I am planning to run my first ever full marathon! After having our children for various reasons my running has dropped from competitive to casual, I've run half's before but never attempted a full marathon. My mum Mary and my sister Abbey both qualified as good for age for London 2022 so I wanted to complete the set and enter alongside them, but I didn't get selected in the ballot. So, decided to offer myself for a charity place, and Crohn's & Colitis UK fit the bill perfectly as it's something that is now very close to my heart and here's why...

Phil (My husband) was diagnosed in Feb 2020 at the start of the pandemic with Crohn's disease. Due to the timing of the pandemic, and medical advice and information understandably in short supply, Crohn's & Colitis UK provided a wealth of information and a support network to help us through this tough time. 

Crohn's can affect people in slightly different ways or combinations of symptoms, but Phil's mainly resided in daily bouts of moderate to severe pain sometimes for many hours at a time, chronic fatigue and going to the toilet rather a lot.  The pain and fatigue affected not just Phil's, but our families day, his work and business and his social life, sometimes for large chunks of it, and meant that he could not have a good quality of life.  He had to stop running, take regular naps during the day, struggled to get out of bed in the morning and struggled with being able to play with the kids, especially if it was physically demanding, or had the kids on his own. 

He was started off on a large dose of steroids to try and settle the condition, plus a concoction of other tablets to help stabilise the symptoms ongoing, but they failed to help, and he was admitted into hospital for IV steroids and treatment in April 2020.  Over the next 12 months further drugs and treatment were tried but with no sign of remission. It was at this stage he discussed surgical options with his consultant, and they decided that due to the severity of his Crohn's this was the best option moving forward. So after a 12 month wait for urgent surgery Phil had quite an evasive surgery which included removing his large intestine, and having a stoma (ileostomy) formed on his tummy with the small intestine. When they operated the surgeons found there to be extensive swelling, inflammation and an obstruction of the colon which meant the surgery was an absolute necessity and could have resulted in an emergency situation prior to the scheduled date.

9 Weeks later after a successful operation and careful rehabilitation he is now in remission and full of life and happiness once again!! This surgery has given back his life, and providing the Crohn's doesn't spread to other areas of the digestive system, he hopes to live a very full life getting back to his running, canoeing and family life which he so dearly missed.

(Please bear in mind this is the short version! I have spared you of the tears, heartache and distress he/we have suffered with this awful disease,  including the finer details of the op! Not to mention the dozens and dozens of medical appointments through and beyond lockdowns)

There is still no cure for Crohn's disease and little awareness of the condition, so please help us by donating to this charity and helping fund projects to combat this destructive disease.

If you would like to know more about the disease or would like more information about Crohn's & Colitis UK please take a look at their website https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk

Crohn's & Colitis UK are the UK's leading charity for Crohn's and Colitis. Right now, an estimated 500,000 people in the UK are living with a lifelong disease that many people have never heard of. I am taking part in the 2022 TCS London Marathon to support Crohn's & Colitis UK, and your donation can help Crohn's & Colitis UK's mission to improve diagnosis and treatment; to fund research and raise awareness.