Paris Collingbourne
Paris's page
Fundraising for Vasculitis UK
Story
The problem with invisible diseases is exactly that- they're invisible.
I've decided to run to raise money for Vasculitis UK on behalf of my Mum because although it's been 14 weeks since she was taken into hospital we are still waiting to know the extent of her diagnosis. Vasculitis is an incredibly rare disease and it's largely unheard of, despite Mum's diagnosis not being confirmed still to this day, being unwell has really affected Mum's life over the past few months and the things she loved doing have now become a challenge. So I've decided to set myself a challenge by running the Cardiff Half!
What is vasculitis?
The symptoms of vasculitis will depend on the organs involved and there are a number of vasculitis diseases, all are characterised by inflammation of the blood vessels in one or more organ(s). These essentially are diseases involving the immune system whereby the immune system no longer provides defence against infection or other triggers and, therefore, the immune system fights itself.
There are two stages in the treatment of vasculitic disease. The first stage is controlling the disease process and the second is maintaining remission and preventing relapse. Depending on the disease, the patient and the severity of the disease the initial stage drug regime can include chemotherapy, methotrexate or Azathioprine.
In most cases of vasculitis, the exact cause is not known and although some of the vasculitides are self-limiting the majority cannot be cured.
This is why it's so important to fundraise to fund vital research as well as awareness for the disease.
Thank you x
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