Team: Michael Stam, Patrick Corsar, Sameer Dhumale, Christopher Fife, Toby West, Neil McBlane, Ruairidh Nixon, Andy Patrick, Jeremy Downton

In November 2021, my flatmate Sameer found me unconscious in our flat. Unable to wake me, he rang an ambulance and I was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. My blood sodium levels had dropped to extremely low levels, which had caused my brain to swell and led to me falling into a coma. Thankfully, the doctors and nurses were able to treat me just in time and saved my life.

The doctors diagnosed me with a rare autoimmune disease called Addison's disease. Addison's disease is a condition where the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol or aldosterone, which are vital hormones in the body. These hormones allow your body to respond to stress and balance the necessary salts in your body. Addison's disease is very dangerous when undiagnosed as the symptoms are quite general and can easily be missed, such as fatigue, loss of appetite, increased thirst and low mood. If untreated, symptoms can become more severe and include salt craving, dizziness and nausea, and these can ultimately lead to loss of consciousness. These symptoms appear gradually over a long period of time, which means they can be difficult to notice. As a result of this, it means that a lot of people are not aware they are ill until they are hospitalised in a critical condition. This is exactly what happened to me.

Looking back now I can see the warning signs, but at the time I had never even heard of Addison's disease. Even when I went to the GP two months before ending up in hospital with symptoms of exhaustion and increased thirst, they didn't think to test my sodium or cortisol levels, as the condition is so rare. This is why raising awareness about Addison's disease is so important as spotting it early could save someone's life. Once it has been diagnosed, Addison's disease is quite manageable with the right medication, and I can generally live a normal active life with few limitations.

One of my friends Patrick, came up with the idea of a physical challenge for 2022, to raise money for charity, increase awareness and to help get my fitness back. As a group, 8 of my friends and I are aiming to complete 40,045km (the Earth's circumference) through walking, running, cycling and any other physical activities. This is a challenge which requires a huge amount of commitment, dedication and (of course) team effort to complete. We are raising money for the Addison's Disease Self Help Group which has been incredibly useful for me since getting out of hospital. They provide information and advice to patients and medical professionals, and also support medical research in Addison's disease and adrenal insufficiency. Du to the rarity of the disease, there is relatively little information available to patients and so this charity has been one of my primary sources of reliable information.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated to help support us in this challenge and the donations will be such a big help to the Addison's Disease Self Help Group, in providing support to people who suffer from this condition. Thanks very much!