Today my Dad and I received our Bupa London 10,000 fundraising packs and running tops from Crohns and Colitis UK! Although I wont begin training for it until the beginning of February as long as I am still feeling well but it does mean that I can start to raise money.
I have started my own Just Giving page for anyone who would like to sponsor me online, the link is here
I can also be sponsored in person so let me know if you are interested. I will be posting regular updates on my progress so please keep checking back!
Although I never considered Crohns to be a disability when I read through the information on the gov website it changed my opinion on what a disability could be. Before I was diagnosed with Crohns I had done some research on it and realised that was most likely what I had but I still had no idea how much it would change my life afterwards. As a student who's over the age of 19 I have to pay for my prescriptions now and when i'm taking 3 or 4 different tablets a month I know this will eventually add up and be expensive. I've heard a lot of bad things about people with Crohns trying to claim for DLA and being made to feel that they don't have anything wrong with them or that they aren't 'ill' enough. It sounds stressful and time consuming but I know it will make my life much easier knowing my prescriptions can be paid for each month.
Disabled Students Allowance was something I came across while looking at Disability Living Allowance. Its basically the same but for students and can help people with things like dyslexia but also those with a long term health condition. Next year I have decided to move back into student halls to make life a bit simpler. Students halls will be much better as everything is included in the price which means no worrying about bills (something that I currently sort out at the house!) or other things like internet. Its also right next to my where my lectures are held which means no long walk from the house so I can easily get in and go home if I need to leave. I'll have an en suite so no sharing a bathroom with someone I don't know! These are things I didn't consider as much last year but now its important that my last year at Uni is as comfortable as possible. This accommodation is quite a lot more expensive but DSA would help me to afford it.
There is a great guide on the NACC website about how to claim for DLA which will make it much simpler as there is so much to fill in! You can find a link here
Has anyone had any experiences of claiming for either of these? I will write an update when I hear back!
Last night I decided to join the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's disease, the membership is £12 for the year and this includes an information pack, the NACC newsletter, a 'cant wait' card and information about groups near me.
I really cant wait to start receiving this! I still feel completely clueless about most things to do with Crohns so the newsletter will be useful in keeping me up to date. When I first came out of hospital I missed a meeting with a group near me and would love to go to one soon so i'm hoping the membership will show me some more in the future! Next year I really hope to get more involved with the charity in my local area.
.JPG)
.JPG)
