10 Races for 10 Years
Pancreatitis Awareness
Throughout the challenge, I’ll be sharing a short awareness series to help people understand pancreatitis and why research matters. Pancreatitis doesn't discriminate. It can happen to anyone. I’ll also be supporting Guts UK’s Cranky Panky campaign during Pancreatitis Awareness Month in November.
Why Guts UK?
Guts UK is the national charity for the digestive system, supporting research, awareness and information for digestive conditions including pancreatitis. They are currently the only UK charity funding a research fellowship into pancreatitis to better understand the condition and improve treatment.
Awareness Series
Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas that occurs when digestive enzymes begin damaging the pancreas itself instead of helping digest food. The condition can cause severe illness and often requires hospital treatment. In serious cases it can affect other organs and require intensive care. The pancreas plays an essential role in digestion and blood sugar regulation, yet many people know very little about it until something goes wrong - including me.
There is currently no medicine that can stop the inflammation in acute pancreatitis. Research is helping scientists understand the condition better, but there is still a long way to go. When I was in hospital with pancreatitis, my time in intensive care focused on supporting my body while it recovered: fluids through drips, oxygen, strong pain relief and constant monitoring. Even today, doctors still don’t fully understand why the condition becomes severe in some people but not others. That’s why research is so important. Pancreatitis doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone, and better research is essential to developing treatments that can prevent the most serious complications.