No shame in needing either a compact or a triple. I was advised to get a double, but the bloke who advised me used to be a specialist climber! I soon realised I was not strong enough to get up steep hills on a double and added a compact. As the penguin fancier said, you don't need to change anything so it's an obvious and easy thing to try. I picked up a campag compact off ebay, brand new, from the states for about Ł35 including shipping, and you'll probably find Shimano ones cheaper still.

What sprockets have you got at the back? Adding a couple of granny rings will help with the hills too. Do some searching on here and you'll no doubt find dozens of topics concerning gearing. Good luck with it!