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On 13th May last year I was admitted to hospital and during a 7 night stay was diagnosed with lupus. On 13th May this year (a year after my diagnosis and the first Sat after World Lupus Day on 10th May) I want to run a 5k Parkrun to raise awareness of lupus.

I'd no idea what lupus was this time last year. I'd had some strange symptoms for about a year before I ended up in hospital including mouth ulcers and joint pain, but my GP wasn't worried so I tried not to be either. Then at the start of May I began to have more symptoms including swollen eyes and swollen ankles but I was so used to having odd symptoms by this stage I (bizarrely on reflection!) wasn't that concerned about these new ones until I happened to see my brilliant nurse friend Gillian who told me I had to get an emergency GP appointment the next day. I did and after taking a urine sample and my blood pressure the doctor sent me straight to A&E.

At A&E my blood pressure was so high it wouldn't register on the first machine they used. It turned out my kidneys were leaking blood and protein, so I was sent to the City Hospital kidney department where I stayed for a week and was diagnosed with lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where your immune system goes haywire and attacks the healthy cells in your body thinking they are harmful. In more serious cases it can attack vital organs including the kidneys, heart, lungs and brain. 

In the months that followed I was put on a lot of strong medication, experienced extreme fatigue, moved in with my parents and tried to come to terms with my diagnosis. I'm extremely thankful that I am now living a 'normal' life again, however I do still see my brilliant consultant every 6 weeks and I take 13 tablets everyday to keep it at bay.

I'm determined to raise awareness of lupus in the hope that people will know the symptoms to look for and ensure earlier diagnosis. Lupus is a serious but treatable disease, the earlier it is detected the less damage it will do. If I had known the symptoms to look for I could have asked my GP to test for lupus and begun treatment before it had damaged my kidneys. Since my diagnosis I have also heard stories of people who tragically died because their lupus had done so much damage to their bodies before it was detected.

The symptoms to look out for are:

• Joint/muscle aches and pains
• Permanent rash over cheeks
• Extreme fatigue and weakness
• Increased risk of miscarriage
• Rashes from sunlight/UV light
• Flu-like symptoms and/or night sweat
• Weight gain or loss
• Inflammation of the tissues covering internal organs with associated chest and/or abdominal pain
• Seizures, mental illness or other cerebral problems
• Headaches, migraine
• Kidney problems
• Oral/nasal ulcers
• Hair loss
• Depression
• Haematological disorders including anaemia
• Swollen glands
• Poor blood circulation causing the tips of fingers and toes to turn white then blue on exposure to cold (Raynauds)

I’m not a natural runner but have been doing the couch to 5k app for the past 6 weeks and hope to be able to give a 5k my best shot on 13^th May. I honestly may not manage to run it all and I guarantee I will be the last person across the line but I am determined to do it. Thanks for reading this and if you want to sponsor me the money will go to Lupus UK who do a great job in raising awareness and researching lupus.

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