[*MUSIC STARTS PLAYING*]
AN ATHLETE SQUATTED 500 REPS IN 20 MINUTES.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS KIDNEYS.
KG IS A 21 YEAR OLD MAN, PRESENTING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, UNCONSCIOUS.
PARAMEDICS TELL THE ADMITTING NURSE THAT HE HAD AT LEAST 2 SEIZURES IN THE LAST 15 MINUTES.
KG WAS A COLLEGE ATHLETE.
BEFORE THE SUMMER TO HIS JUNIOR YEAR, HE HAD FALLEN BEHIND.
KG BROKE UP WITH HIS LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND AND BECAME DEPRESSED.
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, HE LIMITED HIS TRAINING BECAUSE HE DIDN’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.
WHEN THINGS CLEARED UP, KG NEEDED TO CATCH UP WITH HIS TEAMMATES ON HIS PRESEASON CONDITIONING.
HE STARTED MAXING OUT HIS WORKOUTS, EVERYDAY.
HE DID SEVERAL DRILLS EARLY IN THE MORNING.
HE CAME BACK LATER THAT DAY TO DO SPRINTS ON A BIKE.
THE NEXT MORNING, MORE DRILLS.
THEN ABS FOR 2 HOURS AT NIGHT.
HE MOVED ON TO 150 REPS EACH OF BENCH PRESS, PULL UPS, AND SQUATS.
HE DIDN’T CARE HOW MANY SETS IT WOULD TAKE, AS LONG AS HE COULD WORK IN ALL THE REPS.
AS WEEKS PASSED, KG BUILT HIMSELF UP TO 3 WORKOUTS DAILY, EACH ONE AT MAXIMUM INTENSITY.
AND HE MADE HIS WAY UP TO 500 REPS FOR EACH LIFT.
ONE DAY, KG’S TEAMMATES FELT SOMETHING WRONG.
BEFORE TRAINING STARTED, HE COMPLAINED THAT HIS URINE WAS RED.
DURING THIS WORKOUT, HE WOULDN’T GO LOW ENOUGH ON HIS SQUATS.
HIS VISION WOULD DARKEN HALFWAY THROUGH EACH SET.
ON HIS 500TH REP OF SQUAT, KG STRUGGLED.
AND THEN, HE COLLAPSED.
TEAMMATES THOUGHT HE WAS JOKING, UNTIL HE STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY.
COACHES CALLED FOR AN AMBULANCE.
KG REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS.
BUT PARAMEDICS SAW HIM BECOME UNRESPONSIVE AGAIN AS HE ARRIVES TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM
WHERE WE ARE NOW.
GIVEN THIS HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS, THERE’S A FEW CLUES AS TO WHAT’S HAPPENING.
DURING EXERCISE, THE BODY NEEDS WATER AND OXYGEN TO KEEP UP WITH THE EXTRA ENERGY DEMAND.
KG’S 500 REPS OF SQUAT WAS PROBABLY PUSHING THINGS TOO HARD BECAUSE PARTS OF HIS MUSCLES
WERE FOUND IN HIS URINE, MEANING HE HAS RHABDOMYOLYSIS.
RHABDO MEANING STRIPED, REFERRING TO THE LOOK OF SKELETAL MUSCLE.
AND LYSIS MEANING A BREAKING DOWN OF.
AN EXTREME BREAKDOWN OF SKELETAL MUSCLE AS THE TISSUE LEAKS ITS REMAINS INTO HIS BLOODSTREAM.
THE KIDNEYS ARE SUPPOSED TO FILTER BLOOD.
BUT THEY’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO FILTER MUSCLE PROTEIN.
HIS KIDNEYS ARE GOING TO BECOME PERMANENTLY DAMAGED.
THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE WHO PUSHES THEIR WORKOUTS TOO HARD, BUT FOR KG, THIS LOOKS
LIKE IT’S HAPPENING ON TOP OF SOMETHING ELSE.
KG MENTIONED TO HIS TEAMMATES THAT HIS URINE HAD BECOME RED, EARLIER THAT DAY.
ANOTHER URINE SAMPLE FOUND HEMATURIA.
BLOOD PRESENCE IN URINE, COMING FROM ONLY HIS LEFT KIDNEY.
IN HUMANS, THE LEFT KIDNEY IS BIGGER THAN THE RIGHT AND THE ARTERY THAT FLOWS BLOOD
IN TO THE LEFT KIDNEY IS SHORTER THAN THE ARTERY THAT FLOWS IN TO THE RIGHT.
BECAUSE A SHORTER ARTERY MEANS LESS RESISTANCE TO FLOW, MORE BLOOD NATURALLY GOES TO THE
LEFT.
KIDNEY STONES OR AN INFECTION CAN CAUSE ONE-SIDED HEMATURIA, BUT KG DOESN’T HAVE EITHER ONE
OF THOSE, SO SOMETHING ELSE IS CAUSING THIS.
HIS RIGHT KIDNEY IS FINE, FOR NOW.
DOCTORS READ MORE IN TO KG’S MEDICAL RECORD AND FIND THAT HE HAS SICKLE CELL TRAIT.
TRAIT, NOT DISEASE.
AND THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.
SICKLE CELL IN GENERAL IS WHEN THE RED BLOOD CELLS BECOME SICKLE SHAPED.
NORMALLY, RED BLOOD CELLS ARE AN OVAL, SMOOTH SHAPE.
WHEN RED BLOOD CELLS SICKLE, THEY BECOME SHARP, THEY DRAG ON BLOOD VESSEL WALLS, THEY CLUMP
TOGETHER, AND THEY BLOCK BLOOD FLOW, WHICH CAUSES PROBLEMS.
BUT, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO SICKLE BY THEMSELVES FOR NO REASON THOUGH.
THEY DO IT BECAUSE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THEIR HEMOGLOBIN, WHICH IS THE PROTEIN INSIDE
THAT CARRIES OXYGEN.
PROTEINS ARE MADE FROM GENES IN YOUR DNA.
GENES COME IN PAIRS.
SICKLE CELL DISEASE MEANS BOTH HEMOGLOBIN GENES IN THAT PERSON ARE MUTATED.
[DR. PAVLOS MSAOUEL] IF BOTH COPIES OF THE GENE ARE CHANGED, THEN THE CELLS WILL LOOK LIKE
SICKLES EVERYWHERE.
MOST OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SICKLE CELL ARE OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY.
THERE CAN BE PEOPLE OF LATINO ANCESTRY AND CAUCASIANS AS WELL, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY
ARE BLACKS.
AND WHY DID IT DEVELOP?
IT HAPPENED BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE THE SICKLE CELL TRAIT, IT CAN PROTECT YOU FROM MALARIA.
[DR. BERNARD] WHICH IS AN INFECTION THAT TARGETS RED BLOOD CELLS.
IN A PERSON WITH SICKLE CELL TRAIT, ONLY 1 GENE IS SICKLE AND THE OTHER GENE IS NORMAL.
RED BLOOD CELLS IN SICKLE CELL TRAIT DON’T SICKLE UNLESS THE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT.
AND IN KG, THOSE CONDITIONS WERE RIGHT.
IF BLOOD HAS WATER, AND RED BLOOD CELLS HOLD OXYGEN, BUT KG HAS A GENETIC ABNORMALITY THAT
AFFECTS THE PROTEIN THAT CARRIES THAT OXYGEN, THEN SICKLE CELL TRAIT EXPLAINS WHY HIS MUSCLES
ARE DYING, AND WHY HE HAS HEMATURIA.
THE KIDNEYS FILTER BLOOD TO PRODUCE URINE.
A BETTER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS, IS THAT THE KIDNEYS REABSORB WATER, AND THE REST BECOMES
URINE.
BUT HOW DO THEY DO THIS?
IN A SMALL SCIENCE EXPERIMENT, SALTY WATER IS PLACED IN A TUBE.
THE TUBE IS SUBMERGED IN A POOL OF DISTILLED WATER.
YOU WILL SEE THAT WATER FLOWS IN TO THE TUBE.
THAT WATER FLOWS TOWARDS WHERE THERE’S SALT.
IN THE KIDNEY, FILTERED BLOOD GOES IN TO THE MEDULLA.
THIS ENVIRONMENT IS “SALTY” AND LOW IN OXYGEN.
BECAUSE WATER FLOWS TOWARDS WHERE THERE’S SALT, THE KIDNEYS USE THIS SALTY MEDULLA,
TO GET WATER TO FLOW IN SO IT CAN BE REABSORBED.
DURING EXERCISE, YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN SO YOUR BODY CAN HAVE AS MUCH WATER AVAILABLE
AS POSSIBLE.
WHAT DOESN’T GET REABSORBED, IS WHAT BECOMES URINE.
WHEN WATER FLOWS TOWARDS SALT, THAT SALTY REGION BECOMES DILUTE.
SO AS MORE WATER GETS REABSORBED, THE KIDNEY MEDULLA BECOMES LESS SALTY.
THIS IS NATURAL.
THE CELLS HERE [ASCENDING LIMB] ARE DESIGNED TO FIGHT THIS AND PUMP IN MORE SALT.
THIS MAINTAINS THE SALTINESS AND MAKES SURE THAT WATER CAN CONTINUE TO FLOW IN TO THE
MEDULLA TO GET REABSORBED.
BUT WHEN SOMETHING IS PUMPED IN, YOU NEED ENERGY TO DO THAT PUMPING.
WHEN SOMETHING NEEDS ENERGY, IT NEEDS OXYGEN TO MAKE THAT ENERGY, AND THIS IS WHERE KG’S
PROBLEM HAPPENS.
THE MEDULLA ALREADY HAS LOW OXYGEN BECAUSE THAT HELPS IT STAY SALTY.
KG HAS SICKLE CELL TRAIT, MEANING HIS RED BLOOD CELLS HAVE A MUTATED FORM OF HEMOGLOBIN,
WHICH IS THE PROTEIN THAT CARRIES OXYGEN.
THIS MEANS THE RED BLOOD CELLS GOING IN THE MEDULLA ARE GOING TO SICKLE THERE BECAUSE
OF THAT LOW OXYGEN.
THEY CLUMP TOGETHER AND CAUSE A BLOCKADE, MEANING THE MEDULLA DOESN’T GET ANY OXYGEN
AT ALL.
NO SALT IS PUMPED BACK IN TO THE MEDULLA.
AS WATER KEEPS FLOWING IN, THE MEDULLA BECOMES LESS SALTY.
WHEN IT’S LESS SALTY, LESS WATER FLOWS IN TO IT, SO THEN WATER ISN’T REABSORBED.
AND EVERYTHING BECOMES URINE, CAUSING KG TO LOSE A LOT OF WATER.
[DR. MSAOUEL] INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SICKLE CELL DISEASE OR SICKLE CELL TRAIT, BECAUSE OF THE
SICKLING, THE MEDULLA WILL BE DAMAGED.
AND ITS ABILITY TO BE SALTY WILL BE COMPROMISED.
BECAUSE OF THAT, EVENTUALLY THE KIDNEYS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONCENTRATE URINE ENOUGH.
[DR. BERNARD] LOSING WATER MEANS KG’S BLOOD IS THICKER THAN NORMAL.
THINK OF IT LIKE THIS MOLASSES.
IT’S HARDER FOR BLOOD TO FLOW, CAUSING HIS OVERWORKED MUSCLES TO BECOME STARVED OF OXYGEN,
AS THEY MAKE MORE LACTIC ACID AS HE KEEPS SQUATTING.
THIS ACID, CAUSES MORE OF KG’S RED BLOOD CELLS TO SICKLE, WORSENING THIS ENTIRE CYCLE.
IF HIS PROBLEMS ARE COMING FROM LOSING WATER, THEN REPLACING THAT WATER IS THE FIRST STEP
IN TREATING HIM.
IV FLUIDS ARE IMMEDIATELY STARTED.
THIS WILL HELP PUSH MORE WATER THROUGH HIS KIDNEYS AND HELP MINIMIZE SOME OF THE PERMANENT
KIDNEY DAMAGE.
KG IS CONSCIOUS AGAIN.
HE COMPLAINS TO DOCTORS OF SHARP MUSCLE ACHES.
ANYONE WHO SQUATS 500 REPS IS GOING TO HAVE SORE LEGS.
BUT THE MEDICAL TEAM CALLS IN A SURGEON BECAUSE KG’S LEGS ARE STARTING TO SWELL WITH FLUID.
BECAUSE PARTS OF HIS MUSCLES WERE DISSOLVING AWAY, THEY RELEASED PROTEINS AND CELLULAR
MATERIAL.
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM DETECTS THIS.
IT THINKS THE BODY HAS BEEN INFECTED, CAUSING THE AREA TO START TO SWELL WITH FLUID.
USUALLY THIS IS OK, EXCEPT THE MUSCLES ARE COVERED BY A CONNECTIVE TISSUE.
IN THE LEGS, THIS TISSUE IS UNYIELDING, SO PRESSURE BUILDS UP IN KG’S LEG MUSCLES WITHOUT
GIVING WAY.
IF NOTHING IS DONE, HIS LEGS WILL SWIM IN A POOL OF TOXIC LIQUEFIED MUSCLE [COMPARTMENT SYNDROME].
SURGERY NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, BECAUSE IF IT DOESN’T, KG’S LEGS WILL
NEED TO BE SEPARATED FROM HIS BODY, TO KEEP HIM ALIVE.
SURGEONS OPERATE, TO IMMEDIATELY RELIEVE THIS PRESSURE.
AND IT’S DONE WITH NO COMPLICATIONS.
BUT KG’S RHABDOMYOLYSIS KEEPS WORSENING.
AS THE WEEKS PASS, HE GETS BETTER.
HE’S HYDRATED.
HIS KIDNEYS WERE DAMAGED, BUT THEY’RE STILL WORKING, SOMEWHAT.
AT 25 DAYS AFTER PRESENTING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, KG IS DISCHARGED WITH ADVICE TO COOL
IT ON THE EXERCISE INTENSITY.
IT IS GOOD TO EXERCISE, BUT IT’S NOT GOOD SQUAT 500 REPS FOR NO GOOD REASON.
HE CAN’T PLAY ANY GAMES WITH HIS TEAM, BECAUSE HE NEEDS PHYSICAL THERAPY AFTER HIS SURGERY.
RECOVERY IS GOOD AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE HEALTHY IN HIS LIFE.
BUT 18 MONTHS LATER, KG PRESENTS AGAIN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
THIS TIME WITH FEVER, HEMATURIA AGAIN, AND A SHARP PAIN IN HIS RIGHT SIDE.
HE TELLS THE MEDICAL TEAM THAT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, HE HAD BECOME SHORT OF BREATH.
HE TELLS DOCTORS THAT HE HADN’T DONE ANY HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUTS, HE HADN’T EVEN
SQUATTED SINCE THE LAST TIME HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.
A CHEST XRAY [MEDIASTINAL WIDENING] SHOWS A WIDENING IN HIS CHEST.
THIS COULD MEAN THAT HE HAS A PROBLEM IN HIS HEART OR LUNGS, OR THAT A CANCER HAS SPREAD
TO HIS CHEST.
A CT SCAN ON KG’S ABDOMEN FINDS A TUMOR IN HIS RIGHT KIDNEY, BRINGING US BACK TO SICKLE
CELL TRAIT.
[DR. MSAOUEL] WHEN SOMEBODY HAS SICKLE CELL TRAIT.
THEY’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE HEMATURIA.
IF SOMEONE DEVELOPS BLOOD IN THE URINE.
AND THEY’RE YOUNG.
AND THEY’RE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN DESCENT AND THEY KNOW THEY HAVE SICKLE CELL TRAIT,
THEN IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO AT LEAST DO AN ULTRASOUND OF THEIR KIDNEYS.
AND IF A MASS OR SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A MASS IS FOUND, THEN THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN
VERY SERIOUSLY.
[DR. BERNARD] WE KNOW THAT THE KIDNEY MEDULLA IS SALTY, AND IT HAS LOW OXYGEN.
WHEN SOMETHING IS SALTY, CELLS IN THAT AREA WILL HAVE 2 PROBLEMS.
FIRST, A LOT OF THE DNA IS GOING TO BE BROKEN BECAUSE OF THE HIGH SODIUM.
AND SECOND, THOSE BREAKS AREN’T REPAIRED BECAUSE OF THAT HIGH SODIUM.
BOTH OF THESE ARE NORMAL.
IT’S HAPPENING EVERY SECOND IN HEALTHY HUMANS.
DNA REPAIR IS USUALLY RESTORED WHEN KIDNEY MEDULLA CELLS RETURN TO A NORMAL ENVIRONMENT.
BUT FOR KG, HE DOESN’T HAVE A NORMAL ENVIRONMENT.
HIS BLOOD CELLS SICKLE IN THE MEDULLA BECAUSE OF SICKLE CELL TRAIT.
THIS BLOCKS BLOOD FLOW IN, SO THERE’S LESS OXYGEN AND LESS ENERGY FOR CELLS TO KEEP THE
MEDULLA SALTY.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT THE ARTERY GOING IN TO THE RIGHT KIDNEY IS LONGER THAN THE ONE GOING
IN TO THE LEFT?
WELL THIS MEANS LESS BLOOD FLOWS IN TO THE RIGHT COMPARED TO THE LEFT.
THIS MEANS A LOT LESS OXYGEN GOES TO THE RIGHT, SO THE MEDULLA THERE IS NOT SALTY AT ALL.
WHEN THERE IS NO SALT AND NO OXYGEN IN A PLACE THAT SHOULD BE SALTY WITH SOME OXYGEN, IT
LOOKS LIKE BACKUP DNA REPAIR, NOT THE NORMAL REPAIR, IS ACTIVATED EARLY.
ANY REPAIR SHOULD BE GOOD, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT ISN’T.
BECAUSE THE HUMAN GENOME HAS NATURAL FLAWS.
30% OF OUR GENOME REPEAT CODE.
WHEN THESE REPEATS ARE PALINDROMIC, MEANING THEY ARE THE SAME FORWARDS AS THEY ARE BACKWARDS,
NORMAL REPAIR PATHWAYS HERE CAN HAVE A LITTLE TROUBLE FIXING THINGS.
THIS MEANS THAT BACKUP PATHWAYS WILL HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE FIXING THINGS.
[DR. MSAOUEL] WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY AREAS THEN THE MECHANISMS THAT MAY TRY TO REPAIR ANY
DAMAGE IN THOSE AREAS, MAY GET TOO CONFUSED.
BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND “WHERE DID THIS NAME START FROM?”
WAS IT FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT?
OR THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT?
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THOSE AREAS MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO BE REPAIRED IN THE WRONG WAY.
HENCE WHY, THOSE AREAS ARE THE ONES WHERE YOU CAN FIND THOSE MUTATIONS THAT CAN LEAD
TO CANCER.
[DR. BERNARD] TODAY, WE KNOW A LOT OF THESE PALINDROMIC REPEATS HAPPEN ON CHROMOSOME 22.
DELETIONS HERE ARE THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF BIRTH DEFECTS.
LEUKEMIA ALSO COMES FROM HERE WHEN THINGS ARE SHIFTED AROUND FROM A DIFFERENT CHROMOSOME.
AND NEXT TO THE LEUKEMIA GENE, IS THE ONE THAT WAS AFFECTED IN KG’S RIGHT KIDNEY.
SAMPLES OF THE TUMOR CELLS WERE TESTED.
A PROTEIN THAT HELPS REGULATE HOW QUICKLY A CELL REPRODUCES, WAS MISSING.
THIS MEANS THE CELL WITH THIS GENETIC DEFECT, DOESN’T STOP REPRODUCING.
IT GROWS INTO A TUMOR IN THE KIDNEY MEDULLA, BECOMING THE CANCER KNOWN AS RENAL MEDULLARY
CARCINOMA.
[DR. MSAOUEL] RMC IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE CALL RENAL MEDULLARY CARCINOMA.
IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST DEADLY KIDNEY CANCER.
IT HAPPENS ALMOST ALWAYS IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE EITHER SICKLE CELL TRAIT OR SICKLE CELL DISEASE.
IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES, UNFORTUNATELY, IT WILL PRESENT AS WHAT WE CALL STAGE 4, MEANING
IT WILL HAVE SPREAD TO DIFFERENT ORGANS BY THE TIME WE DIAGNOSE IT.
[DR. BERNARD] SAMPLES OF THE LYMPH NODES BY HIS HEART, TEST POSITIVE FOR THE SAME CANCER CELLS
FOUND IN HIS KIDNEY, MEANING THE TUMOR HAS SPREAD TO DISTANT SITES OF KG’S BODY.
IT’S IN HIS LUNGS NOW, CAUSING HIS SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
AND IT’S ON HIS LIVER.
[DR. MSAOUEL] IF IT IS NOT TREATED VERY FAST, THEN IT CAN TAKE SOMEONE’S LIFE WITHIN 3 MONTHS
OF DIAGNOSIS.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS VERY INTENSE EXERCISE REGIMENT WHICH LED TO ALL THE OTHER ISSUES,
MAY HAVE ALSO INCREASED THE RISK OF DAMAGING THE MEDULLA IN A WAY THAT CAN CAUSE RMC.
[DR. BERNARD] BUT NO MATTER WHAT, SQUATTING 500 REPS SUDDENLY, CAN CAUSE ANYONE’S MUSCLES
TO DIE.
ADD SICKLE CELL TRAIT, AND THE RHABDOMYOLYSIS WILL BE MUCH MORE INTENSE, AND WILL DAMAGE
THE KIDNEYS.
[DR. MSAOUEL] SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 4 RMC, AND THAT WE HAVE TREATED
THAT HAVE LIVED FOR MORE THAN 5, 6, OR EVEN MORE THAN 7 YEARS AND THEY ARE DISEASE FREE.
WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO DO, IS TO ACHIEVE THAT FOR EVERYBODY.
AND HOPEFULLY ONE DAY, WE WILL.
[DR. BERNARD] BEFORE THERAPY WAS STARTED, A BLOOD CLOT SUDDENLY LODGED INTO KG’S LUNGS.
HIS HEART STOPPED BEATING.
WHEN SOMEONE HAS ADVANCED CANCER, THEIR CHANCES OF DEVELOPING BLOOD CLOTS ARE SEVERAL TIMES
HIGHER THAN IF THEY DIDN’T HAVE CANCER.
SICKLE CELL TRAIT CAN SOMETIMES BE DOWNPLAYED AS “BENIGN,” BECAUSE IT ISN’T SICKLE
CELL DISEASE.
BUT IT’S NOT TOO HARD TO PUT THE BODY IN A SITUATION WHERE THE SICKLING CAN HAPPEN.
[DR. MSAOUEL] MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE SICKLE CELL TRAIT NEVER ACTUALLY DEVELOP ANY PROBLEMS.
SO YOU CAN HAVE THE SICKLE CELL TRAIT AND LIVE A VERY NORMAL LIFE WITH NO ISSUES.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE THE SICKLE CELL TRAIT, YOU ARE AT RISK OF CERTAIN COMPLICATIONS IF
YOU ARE TAKING EXERCISE TO AN EXTREME.
EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DONE IN MODERATION.
[DR. BERNARD] FOR ATHLETES, SICKLE CELL TRAIT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T PLAY.
IT SHOULDN’T EVER EXCLUDE ANYONE.
BUT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT SICKLE CELL TRAIT IS NOT BENIGN.
FOR KG, HE COULDN’T BE RESUSCITATED.
HE PASSED WITH ALL FAMILY PRESENT.
FOR ATHLETES WHO DO HAVE SICKLE CELL TRAIT, STAY WELL HYDRATED.
TAKE BREAKS DURING TRAINING, EXTRA BREAKS WHEN IT’S HOT OUTSIDE.
IF ANYTHING DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT, STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND TELL SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY.
BECAUSE NEXT TIME, AWARENESS OF SICKLE CELL TRAIT CAN SAVE A LIFE FOR SOMEONE LIKE KG.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
AND BE WELL.