The last couple of years have been a struggle for me, constantly feeling tired, teary, anxious, and going to bed earlier than my kids because I felt like I had flu.  

Being a busy mum, moving house, exercising, you think are all the reasons for feeling like I did, but in January this year I took a turn for the worst and ended up with a very odd skin reaction and a very upsest tummy.

Thanks to a very good doctor who sent me for many tests, I was diagnosed with Ceoliac disease.  It can be very difficult to diagnose with it taking an average of 13 years to diagnose sometimes.  Due to this, complications can occur, with osteoporosis being the main problem due to the stomach not oborbing vitamins and nutrients.

I'm not sure how long I have had ceoliac disease but I am pleased to say that a dexa scan has revealed that I have above average bone density for my age and that my exercising and running has probably helped. 

This is why I have been determined to get back running now I am feeling stronger and healthier.  A half marathon was the perfect goal I needed to get back training and my training is going well.

The Ceoliac Society are a great charity who supports ceoliac sufferers with so much information, advice, recipes, and this is who I'm raising money for.

They also campaign towards trying to get coeliac disease diagnosed quicker and have recently supported GP's with information and guidance on what they shouId do if faced with a patient who is showing IBS symptoms as 60% of ceoliac sufferers are misdiagnosed with IBS.

If ceoliac disease is left untreated then complications like osteoporosis and bowel cancer can occur. This is why it's important to raise awareness about this autoimmune disease.

The Birmingham Half Marathon seemed the perfect one to choose as this year the chosen charity they have decided to support is Diabetes UK, another autoimmune disease in our family.

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, 

Helen xx