2020 Virgin Money London Marathon

[p]TL;DR Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital saved me in more than one way. I cost them and the NHS money. I'm running so I can give back to them, to thank them, to show them how much I appreciate what they did for me and for so many others. [/p][p]In October, 2018 I was admitted to Guy's Hospital for a planned right robot assisted thymectomy - in layman terms, it means that they removed my thymus gland. I have a health challenge known as Myasthenia Gravis and removing my thymus gland can reduce the risk of tumours on the gland, and can also improve weakness (in conjunction with other medication). [/p][p]For the longest time, I could barely walk around the block. And now, 18 months after my surgery, I plan to run 26.2 miles through London. [/p][p][b]Why?[/b][/p][p]Guy's and St Thomas' saved my life:[/p][p]I have one of the best consultants in the world that I get to see at St Thomas' (or at Moorfields), [/p][p]two incredible surgeons, [/p][p]a special anaesthetist (who kept me calm in the minutes running up to the op whilst I was panicking), [/p][p]a nurse who told me I was ok and that I had a lot of life to live; [/p][p]another that made me tea and got me extra biscuits; [/p][p]a nurse who got tearful when she realised I hadn't been given pain relief for a long time; [/p][p]morphine on tap that just let me knock myself out; [/p][p]a brilliant view through my window; [/p][p]and just a constant stream of kindness and love that I hadn't quite expected. [/p][p][br][/p][p][b]To be able to raise money for Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital means I can raise awareness of the incredible work the institution does across care, research, and education. And, hopefully, play a tiny part in allowing more people to access their unbelievable, sometimes lifesaving, services.[/b] [/p][p][br][/p][p][b][i]Myasthenia Gravis[/i][/b][i]- Myasthenia gravis, which literally means grave muscular weakness, is a rare long-term condition that causes muscle weakness that comes and goes. It most commonly affects the muscles that control the eyes and eyelids, facial expressions, chewing, swallowing and speaking. But it can affect most parts of the body. It can affect people of any age, typically starting in women under 40 and men over 60.[/i][/p][p][br][/p][p][br][/p][p][img][/img][/p]