Janet's Story
Find your pace, in a familiar place
With daily neighbourhood walks, Janet is building strength, gaining confidence, and feeling proud of every step forward.
"I feel like I’m achieving something."
Before being diagnosed with a heart condition, Janet recalls feeling unwell for quite some time. Initially she attributed symptoms of breathlessness when climbing stairs and hoovering, to her age.
One night, Janet's symptoms worsened, she started to feel chest pains and soon realised the gravity of her situation. She telephoned 111 who advised her to go to hospital, where following tests, she was told she had a blood clot in her heart chamber which was causing her heart and lungs to struggle. Looking back, Janet emphasises the importance of seeking medical help when something doesn’t feel right: "If you don’t feel well, don’t be afraid to get checked out."
A year later, Janet's consultants discovered her heart function was only at 25% leading to a pacemaker being fitted. Following this surgery, Janet was encouraged by healthcare professionals to improve her heart health through physical activity and participated in some cardiac rehabilitation sessions organised by Heartbeat, a local charity which supports people at risk of and living with heart conditions to move more.
How Janet moves more
Today, Janet is committed to improving her health and wellbeing and likes to move more by incorporating walks around her neighbourhood into her daily routine. She finds comfort in knowing that people are nearby if she needs support.
How Janet feels now
Janet reflects that her walks serve as an opportunity for her to get outside and have some 'me time', whilst on other occasions they are a chance to connect with her partner and children.
As Janet continues making progress, she has noticed improvements in her speed, strength and stamina, despite feeling breathlessness now and again, she says "I feel like I’m achieving something."
Looking ahead, Janet aims to build the confidence to venture beyond her neighbourhood and walk in other green spaces, including her local park.