According to Kwow, there are now two trials relating to the transplantation of stem cells into the human body. Early research has shown that they have an impact on damaged neurons, but research remains in its infancy. Promising results have also been found in rats.

Lack of funding
There are six clinical trials of drugs which have passed stage one research, but lack funding to go to the second stage. Some of them do not constitute a cure, but target certain symptoms of spinal cord injuries and help to restore certain functions.
“More basic research needs to be supported in order to make us understand exactly what happens in spinal cord injuries,” says Kwow. “The approach towards spinal cord injury has to be two-fold. There is no immediate quick fix. We have to look at the basic science. What happens physiologically?”
Kwow says the failure of the medical profession to find a cure that will help spinal cord victims to walk again is down to the complexity of the problems involved. After a catastrophic injury to the spinal cord, the body tries to shut down the affected area.
“The body does not favour regeneration of the neurons. We can stabilise patients now. We need to come back to evolution and make the environment non-inhibitory to neuron growth.
WWe need to fight against evolution to make it more penetrable. The connections to the peripheral nervous system are also important. It is a very complicated situation. If you just have medical expertise in one area, it is not going to be enough.”
Kwok believes there is a lot of money for neurological research but most of it was going on other conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. As a result, spinal cord injuries often lose out.
Red Bull’s Wings for Life Foundation funds 82 different projects into spinal cord injury. Kwok says it is impossible to promise a breakthrough to those victims of spinal cord injury, but there is hope that those young people who are currently confined to wheelchairs will one day walk again.
“We are proceeding by small steps. There are lots of small projects that are giving us insights into where we should go for the next projects. I couldn’t say if they will be able to walk in 10 years, but everything we are doing is important.”

It’s only when you see a mosquito landing on your testicles that you realise that there is always a way to solve problems without using violence.

.

Yesterday.

Yesterday I saw two members of my work team for ‘last goodbyes’.
Ina and Prabh have both decided to move on, along with quite a few others, since my absence.
It would seem that without me there it’s just not the same.
Those that have left have all written to me and articulately expressed their sadness at going, and sincerely thanked me for the positive influence I’ve had on them in the most formative parts of their careers – the early years.
If I’m able to go back, it’ll be to a quite different work team to the one I said ‘ see you next week ‘ to in mid June 2013.
To be honest I’m very very sad that it’s proven so difficult to keep them at work.
Loyalty to me seems to have been the overriding factor then.
I want to say thank you to Ina, Prabh, Jas, Mitul, Cath , Jayna and Ali for all their hard work and dedication over these last 5 years. I’m going to miss all of you, particularly if I make it back ( which I can now see is not going to be straightforward, having tried ( and failed ) last week to use my equipment in my consulting room.
It really is far from a case of ‘yes, the wheelchair fits under there, that’ll be ok’

Adam continues to punish me in the gym. Those parts of me that work are getting stronger at a crazy rate. The downside is that the bits that don’t still don’t. I cannot for instance sit on the edge of a bed without holding on tight.

Depressing, like so much every day, now.

On the upside my friends continue to make a fuss of me – Lisa last night took me out, Vanessa and Andy today, to name but a few.
I’m still in that mode where I seem to be watching the world go by, rather than being a part of it.
When I was being pushed along the sand of the beach on the weekend, I couldn’t reconcile the injustice of it all.
I should be the strong man pushing the person in the wheelchair, not the person in the bloody wheelchair.

I can’t see myself ever getting over that.

MAR
2
Northumberland.
Long way up North or what?

But what a surprise when you get there…

Beautiful countryside, architecture, and beaches.
Yes, beaches.
Us living in the South think of only the South Coast as having the Seaside…
Well we’re wrong, and the beaches are a lot less packed too up here ( says me, who’s been once, and in February ).

What a great bunch of people we met at Jan’s birthday party. Jay and her are the best couple ever, with the loveliest 4 kids ( aged 13 to 22 ), all there to make it a special weekend for their gorgeous mum.

I’d sort of semi resigned myself to not getting onto a beach ever again, but hey, with a ‘freewheel’ stuck on the front of my chair and a few strapping lads around , a beach ‘walk’ was a reality.
Incredible fresh air and views were greedily absorbed by me, and no one came close to tipping me out of my chair in 3 days, despite having no ‘handling experience’.
Top marks to all there for succeeding in not making me feel like a nuisance, and a special mention to Jackie for being a top laugh at the dinner.

The train rides back and forth were another box ticked.
Probably easier than flying, and the systems in place for ‘passenger assistance’ make it all flow pretty easily , providing you book it all in advance.
Of course my unphaseable wife just made it all happen, as is her fabulous way.
Thanks Dani

Again, at the party, I seemed to generate lots of sympathy affection from all sorts of attractive women.. Gratefully received.
The fellas were nice too 😉

The birthday drink, food and speeches were all quality. My girls loved seeing their Newcastle mates, Honor, Millie and Izzy especially showering them in love and affection for 3 days, plus introducing them to table tennis and pool, coached by Ruth and Rory.
Pool… Sign of misspent youth, right?
I hear you can be quite good from a wheelchair though. Maybe I need to try?

Ok, it’s not quite an extreme sport, but I’ve gotta do what I can do these days.
After a poker night on Thursday my life seems to be following a different course from before.
Having not played Poker before ( well, once before ), I can’t say I had a natural talent, but I wasn’t awful.
But I was easily the worst at Perudo, a sort of Spanish dice game… Gotta read the rules on that one too..

Thanks to Roy for the transit arrangements and all the fellas there for putting up with the novice interloper.
Cheers to Ian for hosting the night.
Most there were cyclists from my ill fated accident trip.

So..Smoking, and a beer belly might follow..at this rate of lifestyle change.