Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

After completing my first ever London Marathon in 2016, there's still unfinished business. So I've challenged myself to do it all over again, 26.2 miles of pure pain, but it'll be all worth it. This time i'm running for a cause that i'm affected by personally.

In 2009 I started developing early stages of psoriasis on my scalp. Even though it was mild, it still affected my self-esteem.

What is Psoriasis:

Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects 2-3% (1.8 million) of the population. It causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales. These patches normally appear on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, but can appear anywhere on your body. Most people are only affected with small patches. In some cases, the patches can be itchy or sore.

Not many people know this but in 2013, I developed psoriatic arthritis in both my hands and feet. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of arthritis affecting the joints in around one in five people with psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis causes swelling, stiffness, pain, and problems moving the joints. I couldn't physically hold a tennis racket for nearly a year as my left thumb had swollen to double my right, getting out of bed in the morning became difficult, everyday tasks became a challenge, I avoided doing the simplest of things so others wouldn't know. Overtime it has eased off, but for short periods it comes back causing stress and discomfort. 

In November 2017, I was diagnosed with guttate psoriasis, small dot like lesions that appear all over the upper trunk, back, and legs. Guttate psoriasis usually occurs 2-3 weeks after a throat infection. It had a massive impact on my social life. I hated wearing shorts, I didn't want to go swimming, I didn't go out because I didn't want people to see my flared up face, I made all kinds of excuses. After using a variety of medicines my psoriasis has slowly disappeared, however, it does have a tendency to return. 

Psoriasis can't be cured YET, however it can be managed and with your help we can continue research into finding the best medicines to keep psoriasis under control. This is the reason why I am running for an amazing charity, because I don't want others to have to experience the same problems I did.

Wish me luck,

Alex Bull

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