<p><strong>My Change of Heart Walk</strong></p> <p>When I retired I became a keen walker. Last June whilst walking up a short but steep hill in the Welland Valley I developed a brief tightness in my chest and within a couple of weeks it became clear that I was suffering from angina. I had worked as a doctor on a Coronary Care Unit in 1973 and I knew very well what this meant. Back then my walking days would have been over and my life would probably have been dominated by taking it easy and popping trinitrin under my tongue. By July I couldn't even put out our wheelie bin without getting chest pain.<br />Luckily I was referred to The Northampton Heart Centre and almost exactly 4 weeks after my first symptom I was on a table having a stent placed in my heart. I can vividly remember the relief as I lay in bed recovering from the procedure. I had been genuinely impressed by the professionalism of all the staff who had contributed to my care. I promised myself that if I got back to walking I would devise a fund-raising event to support the Northampton Heart Centre.<br />I decided to plan a heart-shaped walk starting at the Heart Centre with the half way point at Hartwell due south of Northampton. I would call it my "Change of Heart Walk" and I would try to do it on the anniversary of my stent. With the help of some good friends I have managed to produce a 40 mile route which fulfils all my criteria and takes me through some of the best parts of our county. On the 1st of July I will set out with my two sons for company and will try to get round the route over three days.<br />The detailed route can be viewed at <a title="Google Map of Walk" href="http://tinyurl.com/6fwh695" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/6fwh695</a><br />Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.<br />Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;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&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.<br />So please dig deep and donate now.</p>