I recently interviewed 77-year-old Amelia Abraham who is a clear example of just such a person. A very funny, joyous woman, not many would have her resolve to continue to be active if they had her complaints. But Mrs. Abraham doesn't give a 'woe is me story' at all.When she was 36, she became diabetic and had to take an insulin injection every day. She also had to look at her diet closely and monitor what she ate, taking special care not to consume too little or too much sugar.

In her early 40s, she suffered heart failure. She had another heart failure when she hit her 50s. "I was living in Canada when I had the angina and heart failures. My heartbeat would slow right down. I had to be admitted to hospital and put in an oxygen tent," she said. The attacks left her taking medication for her heart.

A diabetic with a heart condition, Mrs. Abraham was forced to pay even closer attention to her diet. Yet in 2002 the diabetes caused her to develop cataracts — a condition that greatly impairs vision.

"I was scheduled to have one cataract removed in an eye operation on January 17, 2003," she said. "But I had a heart attack that day and they could not proceed with the operation.">Heart attack

Mrs. Abraham is a veteran Pink Lady with the Women's Auxiliary. Last month she was awarded two pins — one for 500 hours service in two years, and one for five years of service. On January 17, 2003, she was doing her volunteer work as a Pink Lady.

"I thought I was having indigestion," she said. "I suffer with a hernia and I thought that was bothering me. Since I was in the hospital I went to Emergency. When they took an X-ray they could see that I was in fact having a heart attack," she said.

The doctor handling her case elected not to send her off Island immediately. "He decided it was best to stabilise me in Bermuda," she said. "So they kept me at the hospital for one and a half weeks."

With family still in Canada, Mrs. Abraham chose Toronto General to have her treatment.

Her doctor in Bermuda briefed his cardiologist friend, Dr. John Ross, at Toronto General on her condition.

The relationship between the two doctors was a source of comfort for Mrs. Abraham. "I really felt very good about it and they treated me so well," she said. "Then I even discovered that Dr. John Ross was one of Dr. Shane Marshall's (Bermudian cardiologist at KEMH) college professors. That made me happy too."

After an angiogram, Dr. Ross told Mrs. Abraham and her daughter, who had travelled with her, that she had a 50-50 chance of surviving an operation. Her blood vessels were blocked 99 percent — allowing very little oxygen to her heart.

"I was in critical condition so they scheduled me for an operation very quickly. I know Dr. McKenzie was pressuring them from Bermuda to do it quickly," she said.

A vein in Mrs. Abraham's leg was removed to replace one in her heart that was completely blocked. "But my legs are short and the vein was too short so they had to take one from between my ribs," she said.

The delicate operation in which her heart was completely removed from her chest, the vein replaced and then the heart put back into her chest, took five hours. Twelve doctors assisted the surgeon, Dr. Charles Peniston.

"The surgeon said I was lucky because as soon as my heart was put back in my body it slotted into place and started beating right away," she said.

But it was three days before Mrs. Abraham became aware of her surroundings.

“I had told my daughter that if there was any doubt as to my being conscious or able to understand, they should put my rosary in my hand and I would take it and they should take that as a sign that I was fine,” she said.

“They said I took the rosary, but I don’t remember anything until three days after the surgery,” she said.

Mrs. Abraham remained hospitalised for eight days. She stayed with family in Toronto for a week as a precaution before returning to Bermuda. And she’s not had to go back to Canada for any follow-ups.

“Before I left I asked if I need regular check-ups back there and I was told that seeing my doctors here — Dr. Fiona Ross and Dr. McKenzie (who is no longer in Bermuda) was sufficient,” she said. “Once a year I go for a stress test at the hospital with Dr. Marshall,” she said.

Eye operation

Unable to have the cataracts removed in early 2003 because of the heart operation, Mrs. Abraham’s vision further declined. The eye surgeon had to wait eight months and removed the cataract from her left eye in October 2003. In December 2003, the cataract in her right eye was removed. But her vision did not improve.

“A specialist came to the low vision clinic in February 2004 and he said I’ll never be able to see clearly,” she said.

“I cannot really see anything. I see shadows. I cannot read unless the letters are humongous,” she said. “I wear these big sunglasses because the doctor said it is good to get rid of the glare. But I cannot see you really. I don’t know what your face looks like. I cannot discern details.”

Yet Mrs. Abrahams doesn’t let her lack of vision incapacitate her. She takes the bus on her own — to anywhere she needs to go. She works in the Pink Café at KEMH clearing tables and attending to customers.

She even cooks. “I burn myself enough but I can do some things for myself,” she said. “I do keep busy, I do laundry — although I have put a pink item in with white clothes and everything came out pink. But I don’t clean the house because, well quite frankly I can’t see.”

She said she feels she fares very well with her low vision and attributes this in large part to a three-day programme she took at Beacon House.

“I learned a lot of things there. That you see with your mind before you see with your eyes. And it’s true! I can see things because I can visualise them. I hear a voice I recognise and I can see the person. I can see a truck and the bus because I recognise the different sounds they make.

“But it is very tough to learn and I do get frustrated. I picture stuff in my mind and then I think I can do something but I forget there are no eyes in my fingers.”

Mrs. Abraham said she has learned to depend more heavily on her other senses especially hearing, smell and taste.

“I go to teas sometimes but I always have to have someone with me because I cannot really see the things on the table and, of course, I cannot pick up each thing and smell it.”

She has a great sense of humour even about her ailments but feels strongly that she’s managed to survive because of the close supervision of her doctors through the years.

“Sometimes I wonder what I’m still doing here. I think I survived because I was constantly under doctors’ surveillance. I have so many things wrong and between it all diabetes.”