Ok, I have finally just recovered from the London Marathon. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. 

 

The race itself was going well until the heat caused some problems and the dehydration finally got the better of me at the 30k mark. Don't get me wrong I did finish, there was no way I was stopping. But with a time of 1hr 40 for the half marathon - I was well on track to complete sub 3:30. In the end I had to settle for a 4:03:12. Which is good, but being a little competitive I can do better.

Which brings me to my point. As a result of the Generous support I have gotten and My Ego! I have decided to take part in 3 more events this year, running on the behave of Uveitis.

The first is on Sunday July 10th - London 10k - is going to kick start the training and hopefully the drive in continued sponsorship. The second event will be the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October, followed two weeks later by the Dublin Marathon (The last Marathon I am ever planning on running - provided I do it in under 3 hours 30 minutes)

Remember the money you donate will help research in Uveitis, the information on the research is below so please read on if you would like to learn more and see how you will be helping us.  

 

Uveitis is the fifth highest cause of avoidable blindness in the UK.  It affects children and adults.  

With appropriate research, uveitis can be controlled, managed and prevented into the future.

 

The charity I am running for is the Uveitis Information Group (UIG) www.uveitis.net and the specialist site for an aggressive form of uveitis, Birdshot Chorioretinopathy (BUS) www.birdshot.org.uk

 

Because the charity is so small (run by three patients with uveitis), it is not able to afford the cost of entering people into the marathon, so a large charity, Fight For Sight, has agreed to enter me on behalf of UIG and BUS.

 

UIG and BUS are working hard to raise money for research to make sure that nobody else has to go needlessly blind,

 

 

SO PLEASE DIG DEEP

 

 

THE RESEARCH YOU WILL BE FUNDING: 

Dr John Curnow and Professor Phil Murray are two ophthalmologists based in Birmingham who are trying to find out the cause of uveitis.  This will lead to better medication and prevention into the future.  If you would like more information on the research project, go to http://www.fightforsight.org.uk/project-display/items/150

 

INFORMATION ON THE UVEITIS INFORMATION GROUP (UIG) 

Tel. 0845 604 5660 – email info@uveitis.net

Charity no. SCO28439  Website: www.uveitis.net

UIG is a patient led charity, based in the UK, run by volunteers who suffer from uveitis. Backed by uveitis specialists from all over the world, UIG has strong links with other patient led organisations. Together, they lead the way in developing patient information for uveitis.

UIG aims to: provide clear information for patients and professionals; support children and adults diagnosed with uveitis; help get research underway. 

 

INFORMATION ON THE BIRDSHOT CHORIORETINOPATHY UVEITIS SOCIETY (BUS)

Website: www.birdshot.org.uk - Email: Birdshot@live.co.uk

BUS is part of UIG and focuses on Birdshot Chorioretinopathy, one of the most aggressive, hard to treat and sight damaging forms of posterior Uveitis. 

BUS supports patients and professionals; identifies research that is needed; helps to develop appropriate protocols for treatment. 

The current treatment is with toxic medications that lead to both physical and mental health issues.  BUS is working with professionals to find less toxic medication that helps people preserve their eyesight.

 

INFORMATION ON FIGHT FOR SIGHT

Website:  www.fightforsight.org.uk

Since 1965 Fight for Sight has raised funds to support medical research into a wide-range of eye conditions. These include macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy as well as the causes of childhood blindness. Fight for Sight also funds research into a large number of rare eye diseases. The charity is the largest in the UK dedicated to funding eye research.