Atrial Fibrillation

I was first diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) in 2010. Having AF means that blood clots are more likely to form, increasing your risk of stroke by as much as five times if left untreated. Between 2010 and 2016 I had five cardioversions and after each one my heart went back into normal rhythm for a short time before reverting to abnormal rhythm. In 2016 I was referred to Andrew Grace at Papworth Hospital with a view to finding a more permanent fix. His recommendation was to have a catheter ablation. Ablation destroys the tissue within the heart that has been identified as being responsible for the AF. By so doing, the abnormal electrical circuits in the heart are interrupted. My timing was perfect as he advised me he thought I'd be a suitable candidate to join a trial of a new technology developed by a US company. In his words, he believed this would be a 'game changer' in the success rate of ablations. Mainly due to his infectious enthusiasm, I readily agreed to participate and had the procedure carried out at the end of 2016 at Papworth. I'm happy to report that my heart has remained in normal rhythm ever since having the procedure carried out.

The US company that developed the technology somehow saw fit to make a video of my story. If you want to watch it and marvel at the gob-smacking technology and the skill of Andrew Grace and his team, scroll down on this page - https://www.acutusmedical.com/int/patients/

Since 2016 I have done my best to look after my heart by trying to eat more healthily, cutting right back on alcohol and taking walking a lot more seriously.

Royal Papworth Hospital Charity

I would now like to challenge myself further than ever with my walking and at the same time raise funds for the Royal Papworth Charity. This charity exists to support the ground-breaking work of Royal Papworth Hospital. With increasing pressures on the NHS, the charity plays a vital role in ensuring that the hospital continues to provide the highest standards of care by investing in staff development, improving the hospital environment for its patients and supporting research into new ways of treating heart and lung disease. Patients, their families and the staff are at the heart of everything they do and this is all made possible by the generosity of the charity's supporters.

Royal Papworth is very close to my heart; in fact it couldn't have been any closer since the ablation procedure involved inserting catheters into a blood vessel in my groin and threading them up to my heart giving access to the inside!

My Challenge

In 2023 I plan to walk from the source of the River Thames near Kemble in Gloucestershire to where it flows into the North Sea at Grain in Kent - a distance of 232 miles. The walk takes in the 185 miles of the Thames Path from Kemble to Woolwich and 47 miles of the England Coast Path from Woolwich to Grain. I started walking the Thames Path in 2020 and each year since then I've succeeded in completing it in fewer stages than the year before. In 2022 I walked from Grain to Kemble in 15 stages - an average of about 15.5 miles a day, although this included 1 marathon length stage. To challenge myself this year aged 69 I hope to walk from source to sea in 14 or fewer stages, ideally but not necessarily on consecutive days. I plan to start from the source sometime in May once the serious flooding of the path at this end has receded. To achieve my target of 14 stages and for my logistics to work I will have to complete 2 marathon length walks this time due to the limited public transport at either end. If I complete in fewer than 14 stages I'll donate £50 of my own money to the charity for each stage under 14.

I and the charity would be extremely grateful for any donations you can spare, no matter how small.

Thank you for reading my story and keep walking - it is so good for you both physically and mentally!