Hello there. Thanks for visiting and especial thanks to those who've donated!
On 10 April, I ran the Brighton Marathon for TB Alert, four years since I successfully completed antibiotic treatment and recovered from pulmonary (lung) tuberculosis (TB). My race time for my first marathon was 3:54:13, chip time (start to finish) was 3:47:38 with a position of 1376 out of some 8000 runners.You can continue to donate to TB Alert here.
Background
As a doctor in good health and with no risk factors, I was surprised myself to have contracted TB. In my case this involved a month of dry coughing, loss of appetite and weight loss. Despite this, I wasn't correctly diagnosed until after a number of consultations because TB - 'the great mimic' - can and did present unexpectedly, even to experienced clinicians. And it can affect anyone though fortunately for those in high income countries, better living conditions, the BCG vaccine and antibiotic therapies have all reduced its prevalence.
While TB can be serious and fatal for many across the world without access to treatment, I knew it was treatable and that I would recover. I was also fortunate that the strain of TB I contracted was not resistant to antibiotics and I successfully recovered with the standard triple treatment that I took for six months. The completion of this course of treatment is an important strategy to ensure that TB does not recur in those who've been treated.
Since then I have resumed work and completed my training as a psychiatrist. Although I have often run for fitness, participating in a marathon always seemed a distance too far. I've recently tried to increase my range and found I've been able to continue for ever increasing distances. Thus now seemed the time to take part in my home town marathon and volunteer for TB Alert, a charity that are also based in Brighton. You can follow my progress here.
As an additional incentive to donate, I will match whatever money riased here with a donation of my own to the Kintampo Project. This is an innovative post-graduate degree programme that is dedicated to provide training in psychiatry to health professionals working in Ghana. The Project runs in conjunction with Hampshire Partnership and the University of Winchester, and I was privileged to teach its first intake of students in May 2010. Donations will assist with the running of the programme and provision of material for the students. My blog about the experience of teaching on the Kintampo Project can be found here.
Thanks to TB Alert and all those who came out to support the runners en route. Was a great day!
