Working at St Mark's is life changing. Every day I meet people who face enormous challenges. The patients dealing with a life changed forever by inflammatory bowel disease, by losing their bowel and relying on intravenous nutrition for the rest of their lives, or simply with cancer, and the mortality awareness and uncertainty that that brings.

We're a peculiar bunch of course here - we talk about bowels and poo and bottoms ALL the time, because here at St Mark's our predecessors have been doing the same for over 180 years. That's what we do, and we are very glad to. It is, you may appreciate, not something that many people spend a lot of time romanticising about and as such - most people have no idea of the pain and mental trauma that comes with bowel problems. Many patients are so intimidated and embarrassed by the difficulty in controlling what their bowel does that they stop leaving their home, they become socially isolated depressed and feel a burden to those who love them. 

SO I am proud to be on the road this week with the most amazing team of fundraisers. We have a growing program of research and money raised supports pilot projects in areas as broad ranging as nurse led research into patient experience and empowerment in survivorship and 'living beyond cancer', to new surgical techniques to fix incontinence, and how best to train health professionals to highly skilled diagnostic tests ensuring they perform to their best and get it right first time and every time.

The colon challenge is just that by the way.. The cycle route map is shaped like the large bowel and it is no easy feat even for those of us who have been cycling a while. Riding 80 miles is fun. But the third day of riding 80plus miles is all about mind over matter, your body is exhausted and you are just over half way. It is then that the team really does have to pull together, because this is a team event, and there is a finishers photo that means you give valuable money to support this great cause, and it is only fair that it should be tough challenge. Grind on, turn those pedals, dip your head against the headwind and rain, and just do it. You are human after all....

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.