Hi, my name is CG74!
Around 6 years ago, so in 2012, after being passed around the clinics at the hospital, I was diagnosed with Behcet’s Disease. It is a condition that effects the small blood vessels, so can attack any part of the body and multiple sites at the same time. I suffer with mouth, throat, gut and vaginal ulceration, I also get ulcers and hot spots on my legs, Chronic migraines, severe join pain and depression, although my depression may well be PTSD from my military service. Along with all the pain I suffer with, I have periods where flashbacks and nightmares become a regular occurrence, so if pain isn’t keeping me awake, flashbacks and nightmares are instead/aswell.
I am very grateful to my GP and all the staff/consultants at the London Centre of Excellence for Behcet’s patients located at the Royal London hospital in WhiteChapel for my ongoing care.
my medicines regime consists of 22 tablets a day, including MXT and an immunosuppressant medication called Mycophenolate, along with top up Oral Morphine and 2 weekly Humira Injections which I have to administer myself.
My health is better than it was, although the day in day out pain and random symptoms do frustrate me.
l used to be incredibly fit and active, but now rely on crutchex and a wheelchair to get around, due to the amount of pain I suffer in my hips, pelvis, lower back and ankles.
The good days I have are few and far between, but I do my best to stay motivated taken up archery has given me something to be a team player again in, which I really enjoy. Archery is a very accommodating sport, with disabled archers competing with able bodied archers.
Help 4 Heroes has also helped me to start being my old self through support and sport. I have just come back from a week of kayaking at Tedworth House in Tidworth Salisbury.
Being disabled is now something I look at with a more positive outcome. It isn’t all bad.
