Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I am so grateful to everyone for my sponsorship to date, and am overwhelmed that through everyone, I have not only beaten my original £2,000 target, but also the revised £5,000 target. But every single penny is important so if you are looking at this after my event, please keep sponsoring!!!

In July 2009, I was diagnosed with Smouldering Myeloma which is the asymptomatic form of Myeloma. Myeloma is a type of bone marrow cancer arising from plasma cells, which are normally found in the bone marrow.

It is a rare cancer that only affects about 1% of cancer patients. Most GP's will only see 1 or 2 patients in their entire career and this often results in Myeloma not being diagnosed until symptoms are seriously life changing. Sadly, at present there is no cure for this cancer, and once fully diagnosed, the average life expectancy is 2-5 years, with 10 years being achievable for some 'luckier' individuals. Treatments for myeloma can be very effective at halting its progress, controlling the symptoms, and improving quality of life, but they are not able to cure it.

So far I have no symptoms but on the 5th July, found out that unless my haemoglobin levels rise in the next two weeks, that I will probably have to start chemo over the summer. Not something I had looked forward to. The Myeloma UK charity has been integral in the support I have received since diagnosis and I am really keen to support it and help to raise money for it.

So, please help me to support a charity that is going to help a large number of people, including me, in the future. The 3 Peaks Challenge is based in Yorkshire and involves scaling the Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough peaks (which average over 700m in height) in less than 12 hours - a total distance of around 25 miles. I completed this in 10 hours and 40 minutes with 3 of my sisters, my brother in law, 3 of my nieces and some friends, as well as Nick and Mike who came as our drivers. It was a great team effort and I as so very proud of what we achieved.

Your donations will be used by Myeloma UK in a number of areas;

1. To provide information and support to individuals like myself who have been diagnosed.

2. To promote awareness of Myeloma in order that symptoms are recognised and treated early.

3. To fund crucial research to try to increase the life expectancy after diagnosis and/or find a cure for this currently uncurable disease.

I know things are tight for people at the moment, so please give as little or as much as you are able to....every penny helps.

 

Any donation will be hugely appreciated. Another invaluable way of giving is to register or encourage family and friends to register as a potential stem cell donor. In the U.K, this process is free and managed by the Anthony Nolan Trust (http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk/donating/howtojointheregister).

 

If you have any questions or would like to help me to raise awareness of this terrible cancer, please get in touch with me.

 

Thank you so much for reading this and I hope you are able to help

Debs xx

p.s I also have a blog at http://debsjourneywithmyeloma.blogspot.com/ . It talks about how Smouldering Myeloma is affecting me - but I would say that it isn't about my progress for this challenge, but my general diary - I make no apologies that it is for me to write things as I see them....you might prefer to miss this one!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. If you want to know more about what the money is used for, please contact me and I can send you details.