THE fateful weekend in April had started like any other for Peter Law with a busy round of constituency work in his role as the then AM for Blaenau Gwent.

But the headache which greeted the politician on the Sunday morning was one too many for his wife Trish, who had become increasingly concerned with the regular headaches her 57-year-old husband was suffering.

She insisted that he visit the out-of-hours GP service at Aberbeeg on the eve of day he was due to announce to the waiting media that he was to stand as an Independent in the forthcoming election.

That visit started a chain of events which led to the father-of-five undergoing a scan at Nevill Hall Hospital and being told he was suffering from a brain tumour which needed immediate surgery.

"They found the tumour straightaway and I will always remember that moment," said Mr Law.

"I was in a side room when the doctor came in and said I had a tumour on the brain.

"All I could think about was my announcement on Monday. I had the Argus and other Press from all over Wales coming to my conference in Ebbw Vale Monday morning."

It is proof of the political turmoil at that time that one of Mr Law's immediate responses was to call his agent to decide when to announce his condition to the press.

It was agreed it would be made the following day.

A few days later and Mr Law was under the knife, undergoing a complex six-hour operation to remove the tumour.

"The doctor told me three things could happen, I would have a stroke and lose the use of the left side of my body, I would haemorrhage, or I could get an infection in my brain."

Luckily the worst did not happen and following counselling and physiotherapy Peter Law started on what seemed to many to be an incredibly rapid road to recovery.

After leaving hospital, Mr Law, father of Cerian, 28, Fenton, 27, Seirian, 24, Delyth, 23 and Rhidian, 21, enjoyed a simple meal of egg and chips with his beloved family around him.

"It was the most wonderful meal. When you are confronted with this you don't know if you are going to be dead or alive," he recalled.

"It must have been terrible pressure on the children and my wife but they have been an enormous help."

Then it was back to the campaign trail for the self-confessed workaholic.

"I just had to start walking. As soon as I was fit enough I faced the people of Blaenau Gwent to tell them 'I'm still here and I'm still fighting'."

The rest, as they say, is history.

Today the MP and AM says he is doing a job he loves and that it is all thanks to his family, and the support from the hundreds of well-wishers who sent 800 cards and letters of support during his illness, that he had the confidence to get better so quickly.

"My family were always making sure I was OK. They and my work colleagues have been a rock for me and I will continue to fight for the people for a better future.

"I love my job and I strive to be an AM and MP and to do it with vigour."

He also says he has never felt better.