Demanding wall walk challenge triggered by family condition

5:54pm Tuesday 13th March 2012 in News By Adam Binnie

A Croxley Green woman is taking steps to beat a hereditary pancreatic condition by walking the length of Hadrian’s Wall.

Helen Hedge, from Links way, is taking on the 84-mile challenge in aid of the University of Liverpool Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.

her family is affected by a hereditary condition which causes inflammation of the pancreas, putting them at risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the hardest to treat.

Miss Hedge, who works at Northwood HQ, said: “We found out in 1964 when my cousin had abdominal pain which couldn’t be identified.

“It’s very, very rare but affects 26 people in my family and increases the chance of getting cancer to one in three.

“It’s in my file, it’s a real thing. with pancreatic cancer, when you start showing symptoms, it’s often too late.

“My aunt had her pancreas taken out and now suffers from diabetes.”

to raise money for research into the condition, Ms Hedge will take on the 84-mile National Trail along Hadrian’s Wall on May 7.

She has been training on the treadmills in Pump Gyms, Caxton way every other day, culminating in a ten to 15-mile walk on weekends.

on April 11, she will undertake a 24-hour walk on a treadmill.

Miss Hedge said: “It’s nothing compared to what I’ll have to do in May.

“It’s going to be mentally as well as physically draining and the only thing that will get me through is the thought of my family. It’s very difficult to train when you work shifts because you have to spend a lot of time on your feet.

“My employer, Carillion, organised the walk for Great Ormond Street Hospital but I asked if we could raise some money for Pancreatic Cancer UK, to fund research into hereditary pancreatitis.

“I’m taking a holiday straight afterwards because there’s no way I’ll be able to drive.”

She will be walking with colleagues Paul Brown, Jon Whetlor, Craig Mitchell, Lee Carpenter, Gary Brown, Gareth Parker, Simon Curtis.

to make a contribution, go to justgiving.com/helen-hedge-pancreatitis.

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okay i am 18 i have had a baby i had high blood pressure when i was pregnant well i have horrible anxiety my right leg is aching something terrible and its in the upper part of my thigh. my jaw was hurting earlier when i was laughing a lot and when i was at the gym i was checking my heart rate on the treadmill and it was like 140 then it would go 139 138 137 and keep going down then it would go back up then it would stay but it has never done that and i didn't know if it was normal. i am freaking out i have no chest pains or any other symptoms i am really scared that i am having a heart attack cause i Google the symptoms of them and its making me nervous?

Um, it doesn't sound like a heart attack to me. Your just stressing yourself.
Heart attacks usually come with a numb left side or chest pain or even nausea. … If you only had those symptoms, it doesn't really sound like a heart attack. Do you have heart palpitations.

Oh sorry ==' didn't read your questions right, you checked your heartrate. Well, then it only labels it down to you stressing. Like the other person said, panic attacks. I had them before, nasty things. Well, all you can do now is take a deep breath or two and tell yourself to calm down…

If you are very stressed out, i would advised you talking to a persn from your support network(people you trust).

If no one is there with you at the moment, and you feel that you are right and you are about to have a heart attack… go to the hospital or ring an ambulance. Stop stressing, it will only make things worse.

I never heard of a heart attack having the symptoms you relay. actually from what I've heard it is with pain in the left arm usually, then goes to the chest area. I would talk to your dr. about your pain, maybe you are having some exercise related pain. Perhaps you are not using the treadmill correct or at the right pace for you? Just a thought on this one.

Or you could have some circulatory related problem with that leg also?