In the Arena

Since your stroke medical 'professional' is not in the arena why are they not doing what survivors want? Namely 100% recovery!  Their tyranny of low expectations is fucking ridiculous, thinking they know what survivors want and instead delivering miniscule recovery!
Metaphorically, "in the arena" represents being actively involved in a challenging situation, risking failure, and confronting difficult circumstances.  A quote from a Teddy Roosevelt speech titled "Citizenship in a Republic" April 23, 1910

The Greatest Speech Ever Made | The Man in the Arena