Jane’s Great North 5k Walk Saturday September 8th 2018

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia following a car accident in 2015; it has been debilitating and turned my life upside down.

Prior to this I was a happy, adventurous, enthusiastic, fun mum, sister, daughter and friend; as well as a motivated, successful, independent career woman. I loved the exhilaration of a wild swim & exciting times dinghy surfing with my son. In 2014 I had been training for my first Great North Run and embarked on a new project, setting up an Artisan Market at Vallum Farm.

Following the crash I became physically, psychologically and spiritually challenged; overwhelmed by my symptoms and not knowing what was wrong with me or what to do about it, I was lost, frightened and alone. My days became an endless struggle trying to manage essential tasks while spending the majority of my days in bed to cope with my symptoms.

It has taken years for me to start to regain some quality time in my day; while I continue to spend the majority of my week managing my condition.

My aim now is to focus on the positive achievements I can make in my day whatever challenges I face.

Last year I entered the Great North 5k hoping I would be able to run; I’m not ready for that yet...

I will walk the course, which also coincides with Fibromyalgia Awareness Week the 2nd-9th of September, as a personal challenge and milestone in my wellbeing progress.

To achieve this I have had to gently introduce a paced walking plan to improve my fitness; while aerobic exercise is good for me and a new goal is uplifting, this has meant more pain and exhaustion. I think I am ready to complete the course, it is also very likely this exertion will result in some level of relapse for me. It is necessary to go through this cycle to test my progress and the impact as everyone is unique in how they react.

Hopefully this will contribute to raising awareness of the condition, The Newcastle Fibromyalgia Support Group and raise funds to give something back.

The monthly meetings have been important to me through meeting other members, offering invaluable understanding, information and techniques to manage my symptoms.

If you can take the time to look at the website and learn more about Fibromyalgia this would be a great help to spread the word.

www.newcastlefibromyalgia.co.uk

www.fmauk.org

Any donations would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!