Hello folks,
 
Please take the time to read my following note and also some facts and figures at the end. If possible make a small donation. I'm sending this to over 500 of my friends, family and colleagues- even €5 / £5 each would be amazing but whatever you can afford.  All support would be gratefully appreciated!
www.justgiving.com/achill2010
 
7 years ago my little sister Anne-Marie (Amo as she is affectionately known amongst us!) took ill after a family holiday. At the time she was just 15 and during the illness she spent the most part of a year in hospital, losing a dangerous amount of body weight. She was diagnosed with having Ulcerative Colitis but it wasn't getting better despite numerous treatments. Eventually we found out that the cause behind the problem was Crohns ( a condition similar but more severe). Since then through many treatments and a lot of medication she has been managing her condition but there is always the possibility of a serious relapse. Through the help and support of Doctors, Dieticians and various other medical staff she has recieved a wealth of information and as a family we have researched the both of the conditions on the internet. This is where I thought I could give something back...
 
Last December at our staff Christmas party, a colleague of mine (James O'Beirne) suggested that we run the Half Marathon in Achill Island on July 3rd. During the do, we chatted about fundraising for a relevant charity and the NACC came up. It transpired that James' brother also has Colitis and another colleague of ours has Crohns and that it would be a worthy cause.

I also explained to James that another housemate of mine had recently moved home to Ireland. Mark had been suffering from Colitis and was taken in to hospital in Dublin to recieve treatment. Through my own experience of finding out the about the condition I pointed him in the right direction for information and support. We suggested that if he felt up to it he could join us in the run.....A couple of months later on a trip to London, Mark explained he had to have an operation to remove part of the colon and have a colostomy bag fitted. However he still felt up to running and this has added to our inspiration.
 
We set the ball rolling and began to get the fundraising going by putting up a justgiving page, advertising the run on our facebook profiles and telling friends, family and colleagues. The NACC set us a target and we are very close to reaching it at this point but I would like a last minute push so we can hopefully smash it!
 
The thing about these conditions is that they are a lot more common than people realise i.e the conditions affect around 1 in 250 people (more common than parkinsons but less awareness). This also means there is a high likelihood that you know someone that suffers from either Colitis or Crohns.
 
Here are some Facts and Figures:

For both illnesses

• Together, UC and Crohn’s Disease affect about 1 person in every 250 in the United Kingdom population
• Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease are chronic (ongoing) conditions, which are not infectious
• The most common age for diagnosis is between 10 and 40 (although diagnosis can occur at any age)
• In both UC and Crohn’s there is a higher chance of developing either illness if you have a close relative who has the condition
• In 10-15% of cases, UC and Crohn’s may be difficult to distinguish
• Men and women suffer equally

Ulcerative Colitis (UC)

• Affects up to 120,000 people in the UK, that’s about 1 in 500
• Between 6,000 and 12,000 new cases are diagnosed each year 

Crohn's Disease

• Affects approximately 60,000 people in the UK, that’s about 1 in 1000
• Between 3,000 and 6,000 new cases are diagnosed each year
• Research shows that the number of people with Crohn’s Disease has been rising steadily, particularly among young people. More recently, numbers have stabilised

What is it?

• Ulcerative Colitis
   
  It affects the rectum and sometimes the colon (large intestine). Inflammation and many tiny ulcers develop on the inside lining of the colon resulting in urgent and bloody diarrhoea, pain and continual tiredness. The condition varies as to how much of the colon is affected
   
  In addition, UC can cause inflammation in the eyes, skin and joints
   
  If the inflammation is only in the rectum it is known as proctitis
  
• Crohn's Disease
   
  It can affect anywhere from the mouth to the anus but most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon. It causes inflammation, deep ulcers and scarring to the wall of the intestine and often occurs in patches
   
  The main symptoms are pain in the abdomen, urgent diarrhoea, general tiredness and loss of weight. Crohn’s is sometimes associated with other inflammatory conditions affecting the joints, skin and eyes
   

For both illnesses

• The severity of the symptoms fluctuates unpredictably over time. Patients are likely to experience flare-ups in between intervals of remission or reduced symptoms
   
  The cause or causes have not yet been identified in either illness. Both genetic factors and environmental triggers are likely to be involved

Treatments

Ulcerative Colitis
 
Most patients will be treated with drugs, including 5-ASA therapies (eg: mesalazine) and steroids, to control or reduce the inflammation. Suppressants of the immune system (eg: azathioprine) are used to maintain remission. Some people need surgery to remove the whole of the colon if their symptoms do not respond to treatment with drugs. If the colon is removed, the small intestine leads to a stoma (opening on the abdomen or ‘tummy area’) for emptying of liquid stool (faeces). Or a replacement colon (ileo-anal pouch) is created by the surgeon reshaping the end of the small intestine
 
Crohn's Disease
 
The drug treatment is similar to that for Ulcerative Colitis (above). In addition, various antibiotics can be used; and a new range of drugs are being introduced called monoclonal antibodies (eg: infliximab). Crohn’s Disease can also be helped by special liquid feeds which rest the bowel. Surgery may be required to remove narrowed or damaged parts of the intestine
 
Smoking has an adverse effect on Crohn’s Disease, so patients are discouraged from smoking
 
For both illnesses
 
UC and Crohn’s are relapsing, remitting conditions. Most patients remain under hospital follow-up. Urgent consultation or hospital admission may be required for ‘flare-ups’
 
There is no cure for UC or Crohn’s at present (except for UC, if the colon is surgically removed), but treatment can control the disease in most cases
 
Worldwide research is rapidly increasing understanding of IBD, and so hopes for better treatments are high
 
Education, work and social functioning
 
UC and Crohn’s can affect young people during their education or as they become established in their career. Most sufferers can be maintained in remission for most of the time and are able to lead a full working life. However, some who have severe disease do not achieve their educational and career potential
 

Your support would be gratefully appreciated
 
Kind Regards,
 
Matt