Update following the race:

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Earlier this year my Dad, Jon, was diagnosed with Churg Strauss Syndrome, a form of Vasculitis. Thankfully it is a relatively rare disease, but the effects can often be devastating as it can take a long time to be diagnosed.

The treatment requires a combination of immunosuppressive drugs to control the inflammation and suppress the immune system. These drugs are commonly high dose steroids as well as additional drugs, both of which can cause some nasty side effects.

One common side effect is the increased risk of catching infections because of the suppression of the immune system. Unfortunately my Dad has, in the last six weeks, been admitted to hospital on two occasions with pneumonia requiring strong doses of IV antibiotics to reduce the high level of infection, but he is now back home and recovering well.  

He is now nearing six months of treatment and it is often around that point that the condition begins to stabilise. It is vital that Vasulitis is detected early so that medication can be started before significant damage can be done.

My Dad was "lucky" to be diagnosed early and has since heard from many people who were not so fortunate through Vasculitis UK, a charity set up to offer support and information. He is now collating information from people with Vasculitis in an endeavour to add to the existing knowledge of the disorder.

I am running the Stevenage Half Marathon to raise money for Vasculitis UK and also to raise awareness of the condition. I would be grateful if you could read the brief summary below as you never know when it could affect someone you love.

"Vasculitis is inflammation of the blood vessels. The blood vessels involved can be in any organs and may be different in different types of vasculitis. The skin, joints, kidney and lungs are often involved in some of the more common types of vasculitis. The overall prognosis varies depending on the organ involved and the severity of the disease. Treatment varies depending on the actual vasculitic disease present, the severity of the disease and on the organs involved."

"The symptoms caused by vasculitis will depend on the organs involved. However, some general symptoms include: tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fever. Unfortunately many of these symptoms apply to other diseases which make it difficult to diagnose vasculitis.

Some symptoms encountered, specific to various systems are:

·         Respiratory system - breathlessness, wheeze, dry cough or coughing up blood

·         ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) - hearing problems (deafness and or noises in the ear), nasal crusting, nose bleeds, sinus pain (which may be felt as headaches or pain in the face) or hoarse voice

·         Skin - rashes, ulcers, and necrosis (death of tissue)

·         Eyes - red (blood shot) eyes, painful, dry or gritty eyes, visual loss or other changes in vision

·         Joints - arthralgias (pain in joints), and joint swelling

·         Nervous system - loss of sensation, weakness, unusual painful symptoms in the hands and feet (hotness, pins and needles or "electric shocks") and rarely paralysis or stroke

·         Gastrointestinal system - diarrhoea, bleeding and abdominal pain

·         Kidneys/Renal - initially no symptoms. However urine dipstick tests will indicate problems with minute amounts of blood or protein in the urine. Occasionally blood may be seen in the urine (red or brown urine) or the amount of urine produced may suddenly reduce or stop altogether."

Taken from: http://www.vasculitis.org.uk/