I have never ran a marathon before and in May 2017 I am running the Liverpool Marathon as a way of me giving a bit back to charity that has personally helped me.

I was first diagnosed with mild psoriasis in 2000. My psoriasis flared up significantly during pregnancy and motherhood and from 2011 onward psoriasis covered my entire body. I have a rare and unusual type of psoriasis that can not be controlled with more common creams and medications.

The hardest thing about living with psoriasis is hiding it. People look at you as if they might catch it, it makes you feel like you look disgusting. Wearing clothes that reveal any skin at all and going swimming with my children has been totally out of the question. On many occasions I have avoided social situations and nights out mainly because the thought of showing my skin in public horrifies me. 

I have tried lots of treatments from a thousand different creams, light-treatment (high powered sunbed) twice a week for 6 months. Cyclosporine and Methotrexate which although very strong treatments they had little effect. Finally following advice and support from the Psoriasis Association I got approval from my consultant for Adalimumab (Humira). Within just two months of using Humira my skin is almost clear and my life has changed! :)

There is no guarantee that the treatment will work forever and there are a few side effects including tiredness and lowered immune system, but its worth it to not feel like an extra from Monsters Inc. any more. ;)

I am so grateful for the help and support of the Psoriasis Association and hopefully your donation will go towards helping others to gain the support and information they need, in addition to this the Psoriasis Association promotes research into the causes, treatments and care of people with psoriasis.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.