Don’t shop around too much. Although price is an issue for her she doesn’t shop around. “I like to deal with one pharmacy. I use Hamilton Pharmacy. They explain exactly how to take my medications - the side effects and because I am getting all my medications there, they know what else I am taking and how the medicines might interact. I think this is very important and so I don’t buy different medications at different pharmacies for cost savings.”

Regular doctor visits. Plagued with a myriad of health problems including diabetes, high cholesterol, allergies, very low vision, fluid retention, anaemia and arthritis of the head, Mrs. Abraham said: “Sometimes I wonder what I’m still doing here. I think I survived because I was constantly under doctor surveillance.”

Don’t worry. The stress caused through worry does not aid recovery and can hinder it. As Mrs. Abraham prepared for the trip to Canada to have heart surgery she said she was calm. “I decided to make peace with everything and not to worry.”

Become informed. Mrs. Abraham has attended a six-week course to learn about heart health and another six week course on diabetes. “I need to know how to cope with my own body and what symptoms to look for,” she said. “The courses have been very helpful in my adjusting.”

She also took a three-day course at Beacon House to help her function with low vision.