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We feel incredibly lucky to have been offered places to run for Versus Arthritis. This particular charity means so much to our family. So here is our story..

Arthritis hit our family hard in 2019...I (Charlotte), began getting pains in my joints soon after my fourth son was born. I put it down to hormones, the strain on my body looking after four children (three of them were under 5 years old) and also the recovery from a caesarean. 

However, as time went on, the pain and stiffness escalated quickly. The mornings were the worst, my joints seized up overnight and I got to the stage where I couldn’t complete seemingly simple tasks easily or independently anymore, like getting out of the bed in the morning, putting on a top, picking my baby up from inside his cot, I couldn’t do up buttons or poppers, unscrewing jars, getting out the bath by myself etc the list goes on.

By lunchtime, my joints seemed to have eased a little and I was able to move a little more freely. But every single morning, the sharp, burning pains and aches returned, I was in a horrible cycle and I just didn’t know what to do. It came to the point where I had to go to the doctors as I became so heavily reliant on my husband, Garry, to help me everyday and the pain became unbearable even with pain relief. I feel silly for not going sooner, I hate to think of the damage my joints have endured over that time. 

The first GP I saw took blood tests to try and find the cause and they specifically stated that they were not going to test for ‘Rhuemotoid arthritis’ as I was too young to have that. A common misconception of this disease, it’s an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system (which usually fights infection) attacks the cells that line your joints by mistake, making the joints swollen, stiff and painful. Over time, this can damage the joints, cartilage and nearby bone. 

Thankfully I went back on a different occasion and saw another GP and she suspected it was RA and the blood tests came back confirming this. I was seen quickly by the consultant to get a diagnosis. In my first appointment, he put steroid injections in both my knees to reduce the inflammation and disperse the fluid. He prescribed me on immune suppressant medication. He spoke to me with such understanding and kindness, I will forever be thankful to him for acting so quickly. The next day, I actually jumped out of bed with no pain or aches and no one could have wiped that smile off my face! My consultant had warned me that the effects of the injection would wear off quickly as it was just a short term solution. It took 12 weeks for the medication to effectively build up in my body but once it did I started to feel like me again. 

I was diagnosed with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 29, I will always have to take medication for this disease and it is incurable. I felt alone and devastated. It took me a while to come to terms with the diagnosis.

It’s roughly two and a half years since my diagnosis and I’m in a completely different place now. I’m taking regular medication, I know the warning signs and when to take a rest, all my blood levels are where they should be, which is great. I still have aches, pains, flare ups and fatigue but it is all manageable. 

I’m fortunate at the moment that it’s under control but so many people are suffering and struggling daily with arthritis. This is why running the marathon for Versus Arthritis means so much to both of us, we first hand know the daily struggles and heartache this disease causes individuals and their families. 

Why running? I’ve been running for 4 years on and off, I’ve tried to remain consistent but life has a habit of getting in the way! I started running more regularly during covid times..I needed it more for the mental release. I found a love for running and it has helped my body through some tough times when my arthritis was playing havoc. Garry is also a fantastic runner and I can not wait to see what he can achieve, he is always supporting me and has been by my side in my darkest times… there is no one else I’d rather run the marathon with! 

Things aren’t always how they seem on the outside, people do not always see what another person is going through, physically and mentally. There was a time, when I struggled and didn’t ask for help, I found telling the first few people about my disease very hard and often didn’t want people to know. So many people have, are and will struggle alone with this and that thought is heartbreaking. 

We want to help raise as much as possible for this fantastic charity, Versus Arthritis invests in breakthrough treatments, the best information and vital support for everyone affected by arthritis. Please sponsor Garry and I so that together we can overcome the pain, isolation and fatigue of arthritis.

Thank you x 

Follow our training journey and fundraising on @turners_londonmarathon2022