Updated on Aug 18th 2011 at 1:17 PM from the JustGiving API

Follow my training progress in Facebook.com/stephsbubble or @stephsbubble on twitter !

I am fundraising for the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, to let people know about the fantastic things they do as the UK’s leading charity dedicated to brain tumour research andpatient information and support.

In January 2011, I was diagnosed with a glioma in the left temporal lobe of my brain. My first reaction was “So they finally found the screw loose that everyone has been teasing me about for years”. My second was “oh my god, what does this mean? What happens now? How do I tell my family?”

When talking to my Neurosurgeon, he assured me that the form of glioma I have is a low grade and benign brain tumour. Others however are not so fortunate. A malignant or high-grade glioma is life-threatening, cancerous and highly likely to cause problems.

The reason why we get brain tumours is a mystery. Some are there from birth and others occur later in life. Most of us do not even realise we have one until fate intervenes and we find out almost by accident when we are looking for something else.

The great news for me is that because I do not experience any problems as a result of the tumour, I do not need to undergo any treatment or surgery in the imminent future. However, I will need to be monitored every six months for the rest of my life with an MRI scan to check the tumour has not grown or changed.

It may be that I live my whole life and never experience any complications as a result of this diagnosis but whatever happens I plan to live and fully enjoy life for what it truly can offer. This includes running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for the 2^nd year running! (2 halves make a whole right?)

Please support me in raising funds for this fantastic cause that I like to think of as an investment plan for my future and the future of others.

Always remember: Impossible is nothing! http://braintumourtrust.co.uk/

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.