“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” Albert Einstein

100% stroke recovery for ALL stroke survivors. If that's not absurd then nothing is. Real innovation requires us to make a bold leap - and to be willing to look foolish in doing so. I can solve this problem, I just need the backing of persons who don't mind being jeered at by the medical establishment.
Or maybe you prefer this one:
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

And if you can do a little more, then, of course, you can repeat those changes until you've done a lot more.

This quote from Seth Godin should be the first words out of your doctors mouth explaining how neuroplasticity will work for your recovery.

Plasticity by Seth Godin 

Steve Jobs quote - The crazy ones

From gapingvoid art. if you want this in a poster.

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Steve Jobs
US computer engineer & industrialist (1955 - 2011)

I am going to change the world. It is my BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

Hanlon’s Razor, never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Hanlon's razor is an adage, most commonly attributed to Robert J. Hanlon which is generally stated as: “”Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Hanlon's_razor 
So we should be able to attribute the complete lack of progress in stroke to stupidity rather than malice. Which brings us to this quote:
'It's hard to win an argument with a smart person, but it's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person.' 
So how the hell do we change the trajectory of stroke to solve all the problems in stroke? Rather than just sit around twiddling our thumbs and putting out more press releases? I'm obviously not smart enough to figure this out on my own. I need minions.

“People are the CEO of their health, and doctors are just consultants.”

I loved this quote from

Dr. Jay Parkinson

MD + MPH
I'm the Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Sherpaa

This is perfectly exemplified by this quote. Dr. Steven Wolf writes, a rehabilitation stroke expert and professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.  "Stroke patients need to rely more on their own problem solving to regain mobility".
You are completely on your own, deal with it.
Putting this into a stroke construct, we have fucking incompetent consultants, list below.

1. 30% get spasticity NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

2. At least half of all stroke survivors experience fatigue Or is it 70%?

Or is it 40%?

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

3. Over half of stroke patients have attention problems.

NOTHING THAT WILL CURE IT.

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CURE IT.

4.  The incidence of constipation was 48%.

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CURE IT.

5. No EXACT stroke protocols that address any of your muscle limitations.

6. Poststroke depression(33% chance)

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

7.  Poststroke anxiety(20% chance) NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

8. Posttraumatic stress disorder(23% chance)  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

  9.  12% tPA efficacy for full recovery NO ONE IS WORKING ON SOMETHING BETTER.

10.  10% seizures post stroke NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

11. 21% of patients had developed cachexia NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT. 

 

12. You lost 5 cognitive years from your stroke  NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS IT.

13.  33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?

       Or is it 17-66%?

       Or is it 20% chance in this research?

NO PROTOCOLS THAT WILL ADDRESS THIS

 

Fail, Fail again, Fail Better - Samuel Beckett

A paraphrase of the Samuel Becket quote.
'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.'
A great readable book, 'Fail, Fail again, Fail Better' by Pema Chodron. It is only 131 pages long and half that is blank pages. I finished it in 30 minutes on two plane rides. If your doctor isn't telling you how many millions of times you will fail then you have a doctor that doesn't understand stroke rehab at all.  You need to embrace your failures and use that resilience to recover.
So far I have probably failed 10s of millions of times. Before I die I assume I will have failed 100 million times and yet that doesn't deter from keeping on trying. To not try for me is the same as giving up and having my spirit die. That will not happen.

For those of you keeping track there are four stroke books you absolutely need to read.
'Stronger After Stroke', by Peter Levine. A stroke researcher telling you what you need to do to recover.
'Stroke After Stroke: A Rower's Pilgrimage' by Barbara Polan. A first person account of recovery that tells it like it is, not one of those, 'Look at how special I am that I recovered from a stroke'.
'My Last Degree: A Therapist Goes Home After a Stroke' by Rebecca Dutton She is an instructional OT so she has wonderful insights into how to plan your recovery. 
'Fail, Fail again, Fail Better' by Pema Chodron.

Other books I have used in my recovery are here:

My stroke book reading list

I am sure you feel proud of the hard work that got you into that room, but keep in mind that what you endured is not a fraction of what I had to go through to get there.

A quote from a pissed off patient about a paternalistic doctor. Remember YOU are in charge of your health, your doctor is supposed to be helping you. This is why I absolutely hate the condescending statement from our medical professionals; 'All strokes are different, all stroke recoveries are different'. You say that to any survivor and it confirms that you know jackshit about stroke.
http://medcitynews.com/2015/06/outraged-engaged-patient-takes-aim-at-paternalistic-medicine/?

25 Of the Most Inspiring Quotes Ever Spoken

In case you need some inspiration.
http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4299376801&group=0&frame_type=p&context=&context_ids=&blog=11078067&
My favorite is Hunter S. Thompson;

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”

tiny Buddha - simple wisdom for complex lives

I've been reading a lot of these posts for inspiration and great quotes.

Scott you are worthy to write something for here; Submission Guidelines

http://tinybuddha.com/blog-posts/