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In 2015 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Before this I had never heard of colitis and wasn’t really aware of what inflammatory bowel disease was.  After years of having anaemia on and off and a period of stomach cramps, needing to rush to loo, diarrhoea and experiencing blood and mucus in my stools I was diagnosed with UC after having numerous tests including a flexi sigmoidoscopy. I was prescribed medication to help treat the flare I was having. Nearly 8 years later and many flares later I take on my greatest challenge - The London Marathon!

Although, I am not new to running this will be a huge challenge for me. The furthest distance I currently run regularly is about 6 miles, at least 20 miles short of the distance I will need to run in April.  

This past year has not been easy for me, after catching Covid it brought on a bad flare up on my UC leaving me not only with the common symptoms of IBD, but also feeling very drained.  Throughout this time, I continued to run but it was really hard for me and sometimes I struggled to even run for 5 mins! Finally after a course of steroids and other meds my flare up was under controlled but I was diagnosed yet again with low iron, which left me lacking in energy and feeling very tired. As I begin my journey to London I am now on supplements which are helping and feel my strength coming back. What the next few months will bring I don’t know, as living with Inflammatory bowel disease is very uncertain. But I shall try my best to keep going, work through my training plan and get to London. 

Any donation big or small will be very much appreciated. I know first hand what help the money raised is for improving the life of those suffering from this disease.

Crohn's & Colitis UK are the UK's leading charity for Crohn's and Colitis. Right now, over 500,000 people in the UK are living with a lifelong disease that many people have never heard of. I am taking part in the 2023 TCS London Marathon to support Crohn's & Colitis UK, and your donation can help Crohn's & Colitis UK's mission to improve diagnosis and treatment; to fund research and raise awareness.