The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money solely to support The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre. We ensure our nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments, which are used across the UK and around the world. From funding state-of-the-art equipment and groundbreaking research, to creating the very best patient environments, we will never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

I was first diagnosed with probable prostate cancer in July 2017. Following 3 DREs, MRI, Biopsy and PET scan, I had a radical prostatectomy in early October 2017. In December 2017, my surgeon, Mr Declan Cahill, believed I should then be given the "big guns" next. Following further visits from January to March 2018 and another PET scan, it was agreed I would be offered Chemotherapy (April to August) and then Prostate Bed and Pelvic Lymph Node Radiotherapy (October to December). My chemo sessions went fine (although the first 10 minutes of scalp cooling was never pleasant - but I kept all my head hair) until the 5th session, by which time I had developed a pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot in the lung. The final chemo session in August 2018 was cancelled because of the PE. The 33 daily Radiotherapy sessions were a bit of a long haul but all went very smoothly. Unfortunately at the peak of the immediate side effects after the end of radiotherapy, I contracted a severe chest infection and small amount of pneumonia and was hospitalised for a week over Christmas 2018 - but the staff at Hereford were wonderful. All the staff with whom I've had contact at the Royal Marsden have been brilliant - a real credit to their profession and the NHS; they are truly outstanding.

All of my family have given fantastic support in various and numerous ways over the past 18 months, and it's great that a large number of them are going to do the Banham Marsden March, or part thereof, with me this year. I would be so grateful for any contribution, small or large,  that could be made to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.