<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">I'm finally on the road to recovery!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">In June 2010, I was training for an Ironman in Copenhagen but I </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">never made it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">On 13th June 2010 (only 8 weeks before the race), I was rushed</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">into hospital with severe stomach <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pains, which turned out to be</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> life-threatening peritonitis, caused by perforation of my colon. </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 13 months of illness and four major operations, I had </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">elective surgery to form a permanent ileostomy in July 2011. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the last 2 years I have been on an emotional and </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">physical journey on a scale that I never thought I'd have to </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">endure. It knocked me to my knees and I've had to fight back </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">time and time again. I'm now finally on the road to recovery </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">and I fully intend to get back to training, run a marathon and </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">even get to complete that Ironman that eluded me! </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">It's not without difficulty though and I'm at a lifetime fitness low.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">Due to the surgery and periods of bed rest, I'm also struggling </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">with injuries, muscle imbalances and weaknesses and </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">have to do a lot of rehab work just to keep injury free.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">Running the British 10k to raise money for Ostomy Lifestyle will</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">be a fantastic personal challenge on my journey back to fitness</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">and the opportunity to raise money for a charity with a philosophy </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">close to my heart. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">They are a young but wonderful charity who's aim is to help </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">people with an ostomy live a positive life. Something I can very</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">much relate to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">The race on 8th July will be almost (give or take 3 days) </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">the one year anniversary of my ileostomy surgery, and a </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">great reason to celebrate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">My story proves that none of us never know what is round the </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">next corner, and we all need to grasp each day like a gift. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">I want to show that having an ileostomy doesn't mean your </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">life is over. For me, it meant I could get mine back.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">Please support me as I take on this challenge and help me raise </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">money for this great charity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; white-space: pre;">Thank you :-)</span></p>