March 2011:From solitude to support: reaching for the impossible … again

From solitude to support: reaching for the impossible … again

For the first five years after Steve’s stroke I spent many waking hours sitting alone in front of my computer. Every time I sat down I knew that my research could help Steve but I didn’t know if anyone else would be interested in the website I was creating. So many elements were needed to create Research & Hope, from hours of web design, infinite reading lists and endless searching for ...

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February 2011: Metaphysics and the Media

Metaphysics and the Media

In February 2011 I launched the Research & Hope website http://www.researchandhope.com/ the following year I founded Neruo Hero http://www.neurohero.com/. Both events were accompanied by a great deal of interest from the media. I have always hidden from cameras; as a consequence, there are very few family photos that include me. Now I find myself frequently posing for the press and speaking on the radio.

Remembering the time…

I remember the first time I was invited to appear ...

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January 2011: Learning from the master: Miyamaoto Musashi

Learning from the master: Miyamaoto Musashi

I have always been a perfectionist. For many years, it was a constant struggle to be content with anything, from my academic writings to my skill as a pool player. However, many years of karate have taught me that perfection is infinitely beyond my grasp.

Just eight years after I began practicing karate I was sitting with a group of senior students as they told their epic tales of battles fought, injuries sustained and the weird and ...

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December 2010: Stroke, snow and stoicism

Stroke,snow and stoicism

When I thought about launching my first project the Research & Hope website I envisaged all kinds of potential obstacles. Could I complete the research? Would anyone be interested? Would the medical establishment recognise my work? As it turned out, the answers were all positive. I was able to research 24 treatments for stroke that might be helpful in addition to the standard medical approach. The feedback was far better than I could have imagined and I am ...

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September 2010 : Acts of kindness

Acts of kindness: why I want to ‘pay it forward’

One of the big questions in the philosophy of religion is this: ‘If the Almighty is all good, then why is there evil in the world?’ There are many possible answers, but one view states that terrible situations produce good deeds and actions. I have debated this many times over the years but my experiences since June 2006 have enabled me to better understand this answer. I have ...

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June 2010: Using L-dopa for Stroke

June 2010: Using L-dopa for Stroke

In January of 2010, as I trawled through the Internet, I came across a research paper on a drug called L-dopa. It was already a well-known treatment for Parkinson’s disease but it was now being tested for stroke. The researchers’ preliminary results looked encouraging, so I printed out the paper and brought it to one of Steve’s doctors.

We have been blessed with the most wonderful doctors over the years, from our GP to ...

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May 2010: Stem Cells

May 2010: Stem Cells

As I worked my way through Google’s search listings, clicking on entry after entry that had ‘stroke’ in the title, the same advertisement kept popping up. I had trained myself not to see the ads but for some reason, I clicked on this one. I started reading about stem cell replacement therapy that used your own cells. I could feel my heart beating faster.

Two years of research

I phoned the number listed and spent half an hour quizzing ...

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April 2010: The start of a very different life

 April 2010: The start of a very different life

As a student and teacher of philosophy, I have always believed it possible to think my way out of any situation. In the past, I have almost always managed to get what I want, although it hasn’t always turned out to be what I expected.

In June of 2006 I found myself in a situation that made me wonder if I was wrong. Maybe I had met my match; maybe this was the ...

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