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In 2010 my wife Kate sustained a dancing injury to her toe which would not heal . She has always danced and in her youth had been a keen fell and cross country runner. For 18 months she was passed from her GP to various different consultants and given a variety of medications to take, all without success. During that time she also started to have unexplained symptoms of psoriasis and began to notice some stiffness in several joints, which she put down to wear and tear.

In September 2011 she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.  The disease had been difficult to diagnose as it does not normally show up in routine blood tests for arthritis conditions.  

She was immediately put onto DMARDS (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs), in the form of a chemotherapy medication also used in the treatment of leukemia.  The drug dampens down the underlying disease process and suppresses the immune system, making her more vulnerable to flu, coughs, colds and pneumonia.  It leaves her feeling exhausted and nauseous for two days each week. It can also affect the blood count and the liver, therefore Kate has to have regular blood tests and check-ups and is not allowed to consume more than a very small amount of alcohol. Patients can also be affected by reduced fertility; luckily we already have our 3 beautiful daughters.

Kate was fortunate to be diagnosed in the early stages of this diesase. The treatment appears to be working and she is able to lead an active and very busy life with just a few alterations to the way she does things, but for some people, the symptoms are not recognised until extensive damage has been caused to the joints, which may result in permanent loss of movement and physical disability.

I am running the 2013 Virgin London Marathon to raise both awareness and funds for Arthritis Research UK.  The charity works hard to develop improved treatments and reduce pain for those already suffering from Arthritis (1 in 6 people in the UK!).  They fund high quality research, provide information to patients and campaign for better understanding of the disease and the range of people it can affect.  It's not just an older person's disease!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now, every single penny will be appreciated. And when you see me out on a training run you will be able to wave and shout out the window at me knowing that you have made a difference!