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I don't think people realise how important it is to have your blood pressure checked. Stroke is so sudden, so catastrophic.

I had a horrible heart attack and still have symptoms of that sometimes. Then cancer, which is in remission. But the stroke is the hardest thing because I just lost my ability to speak and to write.

A massive stroke may kill you instantly, while a series of mini-strokes may disable and kill you over several years.

If you're going to have a heart attack, mine was the kind to have. I'm thankful that it hasn't affected my output or my capacity to perform. And it has given me a lot to think and write about.

The stroke has given me another way to serve people. It lets me feel more deeply the pain of others; to help them know by example that ultimately, whatever happens, no harm can come. 'Death is perfectly safe,' I like to say.

The ability to diagnose an imminent heart attack has long been considered the holy grail of cardiovascular medicine.

Awareness about heart disease has got to be raised.

The doctor heard my heartbeat and found out I had an irregular heartbeat. I was not symptomatic or aware of my symptoms. I had no idea that this could make me five times more likely to have a stroke than somebody who doesn't have this.