#WorldIBDday

Happy World IBD Day to you all!

19th May is a day to be loud and proud (if you're not already) about all things Inflammatory Bowel Disease!

Helping raise awareness...encouraging donation to Crohn's and a Colitis UK... It all goes towards the goal of finding that illusive cure - and if not? Just helping make people's lives a little bit easier through sharing knowledge is ace. Ace to the face. To the face of the pesky disease.

I'm sure my followers would have seen my contribution for the day:

I've essentially pimped this photo out all over the world wide web today; getting sick of my own face! But it doesn't matter as SHARING IS CARING.

It's also great to see the camaraderie emphasised on days like today within the IBD community. I'm already a member of a number Facebook groups, including #GetYourBellyOut and The Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Diaries, to name a few. To be honest I think the latter is based in the US? But geographical location is irrelevant when there's someone sitting at their computer screen reading and understanding what you have to say about your disease.

I saw on Facebook that Crohn's and Colitis UK had received well over 200 photos today similar to mine. So good!

And this is why I told people at work that today was World IBD day. Why I made sure I blogged and shared all things IBD today. Why I welled up when I saw people sharing my posts and photo. Because it's important.

It's important to fellow IBDers to know that we're not clubbed together under 'taboo diseases', that it's something that can be talked about. And it's important to me that people know what in the blaze can happen when you have IBD - and if they can't understand, just that they at least kind of know what it is.

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If I haven't rambled enough........!

THIS SUNDAY is our 10k run. Balls.

My arthritic knee is crumbling and my body is massively running on empty. But I will complete this race come rain or shine - but preferably rain, what with the menopausal hot flushes and burning palms.

And if running lets me down, then I could always gallop my way through (we all know I love Miranda, the number one advocate for the gallop)

As per, would appreciate any support as it all goes back into the Crohn's and a Colitis UK pot of wonderfulness!

www.justgiving.com/harrietsgotcrohns 

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TWO WEEKS!

Two weeks yesterday until my 10k run.

And it's all becoming rather real, especially now all my stuff has arrived!

My Crohn's and Colitis t-shirt, my running number, my book of instructions... oh my!

And the fundraising is going really well - (as I type) only £85 to go until we hit our target of £500!! This is AMAZING. But of course I couldn't blog about my run without another cheeky plea!

You can donate through JustGiving and our page is www.justgiving.com/harrietsgotcrohns

OR

You can text HSJD50 with the amount you wish to donate to 70070

OR

Click the widget on the left hand side of my blog

I've been gymming it for the last month or so and have realised a few things: 1) how out of shape I am [not a massive surprise] 2) how my medications have plumped me right up over the years [again, who am I kidding thinking I'm still thin?!] and 3) how bad my arthritic knee is getting [this is new].

I'm aware that I'm going to have to train ruddy hard these next two weeks, strap my knee up like I'm hiking a mountain and push myself to try and beat my time from before. That would be 1hr 09 for your reference.

It's going to be tough - but nothing in comparison to some of the shite Crohn's puts you through!

Every cloud and all that!!

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I'm on FIRE

I know I've always had a little moan about CONSTANTLY BEING HOT/early menopausal, etc. but recently I've noticed the palms of my hands are on fire. All the time?!

I had a browse on the internet (as obviously I like to do a spot of research) and stumbled across a post on the Healing Well forum:

Ok this has to be one of the weirdest feelings ever. My hands feel like they are being slow roasted over a fire. They aren't hot to the touch, but they are burning, especially in the palm area and where my finger joints are. Sometimes they also tingle, but the burning sensation is the strongest by far. There is no rash and my hands are not swollen.

This is me! Except it's not me, it's a user called Viteka and this was posted in 2009. But this is exactly what I'm experiencing!

Some other users suggested a B12 deficiency, some people replied saying it was meds related, others saying it was related to other illnesses but not Crohn's as far as they were aware.

Obviously I will bring it up in clinic next, but that's not for a while yet.

Does anyone else experience the ol' burning palms??

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Achy Bones

I have achy bones. Oh so achy.

Left knee, lower back, right shoulder. All slowly, one by one, getting more painful. Even if I'm not doing anything.

I've mentioned my knee and back to my consultant before, but it's never really something they've focused on...? Just getting a bit fed up of sitting with my legs crossed, then suddenly having to rearrange my legs because the pain is unreal. I am not of Nana age yet!

Is there a strong link between the autoimmune diseases? Can you have Crohn's and get arthritis more easily?

I had a little look into the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis on the NHS website (as this type seems to be the most mentioned re IBDs) and it brought up the following:

• Pain
• This is usually a throbbing and aching sort of pain. Often worse in the mornings and after you have been sitting still for a while. Pain is often felt while you are resting, not after activity.
• Stiffness
• Joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis can feel stiff, especially in the morning. Morning stiffness associated with a kind of arthritis called osteoarthritis usually wears off within 30 minutes of getting up. However, rheumatoid arthritis morning stiffness usually lasts longer than half an hour.
• Warmth & Redness
• The lining of the affected joint becomes inflamed, causing the joints to swell, and become hot, tender to touch and painful.

I guess I'm just curious, that's all. Don't want to get all hypochondriac on your asses, but the achy bones are becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore!!

Any info from anyone would be greatly appreciated; you can tweet me @Harriet_IM or leave a comment below.

Ta!

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