Story
"Hi Allan, we've found a mass, we think it's a brain tumour."
November 16th, 2011. I'd been complaining of a headache for a few weeks. Not just any headache - the worst headache you could ever have. It affected my balance - I'd walk into things, feel sick when walking around, and bizarrely found myself struggling to turn left.
I was in Lewisham Hospital when I was told. But I was fortunate. I was diagnosed with a grade one haemangioblastoma in my cerebellum - benign. Lewisham had no MRI team or specialist neurology department, so they sent my CT scans to King's College Hospital, who diagnosed me on a 2D image! I had surgery November 25th, and was discharged just four days later.
In May 2017, I was fully discharged from the excellent care of King's.
I was lucky to be close to an amazing hospital - but the stats on brain tumours are scary. I'm still amazed that not every hospital has a MRI machine, or a neurology department. But more funding is sorely needed:
- More people under 40 die from a brain tumour than from ANY type of cancer
- Less than 1% of all cancer funding goes to researching brain tumours
- 20% of all cancers spread to the brain
Everyone at one point is impacted by a serious medical condition, whether it happens to them or their loved ones. I was lucky in many ways.
I always swore I would never do another run, nor beg everyone I know for cash. But it's London, and it's one more round, and people have suffered a lot more than I have. But far more money is needed and if dragging myself round London's landmarks for four hours will get a little bit more cash where it is sorely needed then who am I to argue?!
Thanks for reading, and for donating. You're all heroes.