It all started on 28th April 2021, like I would every 6 months I went to my contact lens check. My optician checked my eyes, but she asked me what I thought was an odd question - Have you banged your head? All I could think of was, did I drink too much prosecco and fall over at the weekend? She asked if I could immediately go to St James' Hospital and see the eye doctor. After over 3 hours of waiting, CT scans, multiple doctors doing the same eye movement test, balance test and memory test with me. I was told I had a grade 4 brain tumour. You always hear about them but you don't ever think it will happen to me. 

I was transferred to LGI Neurology at 2am, by a blue light ambulance (I wasn't impressed) where a team was waiting for me. The surgeon asked if my Mum, Dad and Ryan could come back to the hospital at 7am so he can discuss what will happen. When the surgeon is amazed how I went to work, ran 10km, drove my car and walked Alfred the day before, with the size of the tumour he saw on my MRI results, I knew it was bad. My brain had a lot of fluid on it. You always get told the worst, and all I could think of is how much of my hair is going to be shaved off. That is all I kept asking and bothered about, it hadn't sunk in what was happening. After my MRI, it revealed it was benign and wasn't cancerous! But the way it was sat would mean in the surgery, I would lose all my hearing in my left ear which will never come back, never have an even smile again and and potentially lose the left side movement of my face, or have a 'lazy' left eye permanently. Over the next few days, I met the people who would be in my surgery and the people who would be part of my after care team. 

The day came, 6th May, 11 hours of surgery later I woke up not remembering a thing, but tubes all over me. 6 days later I was discharged which was a blessing, considering I was told I'd be in ICU for 14 days and around 6-12 months to learn to walk and talk again. I was determined to find my balance from somewhere so I could walk, and speech and language came to see me so I could talk and swallow safely again, so I didn't have to stay in any longer than I had to. Thank god for FaceTime, so I could speak to my family and friends... not that they could understand what I was saying. 

Part of my aftercare, I was referred to YBTC. The staff at LGI helped me physically recover but the YBTC is helping me mentally recover from this trauma. I can't thank you enough for helping me to come to terms with what has happened and supporting me and getting me involved with your events, so I can meet people who have experienced the same journey as me. 

So exactly one year and two days on from my surgery, I will be running the Leeds Half Marathon with Ryan and Adam to raise money for what only can be described as an amazing, supportive charity.