In late 2020 my father in law, Andy, started feeling unlike his usual self.  He is a very fit person but was struggling to run short distances.  This progressed to an inability to do everyday activities such as walking around the block and up/down stairs.  Things came to a head in February 2021 when one weekend Andy found he couldn't walk properly and was coughing up blood.  

He was rushed in to hospital where he stayed for around 2 weeks including 10 days in the high dependency unit.  After countless blood tests, scans and biopsies we were given the diagnosis of vasculitis.  While we were relieved to have a diagnosis we had never heard of vasculitis so didn't know what to expect.  We subsequently did a lot of reading to find out what to expect but one of the difficulties of vasculitis is there are many different types (16+) making comparisons tricky.

Vasculitis involves inflammation of the blood vessels. The inflammation can cause the walls of the blood vessels to thicken, which reduces the width of the passageway through the vessel. If blood flow is restricted, it can result in organ and tissue damage.  See below for more symptoms of vasculitis.

Andy has now been out of hospital for over a month.  It has been a challenging month for both Andy and Sally as they try to get used to their current new normal.  Andy has to take 19 pills a day and they have pretty horrible side effects.  However he is doing brilliantly and is gaining in strength every day. In the past month he has gone from being unable to walk from the living room to the bedroom by himself to now taking short walks around the block.  The outlook is hopeful mainly thanks to the early detection of vasculitis.  

As a family we want to do something positive to raise money for Vasculitis UK.  May is World Vasculitis Awareness month.  On the 22nd May it will have been 66 days since Andy was discharged from hospital.  So we are going to run/cycle/walk 66 miles to raise as much money as we can for Vasculitis UK.  Myself, Matt, Sally, Beccy and Rob are going to run/cycle/walk as far as we can in 24 hours, the kids are going to cycle and walk while Andy is going to try to walk a mile which would be incredible!

Please give generously and give us a wave if you see us out pounding the pavements on the 22nd! Thanks for reading.

General signs and symptoms of most types of vasculitis include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• General aches and pains

Other signs and symptoms are related to the parts of the body affected, including:

• Digestive system. If your stomach or intestines are affected, you may experience pain after eating. Ulcers and perforations are possible and may result in blood in the stool.
• Ears. Dizziness, ringing in the ears and abrupt hearing loss may occur.
• Eyes. Vasculitis can make your eyes look red and itch or burn. Giant cell arteritis can cause double vision and temporary or permanent blindness in one or both eyes. This is sometimes the first sign of the disease.
• Hands or feet. Some types of vasculitis can cause numbness or weakness in a hand or foot. The palms of the hands and soles of the feet might swell or harden.
• Lungs. You may develop shortness of breath or even cough up blood if vasculitis affects your lungs.
• Skin. Bleeding under the skin can show up as red spots. Vasculitis can also cause lumps or open sores on your skin.