Hands Up!

If you’re a stroke survivor or know one, you may have come across Dr. Edward Tobinik while googling stroke recovery or treatment options. Based in Florida, for a number of years he has offered to treat people recovering from stroke with a single injected dose of Etanercept. Using a controversial and widely questioned procedure he […]

The Fall

Amanda has fallen twice before. But this time it was different. I was in the kitchen and she got up from the sofa, stepped forward, turned right, with her weight on her stronger leg, and went to pivot around as she has done hundreds of times before. I heard a yell and ran in to […]

Lockdown? what lockdown?

It’s been just over 4 months since my last blog post, the longest gap between posts yet. But this doesn’t mean Amanda’s continued stroke recovery has slowed. You may have noticed one or two other, slightly more important things happening in the world during this time which have delayed me writing until now. As soon […]

2020; Less guessing, more thinking

In the 3 months since my last post its been summer in New Zealand. We’ve entered a new year… and a new decade. Its also been the third anniversary of Amanda’s brain bleed. But that hasn’t stopped her ongoing journey of recovery. One of the very first things Amanda’s neurosurgeon told me the day after […]

“I need to do some stuff.”

Summer has arrived in New Zealand and with it Amanda seems to have once again ramped up her motivation – helped I’m convinced by her daily dose of 2 Voluntastrols capsules Her short –term memory appears to be improving. While not always remembering things from earlier in the day, the gaps between what her brain […]

Poppadoms, Dominoes & Michelle Obama

Yes, the gap between posts is getting longer. No, this doesn’t mean the improvements are slowing down. On the contrary, improvements are continuing but they’re getting harder to define. As Amanda seems to be continuously edging closer back to her pre-stroke self she then seems to edge forward just a little bit more, redefining the […]

Updates often come with bugs…

I’ve noticed an definite speed increase in Amanda’s mental reflexes and the time she takes to process information or instructions. Using the computer analogy I’ve used before, It’s like she’s had a program update installed. I remember I wrote in a blog post a while ago how I asked her if she realised she did […]

Scones, Scrabble & Cycling

With Winter in full swing in the Southern hemisphere, Amanda is reluctant to go out for a walk in the cold, even when the sun is shining and the temperature struggles into double figures. Evening walks are currently not an option as it’s dark by 6pm. I saw an exercise cycle you can use from […]

Motivated…to the moon

For the last 4 weeks, Amanda has continued to show more signs of motivation and increasing energy and alertness. She actually acknowledged that she does feel ‘sharper’ since the diabetes medication began in early March. This is in addition to continuing to take 2 Voluntastrols capsules each day I reminded her, when she was diagnosed […]

An itch on the side I can’t feel

  With the hiccup of Amanda’s radiotherapy swiftly becoming a distant memory, it’s time to focus once more on her stroke recovery and reflect on the past 2 months and how, in retrospect, she has continued to progress. Despite the longer nights and cooler mornings, Amanda’s positivity and motivation remains unrelenting. Her brain, even 2 […]