I'm running  the London Marathon this October to fundraise for Myeloma UK - the Myeloma charity. 

As many of you will know, my Mum (aka Sooze) has Myeloma. However, most of you will not know what Myeloma is.

Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is a blood cancer arising from plasma cells. At any one time there are around 24,000 people living with myeloma in the UK. It accounts for 15 per cent of blood cancers, and two per cent of all cancers.

Unfortunately, though, myeloma is currently an incurable (terminal) cancer. Myeloma is a relapsing-remitting cancer. This means there are periods when the myeloma is causing symptoms and/or complications and needs to be treated, followed by periods of remission or plateau where the myeloma does not cause symptoms and does not require treatment.

Run for Sooze!

Mum has been living with the complications of Myeloma since 2013. She has undergone an incredibly invasive Stem Cell transplant, multiple different rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and other treatments (honestly the list goes on) in order to keep it at bay.

Annoyingly, you can't hit Myeloma with the same thing twice, meaning that research into Myeloma and treatments for it are SO important. There may be something out there that hasn't been found yet, or had enough funding, that could really help stop the disease for someone, even if just for a bit. 

We need all the time and research we can get.

I'm also running because Mum has always overcome every set back through keeping active and maddeningly positive. Whether her milestones are cycling from London to Paris, or walking up Bwlch Hill, I think this might be her secret for managing this disease for so long and for living a full life, myeloma or no myeloma.

For more info on symptoms, diagnosis and the charity in general, please visit - https://www.myeloma.org.uk/