Voluntary vs Involuntary Suffering

Bit of an uncomfortable one this to share, and certainly not my usual topic to write about. But it’d be poor form for me to be raising money for mental health charities, supporting men feeling like they can share the burden of their struggles without being transparent about my own. Not to mention I’ve barely spoken about one of the main reasons I’m running a Marathon in 6 weeks.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune condition known as ‘Mixed Connective Tissue Disease’ (MCTD) after a very confusing few months of losing my ability to do very basic things.

I couldn’t tie my shoe laces; I had to swap over to roll on deodorant because I didn’t have the strength in my hands to press the button on the can.

I was losing all feeling in my hands and feet on nights out, whilst at the bar, expected to take a full round of drinks back to the table…(Highly embarrassing having to stand in the men’s loos with your hands under warm water for 30 mins to get the blood running through them again).

Like a typical bloke, I kept putting off going to the GP; but it got progressively worse to the point of being unable to physically get out of bed. Many many blood tests later, I was given some clarity on what it was; told it was degenerative, and that I’d be on some pretty heavy meds for the rest of my days. The kind where you…