taste of what the trait is like..I feel so bad for you guys that have the disease.I know that's right, a lot of people don't know they have the trait until it's too late and their child is born with it or a grandchild..I thought they checked for that at birth automatically?When I was born,they tested me and my twin brother but he had the disease and passed. What really confused me is that my dad told me they said he was the one that was going ot live,he was a healthy size,and everything but he caught pnuemonia all of a sudden..and they said I wasn't going to make it because I only weighed about 6.5 pounds,and I was Iron Def.,but i'm still here..I guess it was meant to be that way.Maybe the reason they checked us at birth was because we had a family history of it.I pray when my results come back I don't have SCD or Beta..

[Thatmom - Monette]

I'm still reading about this and as a former athlete, someone who works out pretty strenuously and also has the sickle cell trait, this topic is of particular interest.

I can't recall having had any problems that I could attribute to my having the SC trait. I can recall passing out twice in my life time, once after running a marathon and the other after a 10 mile run ... both times I had come home showered, changed and proceeded about my day "as if" my body hadn't just literally run a marathon. I can say that after both runs, I didn't refuel my body like I should have.

[Lady Chi]

I can see that. I spoke with an ex-military man with SC trait and he said that he didn't have any problems with boot camp or otherwise. (FYI, Ms. Stefie, the poster above found out that she is suffering from another condition that is not SC, after I urged her to get tested again.)

But this is totally new to me also. I remember the big trial about the young teenager that died on the field in last year and they ruled in the staff's favor after they ran him and didn't hydrate him properly according to the family. They just blamed it on the SC trait. Even the AASCDA (American Association of Sickle Cell Disease of America) disputed this. It was a travesty.

I believe that anything is possible...but unlikely in this scenario. Now everytime a person dies of athleticism, they are going to look for the SC trait and blame it on that by default if they are African American or even Latino. That's unacceptable in my opinion.

Monette Thompson said:

I'm still reading about this and as a former athlete, someone who works out pretty strenuously and also has the sickle cell trait, this topic is of particular interest.

I can't recall having had any problems that I could attribute to my having the SC trait. I can recall passing out twice in my life time, once after running a marathon and the other after a 10 mile run ... both times I had come home showered, changed and proceeded about my day "as if" my body hadn't just literally run a marathon. I can say that after both runs, I didn't refuel my body like I should have.