Ankylosing Spondylitis is a painful, progressive, incurable disease that affects many people in many different ways. However, most of these people suffer chronic pain caused by a protein in the body building bone over healthy, mobile joints often in the most important areas of the skeleton. It can make most physical activities difficult even with something as simple as sitting down or walking or even brushing your teeth! The main features of this disease are chronic pain, and fatigue. Fatigue is a particularly nasty part of having AS as the disease makes your muscles work ten times harder than somebody without AS and physical exhaustion is common. Flare ups can happen randomly without warning and are painful. The fatigue that comes with a flare is terrible and you are left with no energy and the feeling of having been trampled.

This petition is going to be delivered to Mr Iain Duncan Smith and the DWP in order that they will see that this disease is not just an ailment, it is a life changing disease that can devastate a once healthy persons life and should be re classified as a disability.

I have suffered with AS since 1995 when I was misdiagnosed for a painful hip condition but was not diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis until 2012. The best way to describe my AS is it is like having toothache permanently through your whole body from the base of my skull to my heels. When I have a flare up it hurts a lot and the medication does little or nothing. I will probably have to have my calf muscles operated on as they are too tight because of the AS. I am unable to work as I have constant pain and never know when a flare up may occur.

I worked and paid tax and national insurance for over three decades and yet I have to rely on my wife to support me. Even after challenging ATOS in court and winning, the DWP still consider me fit for work. I receive nothing. The medications alone cost a fortune and I spend a fortune on fuel travelling to hospital appointments and specialists. I'm not asking for money. I'm asking that Iain Duncan Smith and the DWP recognise that this disease is far more life changing than they believe and has a devastating effect on many peoples lives. We didn't ask for this, we didn't get a choice.

I would ask all AS sufferers and non sufferers to sign this petition please. It's more than likely someone in your family suffers it and doesn't know yet. The recognition I seek is not so much for my sake but also for many who are worse off than me like the women with children who face a daily struggle to cope with this horrible disease and raise their kids. Thankyou.