I have made a decision (some would say brave, some would say crazy) to run the Bristol 10k, along with some of my lovely, willing friends, to raise money for The Hibbs Lupus Trust - a volunteer-run charity dedicated to raising awareness of Lupus and improving the lives of those it effects. 

Lupus (SLE) is a chronic auto-immune disease affecting over 50,000 people in the UK - 90% of whom are female. Rather than just fighting viruses, bacteria and infection, Lupus causes the immune system to attack and destroy healthy cells, tissues and organs. This results in a wide range of debilitating symptoms that can vary from person to person including skin rashes, poly-arthritis and severe fatigue. There is currently no cure for Lupus and diagnosis of the disease can take years.

I was diagnosed with Lupus at 17. Almost 7 years on, I am still trying to learn and accept that I can no longer do everything I once could and, frustratingly, that I can't keep up with my friends anymore. Like others who suffer with Lupus, I rely on daily medication just to be able to get out of bed in the mornings (14 tablets on a good day!). Being in constant pain becomes the norm and an afternoon nap is often a necessity, not a luxury. For me, the hardest part of adjusting to life with Lupus is that it is an 'invisible illness'; it's hard for others to understand and empathise with how sick and tired it can leave you feeling whilst looking completely normal on the outside.

For me, completing a 10k run would be similar to a 'normal' person completing a marathon. Training regularly, when I don't know from one day to the next whether i'm going to wake up being able to move certain joints, is particularly difficult, and simply having the strength or energy to run is never guaranteed. 

Your support and any donations to The Hibbs Lupus Trust mean so much and will make a big difference to people like me who face their own invisible battle with Lupus every single day.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story,

Rachael x