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I made the decision last year to have brain to remove a tumour that lay deep inside my brain close to the area of my speech and language. The surgery came with risks, I was told that my speech could be affected and there was a chance that I may have to learn to talk, read and write again. I was also told that the surgery would have to be performed whilst I was awake to minimise the risk to my speech and language. I was told that not having the surgery meant that the tumour could haemorrhage at any time which could take my life, it was like living with a ticking time bomb inside my head.

This was the hardest decision that I have ever been faced with and I was terrified but I finally made the decision to undergo the surgery as I wanted to take back control of my life, see my two beautiful children grow up and to some degree be in charge of my own destiny.

I will never forget that day the 31st March 2016 (My late fathers Birthday and the day my life changed forever) The operation lasted for 10 hours and I was awake throughout, (which was surreal). I am pleased to say that the surgery was a huge success, not only was the tumour removed with minimal damage to the surrounding brain tissue, but my epilepsy was cured.

Having suffered from mild epileptic episodes every single day, I am now free of this condition and I am slowly reducing my medication in the hope that one day I will be free of all medication, something I never thought possible.

I feel like I have been given a second chance and a new life and to say that my life has changed would be an understatement, I feel for the first time in my life that I see things more clearly and I believe that I have finally found my calling in this world. I have set up a website called www.brainbuddyuk.com in the hope of supporting others who face brain surgery or neurological conditions. I have also created a Video diary which documents my journey and recovery which will be uploaded very soon. I devote some of my time to helping patients and trying to raise awareness of neurological conditions that affect 1in 6 people in the UK.

I will be forever grateful to everyone at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery who changed my life forever and I will continue to support this hospital and the charity for the rest of my days.

Doing this trek for the National Brain Appeal, the charity that supports the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery is an honour and a privilege.

I am very lucky and very grateful to be here living a life that I love. This Trek will be a challenge but it is the very least that I can do.

Please help me raise as much money as possible for this amazing charity so that more peoples lives can be changed and saved.

Thank you for reading my story

Lisa

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