Raising Funds For Thrombosis UK!
https://lnkd.in/d9gQzyRQ

Three years ago today I was diagnosed with Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis, which is a rare form of stroke caused by blood clots in the brain. This clot keeps blood from draining out of the brain and, as a result, pressure builds up in the blood vessels. It occurs primarily in women of childbearing age and, like any form of blood clot, can be fatal.

Yet despite this possibility, there is very little research surrounding the condition. For many doctors, it's entirely unheard of. In fact, it took almost two weeks for my diagnosis to be reached and it was found by chance. Three GP's, multiple hospital trips and several calls to 111 as I received multiple misdiagnoses and my condition deteriorated. If I hadn't been referred for a CT scan on the off chance that I had hit my head while collapsing multiple times, I likely wouldn't be here today. I was incredibly lucky.

But while my particular condition is very rare, what's not so unheard of are blood clots in general. In fact, we are all likely to know somebody who has been affected by blood clots of some kind. They could happen to anybody, at any time, in any part of their body.

Just a few months ago there was an uproar surrounding the new vaccine and its contribution towards blood clots.

So why is the knowledge of how they are more frequently caused so uncommon?

Why do we not all know the warning signs?

There are so many day to day factors that can contribute towards blood clots and, while they cannot always be avoided, there are a variety of things you can do to minimise your risk.

One of the biggest risk factors recently has been inactivity.

In particular, the rise of homeworking has contributed to thousands of individuals spending far less time on their feet.

So why, when every SIX seconds somebody around the world dies of a thrombosis related cause, do we not know more about these conditions?

I cannot stress enough how absolutely crucial it is to familiarise yourself with the risk factors associated with thrombosis. I have attached some images here with key information and would encourage everybody to take a look here: 

https://thrombosisuk.org

So, in the spirit of getting up on our feet and keeping ourselves active, I'm challenging myself to walk, run or swim 100 miles in October in order to raise funds and awareness for Thrombosis UK, helping them with their invaluable research. I'll be tracking my progress using my fitness watch.

So for each day, I will update my progress and would also welcome any donations towards this worthwhile cause, no matter how small.

https://lnkd.in/d9gQzyRQ

Thank you if you managed to get this far. X