Would you take part in a clinical trial? UK Ulcerative Colitis patients needed

Clinical trials are research studies that look into treatments for certain illnesses and gather information for future reference to further knowledge of those illnesses.

I am working with clinical research company, Quotient Clinical as they have a study for people with Ulcerative Colitis and are looking for participants.  The purpose of this study is to see how a study drug is taken up by the body, the drug is being developed for the treatment of pain and diarrhoea in Ulcerative Colitis patients.

People choose to take part in clinical trials for many reasons, it helps increase understanding of their condition and it may benefit others in the future.  As we know, there is no cure for Ulcerative Colitis and the current treatments can be very harsh on our bodies, I am a strong advocate for research and development of treatments and studies like this are a good way to seek out a better way to treat our symptoms and illness.

This study requires a few visits to their unit in Nottingham, firstly an initial screening appointment lasting 4 hours.  Then there is a 2 night residential stay in a unit, two further brief 30 minute visits for sampling and then a 30 minute final follow up visit.  That’s quite a lot of commitment, I know, but the group do pay £915 plus a travel allowance for your time and effort and you will have the knowledge that your participation will help future sufferers.

Studies like this aren’t for everyone, you need to think about your own personal circumstances, but for some people it will be a positive experience where they can potentially help future patients.

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The NHS website give some advice on taking part in studies;

Advantages of being in a clinical trial

  • The main reason for carrying out trials is to assess whether one treatment is better than another
  • Trials are very important in helping find better treatments. By being involved in a trial, you’ll obtain information and evidence that may be helpful to you in the future, as well as helping the NHS provide people with the best possible standard of care

Disadvantages of being in a clinical trial

  • It’s possible you’ll experience unexpected side effect
  • You need to commit time to completing the study

Interested? Or know someone who might be?

The requirements are that you are aged over 18 years old, you must have been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at least 4 months ago and have a BMI between 16 and 35.  You must not have taken part in a clinical trial within the past three month or donated blood in the three months before the start of trial.

There are various dates in September and October and dates are flexible

For more information, go to the Quotient Clinical website and fill in the application form or contact them on 0330 303 5000 or email 

 

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Love Sam xx

 

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. From time to time, I work with companies and groups who pay me to showcase their products or events.  This helps me fund this website and keep it running.  I only work with companies whom I believe are of interest and beneficial to my lovely readers.

Hello… It’s me!

Hello you lovely lot, it is good to be back here blogging.  Thank you for all your kind messages and support over the last few weeks, I have taken a bit of a leave of absence to get my head together and just haven’t had the energy to blog.

I opened my laptop today for the first time in a month and honestly, it took a lot to do it.  I have been feeling very low and my anxiety has been sky high.  I just felt so overwhelmed by everything that I thought it wise to avoid anything that was causing stress.

I have always used this blog as a cathartic way to deal with my emotions, writing has always been my way of dealing with the shit that goes through my head and for the first time, I just couldn’t make it happen.  But as things get every so slightly better, it feels really good to be back here.  I feel like I have come home.

So how have things been? Well, not great.

I went to see my doctor and was prescribed antidepressants to help with my low moods and anxiety and we are still trying to sort my dosage, it has been upped twice and we are working together to find the dose and medication that is right for me.  I have also been today to see the psychotherapist today to get an assessment of how they could help me, I am going to see a counsellor to try CBT and see how I get on.

This struggle with my mental health has really knocked me for six, I don’t feel like myself.  I have always been the sort of person to just power through, to be positive and be the confident, silly, loud one.  So to all of a sudden feel like I am depressed and anxious has been really difficult and frustrating.  I feel like I have been hit with a shovel.

chronic illness and mental health

Some days are better than others, and most of the time I can paint a happy face on and smile and laugh, I find it extremely difficult to open up and talk to people about how I am feeling and so I almost feel like I am acting most of the time.  I am playing the role of Normal Human Being.  Whilst inside I am ridden with sadness and anxiety.  It has been tough.

The doctors are suggesting it could be PTSD, (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), that the last few years of multiple surgeries and illness have taken their toll and my mind is just catching up with it.  Whatever it’s title doesn’t really matter to me right now, what is important is that I have recognised how I am feeling and I have asked for help.

It is funny that whilst I sit here on my bed, typing away, the sun shining through my window and the sound of kids playing outside dancing on the wind, I can open up.  I can say how I am feeling.  Yet when I am with others, I find it so damn hard to find the words.  My throat closes and I feel sick at the thought of telling people my sad and dark thoughts.

I worry that they will worry, that it will make them sad.  I worry that this is just one more thing that makes me a burden to those closest to me.  I worry that they will be scared, that they will think I am an unfit mother.  I worry that they will not believe me, after all, my instagram and Facebook are filled with photos of me laughing, so how can I be depressed? I worry a lot.  You can probably tell.

I sometimes wonder about this label of depression, what does a depressed person look like? In my head, I imagine gaunt, hollow souls floating around a psych ward in hospital gowns and bunny slippers.  I think about someone who is crying, wailing and hurting themselves.

It turns out that my perception was so skewed, I see that depression doesn’t have a look, it doesn’t have a character, it is, like everything else in the world, so personal.  I know that on the outside I look happy, confident and strong, yet inside I feel like I am crumbling.  I am honoured that so many of you have been in touch and spoken about your own mental health issues and I want to thank every one of you for taking that time to reach out.

sam cleasby so bad ass blogger health ibd ostomy

I am working hard to feel better.  I am taking meds, I am forcing myself out of bed and into the allotment, making myself go out and see people, pushing myself to do ‘normal’ things.  This is easier some days than others, some days I can do it.  Others it takes everything I have just to get out of bed in the morning.  The effort of showering and changing out of pyjamas defeats me some days, but I am learning not to beat myself up about that.

This will take time.  And effort.  But I know that I will get there.

Thank you all for reading and supporting me and my little blog.

You are all awesome, you are all so bad ass

 

Sam xxxx