But I didn't feel sick. I couldn't wait until Christmas Eve so that I could shut the door and do nothing, work wise.

My wife and I had bought a new house and some people thought that's what brought the heart attacks on. Moving house is supposed to be one of the most stressful things you can do, but I don't think so at all.

I was excited about it and was really looking forward to it.

This was to be the last Christmas in the house we'd lived in for 29 years and our last Christmas dinner together there - just me, my wife and two sons.

We had all sat down around the table and Liz was putting the soup out. I felt like I had indigestion coming on - I went to the sink to get a drink of water, thinking it would help clear whatever it was.

I didn't feel like eating my dinner at that point so I went into the living room to sit down but, whatever it was, it wouldn't clear. I remember thinking that I should go and lie down on my bed.

I got up to make my way to the door and had my hands out in front of me. At that point Liz and my son came out to check on me. I was starting to fall but they caught me. My younger son rang the ambulance. Then, a big pain shot through me and at that point I knew there was something seriously wrong.

The ambulance arrived and I was given oxygen.

There were Christmas presents all over the floor and the paramedic kicked them out of the way so they could lay me down flat.

Another heart attack came on and I was given a clot busting injection.

There was very little traffic on the roads because it was Christmas Day, so the ambulance was able to get to my house very quickly.

I was put in intensive care and a stent inserted in the blocked artery.

I was in hospital for four or five days and the consultants advised me of the factors associated with heart attacks - alcohol, stress, cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, lifestyle, diet and genetics.

One of the doctors asked me what sport I was involved in. When I told him I used to box, he said that it had stood me in good stead because I was still relatively healthy.

My club was the Holy Family Boxing Club on the New Lodge Road in Belfast. I was about eight or nine when I began attending. I was captivated by the whole atmosphere inside the club - the people skipping, punching bags and sparring.

Coming into my teens, I had a lot of other distractions.

I went to St Malachy's College and all my friends were from Andersonstown. I tried going to a couple of clubs up there but I didn't settle. I was 17 in 1969, and the Troubles were kicking off. There were various disturbances in the area and in my street, and I wasn't able to make training every week.

Boxing is a very disciplined sport and I'm the type of person who doesn't do things by half. I won a number of Down and Connor Championships and Ulster Championships, which was part of an all-Ireland structure.

The sport taught me good qualities that I appreciate now.

It taught me how to look after myself, to fend for myself and it kept me in good physical health.

The medical staff weren't really able to identify any factors in particular that brought the first heart attack on.

However, they did say I would need to make changes to my lifestyle in terms of workload.

I have got better at this but, at the end of the day, I'm not going to change my occupation. Politics is a frenetic way of life, but there's nothing else I would rather do.

I took the heart attacks as a warning and it made me take stock. I don't think people take enough time to think about their health.

I'm very aware that my heart attacks damaged my health and I've been in hospital a few times since with chest pains. The reality is that the next time I might not survive.

I've seen death up close on more than one occasion - I was lucky enough to survive a shooting attack. In 1987 I was in hospital for 17 days when I was shot in the stomach. I had part of my bowel removed and a colostomy bag was put in place temporarily.

I remember coming round in hospital and seeing all the bandages around my stomach. Six or seven months later, I was in hospital to get the colostomy bag reversed. I didn't like having it on and I put a lot of pressure on my doctors to get it removed.

My posture was really bad and it was preventing me from doing a lot of things. But there were complications with the procedure - my body wasn't strong enough for it. I don't think it (the shooting) preys on my mind, though. Yes, there still is a high security risk. I'm very mindful of my safety and security.

I've had my home petrol bombed, my friend Alan Lundy was murdered on my doorstep in 1993, and my house was riddled with bullets along with six other houses along Gartree Place in 1994. But I felt very secure and content in that house. It's something you learn to live with. You don't take it personally. I value every day and I lead a simple life. Nothing suits me better than getting home in the evening and closing the door behind me. No matter what has happened over the years, I feel very content today."