I am sitting here writing this thinking what I have done entering this challenge.  The problem is I have always wanted to do such challenges but always think of an excuse not too! So I just did it (your body won't go where you mind doesn't push it)!

Having been born with Cystic Fibrosis (diagnosed at the age of 6 months) I cannot believe that I have reached the age of 40, albeit with some upgrades.  It is hard to think that approximately 11 years ago I was ready to throw in the towel.  My lungs were shot, mentally and physically drained, exhausted and didn't want anymore treatment.  Being house bound was the worst part of it all and if I did venture out to the shops it required a survival pack.  The constant negative thoughts banging around in my head such as what if there is no where to sit down on route if needed, what if the wind was to strong that I would lose my breath and have to sit on the pavement and look like a weirdo (numerous occasions this occurred even in the rain leading to a full blown panic attack - hyperventilating trying to concentrate on my breathing). Imagine running 100m as fast as you can and then stick a sponge in your month and get your breath back (for health and safety reasons tho this is unadvisable but you get the picture).

Years of slow deterioration of my health and the constant irritation of the doctors and nurses (although I do love them) forcing high calorific food / shakes down my neck trying to make my gain weight.  5000 calories a day, thats all, they said, when my appetite was rock bottom.  The thought of forcing food down my throat what difficult, trying to resist seeing what 5000 calories of decor would look like.  All these calories where just to maintain weight let alone putting some on.  However, being 6ft 2inches and weighing 56.9 Kg (shy of 9 stone for you imperialists) it wasn't long before I was threatened with a PEG (hole in the stomach for overnight feeding) by the lovely dietician.  My paler than pale face came on and I ate like the guy on Man vs Food and managed to get SOME weight on.

Initially, I declined to go on the transplant list after initially being assessed in 1995 and again in 1998, however, with the constant repeated infections and the bacteria becoming more and more resistant, treatment could last over 3 weeks only to be back in hospital after a week at home.  Eventually one of my lobes collapsed, which acted as a sump of infection reducing my lung function down to about 20-30% of normal.  With part of my lung collapsing it made me realise I didn’t have long left so it was the right time to consider transplant.  I had a transplant assessment at the end of 2001 and consequently went onto the transplant waiting list.  Luckily for me I managed to get a donor within 7 months of being on the list (despite 4 false callouts) and was a recipient of a double lung and heart and as a consequence donated my heart to someone else.

It has now been 10.5 years since my transplant which in its self has thrown up numerous new problems but not in the category of that I had before.  However, this is not a cure for CF and the CF still remains, and still have the eye of a needle syndrome if I don't take my tablets as normal.  However, the tablets (43 per day) is easy, it was the weeks and weeks of IV drugs and nebulisers which are the irritating factors of CF, oh and the fact you can't breath most the time despite this.

I intend to set up a blog tracking my training schedule and will share my experiences of having Cystic Fibrosis and Transplant.

Please donate what you can afford as I would be most grateful and so would the CF Trust to keep up with its research and making a better life for CF patients and their families :)

 

I chose this challenge of walking 100Km in approximately 30 hours non-stop because I love walking and like to take full advantage of what I have been given.  Having climbed Ben Nevis 3 times, Snowdon once and gone on numerous walks over the Yorkshire dales and Brecon Beacons I want an endurance challenge.  The CF Trust has helped my directly and indirectly with their research and advice so I thought this would be a great opportunity to give something back for what they have done and currently doing for people with CF and their families.