On the 4th of October I'm shaving off over 40cm of hair, well all of it actually,  to raise funds in aid of Behcet's UK!

My Behcets journey started 15 years ago just after my 11^th
birthday, when I started to develop mouth ulcers, I would get between 10 to 20
at a time and as fast as one healed another one would appear, the pain of the
ulcers meant I would often struggle to eat and talk. I’d also suffered up to
this point with joint pain which I thought was because of my hypermobility. I then
started to get headaches and fatigue which I put down to anxiety. I was back and forth to the GP throughout my teenage years, I was given mouth washes, told it was just one of those things and told to speak to my dentist who said the same. In my late teens I stared to get skin problems including hives, and acne that would appear one day and be gone the next and painful lumps on my face. My eyes
would frequently become red and puffy which was put down to a unknown allergy. At 21 I developed my first genital ulcer and with no answers from my GP (and no medication for these ulcers!) I started researching my symptoms online and came across Behcets disease which led me to Behcet’s UK. Reading their numerous symptom
factsheets convinced me I had Behcets disease. I returned to my GP armed with this information and asked for a referral to one of the three Behcets centres of excellence. Instead, I was referred to dermatology who after reviewing my symptoms immediately referred my to the Behcets centre in Liverpool. On my first visit to the centre and meeting the wonderful staff there, I was told I likely had Behcets, and this was confirmed a few months later at the age of 21. I was immediately prescribed medication which has helped ease some of my symptoms although I have still never been completely free of mouth ulcers. Without the helpful information from the Behcet’s UK website I might not have had my diagnosis.

 Behcets is an unpredictable lifelong disease and can at times be difficult to live with. Many medical professionals know little or nothing about it so knowing Behcet's UK is there to provide information and support to me whenever needed is invaluable. 

I'm raising funds to help Behcet's UK to continue to support people like me.

I'm taking part in Life Begins at 40 in aid of Behçet's UK. For the last 40 years, Behçets UK has represented and supported all Behçets patients in the UK, including those yet to be diagnosed, and continues to do so. They promote and fund research into the condition and their ultimate aim is to find a cure but in the meantime, we strive to secure the best care for all Behçets patients and assist all affected by the condition. Behçets (pronounced Bet-Jets), also known as Behçets Disease or Behçets Syndrome is a rare, complex and lifelong condition resulting from disturbances in the body's immune system. Symptoms, which can be debilitating, occur wherever there is a patch of inflammation; this can be anywhere where there is a blood supply from the brain down to the feet.Behçet's UK doesn't receive any government funding so rely on generous donations through fundraising campaigns like this one to continue to provide their services and deliver their aims, as well as raise awareness.