Hi Everyone and thanks for dropping by. Today I was supposed to run the Virgin London Marathon, obviously due to Corona Virus this has now been postponed and The London Marathon in collaboration with JustGiving and other organisations has set up the 2.6 challenge to try and help charities across the UK raise much needed funds at this difficult time. All that said at 2.26pm today I will be running 2.6 miles dressed as a uterus to raise funds for two charities very close to my heart - National Association of Premenstrual Syndromes (NAPS) and International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) - unfortunately neither of these charities are on Just Giving but both have their own donation platforms. All monies raised will be split equally between the two charities unless otherwise stated.

Why these charities?

After almost 15 years of struggling to survive in September 2016 I was diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) - this diagnosis honestly changed my life forever, I finally had the correct name for all my difficulties, which had been diagnosed as all sort over the years, chronic fatigue syndrome, anorexia nervosa, anxiety and depression to name just a few. With the correct diagnosis and treatment I began to learn that life didn't have to continue to be such a struggle. However we also learnt that unfortunately for me I fell into the small population of suffers for whom treatment is not sustainable long term, and therefore following many medical admissions, fertility treatment and almost a year long admission to the local psychiatric hospital I underwent a total hysterectomy and removal of both ovaries age 29. I am just two weeks short of being 1 year post op and life is better than I ever believed it could be. I honestly pinch myself at least once a week in disbelief that this is actually my life. Throughout my journey I recognised the glaring reality that despite affecting 1 in 20 menstruating individuals, so few people have heard of this condition, so I began volunteering and made it my mission to help raise awareness and save others the years of unnecessary suffering I experienced.

National Association for Premenstrual Syndromes - http://www.pms.org.uk/

National Association for Premenstrual Syndromes Registered charity number - 289901

International Association for Premenstrual Disorders - https://iapmd.org/

International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD), a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit (EIN: 47-2480088)