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Abbie Burch and Jamie Cattermole charity 25km Peak District trek
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- Category: General Information
- Published on Friday, 27 April 2018 16:05
- Hits: 2453
Abbie Burch and her partner Jamie Cattermole will be trekking 25 km in the Peak District in September 2018 as a part of TrekFest 2018 to fundraise for FMA UK. They have raised already £170. Abbie told us her story: ‘’In 2014, when I was 18 years old, I became very ill after a nerve injury. I was sitting my A-Levels at the time and planning to move away from home to go to university. It was around May 2014 that I knew something wasn’t right with my health. I was always in excruciating pain, in ways that I had never experienced before, I was constantly exhausted, and I was struggling to remember things or concentrate. Most people (and doctors) told me that it was just exam stress and I carried on.
But in October 2014, I’d come home from uni permanently and was about to start working full-time. Around this time, I developed a severe headache that lasted 6 months, I wasn’t sleeping at all and my memory was getting much worse, even forgetting how to get home from the town centre even though I’ve lived here all my life. The pain only intensified as time went on and most days I was unable to leave my bed. I went back to my GP and this began a long series of tests for many different illnesses, over which time the condition had become so debilitating that I was unable to work, before eventually being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2015.
Despite having the dreaded flare ups, I’ve been very lucky as I’ve been able to manage my condition reasonably well with a combination of treatments and learning how to pace myself. I’m now finishing my second year at the university in my home town and am studying to become a teacher, I also work two part-time jobs and volunteer at a local school.
FMA UK have been an incredibly helpful resource of support for me. The charity has helped me to understand aspects of my condition that even the doctors couldn’t. Most importantly they’ve allowed me to find a wonderfully supportive community of people with Fibromyalgia which has played a massive part in helping me come to terms with my diagnosis. I’m over the moon that I have a chance to give something back to FMA UK and support them in the work that they do.’’
To donate visit Abbie’s and Jamie’s JustGiving Page:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abbie-jamie
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Our professionally printed Information pack on fibromyalgia can be found here to view. You will also receive a free copy on request. We also have a booklet for young people with fibromyalgia that you can obtain on request and will be on the website soon.
FMA UK has recently changed some of its telephone numbers for helplines and groups. Please check here for more information on the New Contact Numbers if required.
FMA UK offers a range of support and information including:
- National Helpline 0300 999 3333 (10am - 4pm Mon - Fri)
- Benefits Helpline 0300 999 0055 (10am - 12pm Mon, Wed and Fri)
- Complimentary information booklets for doctors and other professionals (fully referenced)
- Books and videos
- Website Contacts with legal specialists
- Conferences
- Local support group and helpline contacts
The charity is run by volunteers, most of whom have fibromyalgia.
If your Health Care Professional needs some education in fibromyalgia you can request that an FMA UK Health Professionals Pack is sent out to them. All we need is the name of the Health CareProfessional and the address of their practice. We will then send a pack to their surgery addressed from us to them.
You can request a medical pack using this form.
You can find a Support Group near you by contacting the Regional Coordinator for your area. If there does not happen to be a support group near you then maybe you can join with some other members and set one up. Support groups provide a social benefit as well as the opportunity to share tips on coping with fibro. They come in all shapes and sizes and we are often told how they have helped people.
