As many of you will recall (possibly because you too shared hairless winter months with me!), in November 2009 I underwent an 8 hour awake craniotomy to remove the Cavernoma in the right frontal lobe of my brain.

 

The last 12 months have been an adventure, involving my re-learning how to use my left arm and a rather ginger puppy…

 

To commemorate my surviving the operation, life in general, and to support the charity that helpe me enormously through the difficult times (Cavernoma Alliance UK) I will be running the New York marathon on 7 November 2010….. *yes, yes… I know… even a craniotomy did not manage to make me any sane*

 

I write to ask whether any of you would be kind enough to sponsor me in this endeavour. All donations will go to the Cavernoma Alliance UK, a charity that greatly supports fellow cavernoma sufferers through advice, information sharing, and medical support. Do please visit our website to find out more about the condition and what we do: http://www.cavernoma.org.uk/home.html

 

In asking this, I completely recognise how truly generous and outstanding you all were a year ago in sponsoring the ‘Shave the Bush’ event (or even shaving your heads with me) [http://www.shavethebush.org] and so please do not feel obliged to sponsor me now. I was truly blown away by the support that I received and I have no doubt that if it were not for this support, I would not be the healthy happy person I am now.

 

Having said all that, any donations will – as ever – be incredibly gratefully received.

 

Lastly, should you fancy a giggle and/or a better look at some of the pictures taken of me during and after the operation, check out my 5 minutes of fame care of the following link: http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/771078/I-was-awake-for-an-8-hour-brain-op.html

All my thanks in advance for any donations you may make - and rest assured I'll be sure to share some pictures of the marathon if I make it!!

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