UPDATE:

This was such a great trip we are doing another this year from Budapest back to the UK, the new site is https://www.facebook.com/budapedal/ and if you choose to donate then you can do that be following this...https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Budapedal-BiggerRide

My Story:

I was diagnosed with RCC (Kidney Cancer) in Jan 2006, I had the right kidney removed and as there was no spread outside the kidney was told this worked in my favour and had no further treatment.

Fast Forward to Jun 2012, having quit smoking and living a healthier lifestyle and taken up cycling, I was diagnosed with metastasis of RCC (recurrence) which meant I had reached Stage 4.

Metastatic RCC does not really respond to conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy so historically has been classed as incurable, however in some cases can be controlled for long periods using other medication..

I decided I wanted to try and take some control over my future. Thanks to the Internet, I found a treatment called HDiL2 which was only available at The Christie in Manchester, by Professor Robert Hawkins, a true expert within this field.

This treatment is considered one of the toughest available, with a relatively low success rate (less than 15%), with very strict qualifying criteria. Regardless of the long odds, I asked for a referral from Middlesborough and was lucky enough to be invited down to Manchester for further analysis.

My tumour types were "happily" within Professor Hawkins' parameters, however he explained that the location of the tumour was unique and nothing was guaranteed. But they were offering me a chance...I embraced the opportunity, endured 68 doses in total over the course of 2014. This came with "rigors" which is shaking so uncontrollably after every single dose - where pethidine is administered to essentially knock you out, horrendous itching, nausea, vomiting, peeling skin, hallucinations, fatigue, temperature spikes and blood pressure drops to name a few...pretty rough stuff to be honest.

The nursing team were fantastic, they were there 24 hours a day to help control my side effects with careful medication and more importantly care and support. They really do become your best friends, which when combined with the infallible support of my wife, is all that is needed to man up and carry on when your body and every fibre of your being is just screaming for you to stop.

Yesterday 28.04.2015, I was informed that I was officially in remission. 
A prognosis nobody expected to hear based on the above. I truly owe my life to the team at The Christie hence this fundraising campaign.

I would also like to use this opportunity to dedicate this effort to my fellow cancer fighters who I met on the wards over the last year. Some were less fortunate than me and lost the fight, some continuing their battle today have become lifelong friends.

We as a family owe our eternal gratitude to, Professor Hawkins (Proff), Andrea Spencer-Shaw, all the nursing staff of Ward 12 & 11 at The Christie, Manchester also Col. Douglas Bryant and Mr Colin Edge of James Cook University Hospital and Dr Julia Brown and staff of Leyburn Medical Practise.

Please dig deep and donate, cancer can happen to anybody, and as much as I will ache over the next 850 miles it's going to be a dream come true being able to do this, all made possible by the people mentioned above.

As a last word, if you find yourself in my position and get the chance of HDiL2 treatment put my words aside, it's tough granted, but worth every second, it seems like a cool beer on a warm day now and remember, just man up and give it hell.....it worked for me and it could for you too.

Thanks for taking the time to read this story, remember knowledge is power.

Adam.