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Stephen Tricklebank is raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity
Story
As a doctor at Guy's and St Thomas' hospital in London, I was used to breaking bad news to patients and their families, but I never truly understood what it must feel like to receive that news, until last year.
After months of feeling 'not quite right', with some occasional tingling in my right hand, I went to see a Neurologist friend at work, and he organised an MRI scan of my brain. The scan showed that I had a left parietal lobe brain tumour. I had often joked to myself that 'I bet I've got a brain tumour' but when I found out I was right, my world fell apart. How would I tell my wife? How would I tell my children? My journey as a patient with a brain tumour began.
Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40. Only 19% of adults survive for 5 years after they have been diagnosed…. a frightening and life-changing statistic when I was diagnosed.
I saw an incredible team at Queen Square Hospital in London, and we discussed the options; to wait and watch and let it grow, or to operate, and take the risk that I could lose function in my leg or hand altogether. What a decision...
After a few months of feeling sorry for myself I decided I needed a distraction, and space to think through my options. People take up all sorts of things to help cope with a life changing event. I chose running, and set myself a goal; to run The London Marathon and support the Brain Tumour Charity.
We finally chose an operation. I knew I was in the best of hands, and that they would use the very best medical expertise and technology to minimise the risks. In October last year, having spent years caring for patients, it was my turn to put my life in their hands.
Over £500m is spent on cancer research in the UK every year, yet less than 2% is spent on brain tumours (a cancer that has no known lifestyle-related causes). Research offers the only real hope of dramatic improvements in the management and treatment of brain tumours and I want to raise as much money as possible for this incredible charity, to help my chance of long-term survival and those of so many other (often young) brain tumour patients.
The surgery went as well as we could have hoped for. Recovery is a long, tough journey, relearning to do all the things that I took for granted. However with the amazing support of my family, friends and colleagues, I'm fighting back, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be given the chance.
Setting myself the challenge of running my first marathon has motivated me when the recovery has been tough. My physical recovery has been helped by the training. My mental recovery has been boosted knowing that I am raising money for a charity that is committed to doubling the survival rate within 10 years and halving the harm brain tumours have on quality of life…. and they do impact your life in so many ways.The future holds many uncertainties, but at least I can still run...