| So if I said that it was my life's ambition to run a 1/2 marathon - well I would be lying. In fact, I have to admit it was quite the opposite. I was the one that said that marathon runners were truly crazy and should seek professional help and those that ran 1/2 marathons were just 1/2 as crazy. Last year, someone I knew tried to convince me that I should run a 1/2 marathon. I considered it and then came to the realization that the only way that I would do such a crazy thing was if there was a really, really good reason. So why in the world am I now training for a 1/2 marathon.....well unfortunately, I got my really good reason.
As a colorectal surgeon, I have treated hundreds of patients with Crohns disease and have seen the devastating effects of this disease. Medications can keep the disease quiet for a while and surgery can often diminish the symptoms - however there is no cure and this disease has a nasty habit of making its presence known again. A few years back my mother-in-law, Dreda, was diagnosed with Crohns disease. I was shocked. This was supposed to be part of my professional life and now it had crept into my personal life. I watched as she went through various medications, some working better than others, but each time her symptoms returned. After surgery, again she did better for a time. Unfortunately, the disease reared its head again and stronger medications were necessary to keep her symptoms down. About one year ago she was diagnosed with lymphoma and now battles two diseases. She is an incredible woman and is fighting both these diseases with a will and determination that is beyond belief. (As you might have figured out by now - she is not your typical mother-in-law.)
As a surgeon, it is very difficult to watch this and not be doing something to fix the problem. I was very frustrated at the entire situation but didn't really know what to do about it. (Be careful what you ask for - you might just get it.) As many of you know, last year Paul ran the 1/2 marathon to raise money for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). That got me thinking, so I found out about the 1/2 marathon for this year. I had no idea if I could ever in a million years run a 1/2 marathon but I did realize that above all I had a purpose and it was personal. And so, I do have a new goal which is to run (walk or crawl) the 1/2 marathon for Dreda on June 28, 2009. The money raised will go to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation to find a cure for this disease.
Please help if you can. |
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