On 10th April this year I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (AF).  I had felt unwell for sometime, my heart was racing, I was short of breath and I felt really poorly. My GP called an ambulance and I was admitted into a & e in my local hospital to bring down my heart rate. I am continuing to undergo treatment after an initially successful cardioversion (electric shock) which gave me back a normal synus rhythm (heart rate) for a couple of days.  Unfortunately I have slipped back into AF, so for me the journey continues.   AF isn't totally curable but things can be done to make it easier to live with, thanks to ongoing research and support from charities like the Atrial Fibrillation Association.

More than a million people in the UK suffer with Atrial Fibrillation. But there may be many more that don't even know they have it.

I was aware of AF because I work for a heart charity, but what surprised me was the lack of knowledge of some doctors and more so that there are so many people in the UK that have AF.  Of most concern is that some people do not have the symptoms I had and they wont feel any different.  Why is that a problem, well whether you have symptoms or not, untreated AF can mean you are up to 9 times more likely to suffer a stroke or that your heart can be seriously damaged as it beats erratically it affects the blood supply.  So check your pulse folks, anything odd go see your doctor please.

I want to help raise awareness, raise money for research and improve the treatment of AF for all patients. 

So you may think this is a lame way to raise money for this charity, but its all I am up to currently, I struggle with AF and working full time, but hey we all have bills to pay eh?  And more importantly I will not let AF rule me.   Those that know me, know I have an undying love for chocolate, I eat loads every day.

I sat here and thought what would be hard for me to give up and thought well you know there is only one thing that will be more than tough for me to give up and that is chocolate.  So my pledge is this:  From today 16th July 2014 to 16th January 2015, the full six months, I will not have one single piece of chocolate, nothing containing chocolate, not a cup of hot chocolate.  Nothing even resembling chocolate will pass my lips.  Those that know me will understand just how hard that is going to be for me.

This will be the start of my fundraising for the AFA, as I recover and regain my strength and my health allows me, this page will be updated with my personal challenges. 

So help me on my way folks, donate please and I will have no choice but to see this through.  I thank you for your kindness, generosity and support.

If you dont want to donate through the web, I have text code.  Text HAFA66 to 70070, any amount you like, i am grateful for anything that you feel able to donate.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.