Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm running/walking/trying not to crawl the Virgin London Marathon 2014. I'm doing this for The Migraine Trust as they're a charity I've interacted with on a personal level this year.

I was diagnosed with chronic daily migraine a few months ago and have over 20 migraines a month.

See me on Sky News here: http://news.sky.com/story/1134926/migraine-sufferers-missing-out-on-adequate-care

...and ITV here: http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-08-30/doctor-told-me-to-take-some-painkillers-and-be-done/

Without medication and control, this becomes almost constant and reduced me to being a hermit, wondering whether I'll ever be able to have children, drive, hold down a succesful and progressive career, and other things I used to take for granted. I was convinced my life as I had built it was forever ruined.

The Migraine Trust has been a great support to me over the past 6 months and I cannot thank them enough for their knowledge and help with coming to terms with my condition, and learning to manage it.

You may argue that migraines aren't important, they don't kill anyone, but they cause social exclusion, are classified as disabling and have had a huge impact on my life. People have commited suicide because they cannot live with the unbearable pain and depression that accompanies lying in wait for the next attack to pounce.

Imagine the worst hangover you have ever had, your eyesight blurs and you can't read, then your right arm weakens. Maybe you fall over and your legs turn to jelly all while someone has your head in a vice and waves of nausea threaten to have you running to a bucket. When you feel better you're lying in wait for the next attack, not daring to go out in case your friends see you in a sorry mess, or asking why you're wearing sunglasses in the middle of winter (or in the office, in my case). Migraines are not headaches. We wish they were!

It astounds me that something so simple as a migraine can have so many follow-on effects, as well as costing our economy billions of pounds per year, and being the made-up go-to 'calling in sick' excuse that nobody will question when you had too many beers last night.

There's a huge funding gap meaning research isn't able to happen and for this, there is no cure.

I want to challenge this and raise as much money as I can - there is no need for us to suffer in a world where even cancer is curable. We endure huge NHS waits (if you are lucky enough to convince your doctor that they should refer you) and a lack of GP training and knowlege, trial and error with medicines until something perhaps works.They cost jobs and break up families.

Everyone knows someone affected by migraines and not many know their true impact on a chronic sufferers life.

I would like to thank my family and friends for their understanding and support over the past few months.Thank you for being kind enough to visit my fundraising page.

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