For the past few years, I have suffered from a relatively rare condition known as Trigeminal Neuralgia. This gave me excruciating pain in one side of my face. The Trigeminal Neuralgia Association says it is regarded as the most painful condition that is known in the medical world, and it is often known as "the suicide disease". Whilst I sometimes had weeks or months of remission, I had periods when I was unable to eat, drink, speak, shave or clean my teeth - and I would have attacks at the most inconvenient of times. I remember once getting into a taxi and not being able to state the address I needed to go to. The powerful drugs that were prescribed to me didn't really given me any relief from the pain, and they had a range of undesirable side effects. I was in a really bad place, with little hope of being able to continue to function on a day-to-day basis.

However, there was a chance that brain surgery (a microvascular decompression) could release pressure that was being placed on my trigeminal nerve. Very nervously (and with great support from friends and family), I agreed to have the procedure at Salford Royal Hospital, under the steady hand (knife, drill, hammer and chisel) of Mr Scott Rutherford. In May 2019, he performed a miracle and cured my neuralgia! After a few weeks of daytime TV, I was pretty much able to return to normal activities, and I am even able to play my trumpet again! Whether this is a permanent cure, who knows? Let's hope so!

Anyway... My point is that I am so lucky that my condition was operable. Others are not so lucky and have to continue to suffer, wondering how on Earth they can carry on. The Trigeminal Neuralgia Association is there to provide advice and support to sufferers to help them carry on as best they can.

I would be really grateful if you would please make a donation to help the Association to carry on its work.

Thank you!

Mark.