Do not underestimate the power of social media

Now when I used to think of Facebook and twitter I thought it was a great way to stretch your ego, share the cool things you were doing with people you used to go to school with, dated or dont even know!

Well over the last few years social media is becoming a powerful tool.  It has began to develop into a digital way to share information, meet like minded people.  Generally meet people of varying locations, culture and age.  People you would probably never meet in our day to day lives.

And in some instances, some very special instances it becomes so much more than this.

Click on the link below and have a read of my latest commissioned blog for Securicare and see what I mean ;)


http://www.securicaremedical.co.uk/Menu/Securicare-Blog/ArtMID/15413/ArticleID/57/The-ostomy-community-online.aspx

Never Judge a book by it's cover.

So as many of you know I have the priviledge of being a resident blogger for Clinimed/Securicare.

For those of you who don't know they are a medical supplier of my Ostomy supplies. Well actually they are more than that. They are a key a part of my journey over the last few years, giving me some awesome opportunities :)

Well I wanted to share with you one of my latest blogs for them.

After a trip to Tescos where I used the disabled toilet. I started these blogs to raise awareness and try and prevent ignorance towards Ostomys.

My journey has taught me we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. 

Have a read...see what you think

http://www.securicaremedical.co.uk/Menu/Securicare-Blog/ArtMID/15413/ArticleID/55/Should-People-With-Stomas-Use-Disabled-Toilets.aspx

Its Nuclear Rush weekend!! My Love affair with OCR continues

Once again I find myself only days away from my favourite race of the year…Nuclear Rush.  This isn’t just because this is my home team’s race.  It is due to this being the anniversary of my first ever OCR. 

All of the experiences I have had in the last few years can almost all be traced back to this date.  It is almost like the fixed point in time where my life began to really change.  

It is when the idea of writing a blog began when I started seriously training.  Its also when my relationship with Beating Bowel Cancer began.

It was shortly after this that Clinimed became aware of my activities.  Its where I began to meet my OCR family.  

Where I made some great friendships with my fellow Nukes and members of our OCR family.

It really is where most of this journey began!

Importantly it is also the first time since having my operation that I put myself outside of my comfort zone.  I had NEVER done anything like this before, even before my op!  I guess that’s what I love about OCR.  It’s the fact that it pushes everyone that competes just far enough outside of their comfort zone.  It becomes an addiction for all levels of fitness.

The real reason I hold Nuclear Rush in such high regards was probably best described in my blog last year.  Its one of the first times I recall my son looking at me with such pride.  A beaming smile watching his dad wade through a muddy bog!

http://mudbagrunner.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/nuclear-rush-forever-my-special-race.html 

This year I get to run Nuclear Rush with my wife and the following day run the Nuclear Rookies course with them both!

Looks like Rush 2015 could be my new special race....see you in the nuclear mud Saturday ;)

#LOVEMUD

So what is next?

Ever look at yourself in the mirror and wonder who it is staring back?  Wondering what the world thinks of the person looking back at you?

I’m not referring to physical vanity but instead how you are seen as a person.  Recently I have been reflecting asking the ultimate question,……..and the answer isn’t 42 (only the geeks will get that)

Yes life is good, hectic and no two days are the same.  Between, family, work (which is mad at the mo!), training, my love of OCR, Ostomy awareness, blog writing and overall desire to make the most of life I have had a number of unique experiences over the last few years. 

 

But I find myself asking is that enough?

I think it could be that life is too busy!  I have too many things on the go and as such lose enjoyment in many of them.  As I type this blog I find my mind wandering to other things, work, my desire to train.

Perhaps I have also become a victim of my own success? Eventually always asking the question ‘what next’ and answering what is next makes asking the next ‘what next’ question difficult to answer!

So What is next?

To be honest I don’t know?  Perhaps I have reached a point where the ‘what next’ also has a timescale associated to it?  I have reached a level of fitness for example that means the ‘gains’ are not always so obvious.  The better you become at things the harder it is to improve.

Perhaps it is an opportunity for me to take a step back, slow the world down a bit and concentrate on what is important?  

The one thing I do know is I’m not stopping here!  I may just bumble along for a bit but I will definitely continue to enjoy life, to train hard and play harder. 

What the last few years have definitely taught me is you never know what is around the corner….I think I just need to give myself a swift kick in the ass, get my priorities right and move forward one day at a time.

A part of my story I almost forgot!!

Once again I find myself claiming I am sooooo busy I haven't posted a blog in ages!

 Well this time its the same excuse, except...this time I have written a number of blogs that have been accepted by Clinimed/securicare.

The most revent after I was invited to the 1st Get Your Belly out Ball. #GYBO is a charity raising awareness for Chrons and Colitus, forms of IBD.

If you wanna know more check out the blog

www.securicaremedical.co.uk/Menu/Securicare-Blog/ArtMID/15413/ArticleID/53/What-The-GYBO-Ball-Was-Really-About.aspx

Anyway this made me realise I post so often about bowel cancer that Id forgotten it was an undiagnosed IBD Colitus that had progtessed to bowel cancer....so time to rectify that ;)

I have refered to IBDs but what are they you say...glad you asked ;)

What are IBD's?
Chrons and Ulcerative Colitis are forms of IBDs. They both produce symptoms of urgent and frequent diarrhoea,  rectal bleeding, fatigue and anemia (due to blood loss) Malnutrition  and weight loss are very common. The pictures of me in my mid 20's at 9 stone confirm that ;)

IBD Key facts
It is estimated that one person in every 50 are affected by a IBD.  There are around 120,000 people with UC and 90,000 it Chrons in the UK. (Source NEW choices)
These are lifelong conditions and most commonly first present in the teens and twenties (25% present in adolescence; median age at diagnosis is 29.5 years).

There is no cure. Cause is likely to be multifactorial, a combination of genetic predisposition and an abnormal reaction of the immune system to intestinal bacteria, triggered by something in the environment

Over 50% of patients with Crohn’s Disease will undergo surgery (often resulting in an Ostomy) within 10 years of diagnosis.

There is an established link between IBD and an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.

So there you go hopefully a bit of information on IBDs raising awareness of symptons. However most importantly it was an opportunity for me to reflect and share on another part of my story.

The Ripple Effect...........One small change can have an ENOURMOUS effect

As many of you will know I have spent the last few years doing what I can to raise awareness for bowel cancer and IBD's. But whilst talking to someone at a recent charity event I realised I've referred to BBC a lot but have never really highlighted all the hard work that they do. Time to fix that....

As April is Bowel Cancer awareness month it seems appropriate :)

Their vision is a world where bowel cancer is beaten. Beating Bowel Cancer is the support and campaigning charity for everyone affected by bowel cancer.

They bring people with bowel cancer together to share experiences and create a powerful voice for change.

• promoting early diagnosis of bowel cancer
• campaigning for the highest quality treatment and care for bowel cancer patients
• raising money to fund our vital work

Each year Beating Bowel Cancer
-          distributes over 120,000 information booklets to help patients and their families understand more about bowel cancer and to support them in making vital decisions

-          Their nurse helpline receives over 3,300 contacts from people needing support

-          780,000 people visit the Beating Bowel Cancer website to find out about symptoms and get vital information about the condition

Key facts and statistics about bowel cancer
• Every half an hour someone dies of the disease
• Each year around 16,000 people die of bowel cancer
• Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK
• Around 110 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every day, that’s someone every 15 minutes
• Bowel cancer affects both men and women
 
• Your lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer is 1 in 16.

Reading the statistics above hopefully now you can see why I never feel like I can do enough.

My hope is my humble ramblings create a small ripple of awareness which may in turn create someone else to create a ripple.

I hope they do......so Ill keep rambling ;)