(Verse 1) Tones drop low in the middle of the night “Chest pain with breathing problems ” call, red lights cut the light Young face, old fight, curled up tight Sickle cell storm and it’s hittin’ just right I kneel down close, keep my voice calm “Is this your normal, or something wrong?” Patterns we’ve learned, where the pain might be But every crisis writes its own story (Pre-Chorus) “Any fever? Short of breath tonight? Chest pain when you breathe, does it feel that tight?” (Chorus) Between the crises, we read the signs From aching bones to failing lungs in time This disease is real—no room for jokes Every call reminds me how serious it goes IV line in, fluids start to flow Trying to calm what we can’t control From the street to the ER door We carry the weight of something more (Verse 2 – Acute Chest Syndrome) Now he’s clutchin’ chest, says it hurts to breathe Coughin’ up blood, just a trace we see Low-grade fever, lungs on fire Short of breath climbing higher and higher Nonproductive cough but the danger’s real Young with disease, but the scars reveal And it can turn fast, no time to spare Respiratory failure hangin’ in the air (Pre-Chorus) We call it in early, let the hospital know Acute chest syndrome—this ain’t status quo (Chorus) Between the crises, we read the signs From silent hypoxia to collapsing lines Monitor beeps, oxygen tight We fight for breath in the fading light IV fluids running wide Trying to stabilize what’s inside From the street to the ER door We carry the weight of something more (Verse 3 – Abdominal & Joint Crisis) Now it shifts—pain deep in the gut Sudden and constant, it won’t let up Not always pinpoint, spreads like flame Nausea, vomiting—never the same Then joints lock up, no trauma in sight Single or many, they burn with spite Range of motion, barely there Hips at risk beyond repair (Bridge – Stroke Awareness) Then words start slurring, one side goes weak Too young for stroke, but we’ve learned to see Sickle cell changes the rules we know We pre-notify before we go Exchange therapy might be the plan Not always tPA for this kind of scan Time is brain, we move with speed Different pathway for a different need (Breakdown – Pain Control) Morphine drawn, 2 to 4 IV, IO, IM—ease the core Repeat half dose every five Max of ten to keep alive Peds dose 0.1 per kilo weight Max ten total, five each state Or fentanyl, 50 to 100 mcg IV, IO, IM, IN as we see Repeat half dose every five again Max 300 before we end Peds 0.5 per kilo we give Max 2 per kilo so they live Ketamine slow, 0.3 per kilo drip 100 mL over ten-minute trip Or IM push if needed fast Max 30 mg so it’ll last Repeat in twenty if pain still screams Only if they’re past Broselow means (Chorus) Between the crises, we fight the pain Through every dose, through every vein This isn’t simple, this isn’t small Sickle cell’s serious—we feel it all Fluids wide open, bolus in Trying to fill what’s lost within From bones to lungs, from gut to brain We chase relief through waves of pain (Outro) Sirens echo, but the stakes run high Seen it turn in the blink of an eye From stable breath to a failing chest— We never take lightly a call like this We hand them off, but it stays with me— The weight of a life in every crisis we see.
