The Bionic Woman

So two days ago, I received a call that quite possibly will change my life forever!  It was a call that I had been waiting on for several months...a call that I did not expect to receive...ever.

While I was at work, I received a call from Tiffany at the Hanger Clinic. She called to inform me that my insurance had fully approved a myoelectric prosthetic hand for me and that I could be fitted the day after Christmas and have my new hand at the end of January!

Wow....just wow!

Do you remember in the Empire Strikes back where Luke Skywalker gets his new hand? That has always stuck in my brain and I have always dreamed of one day having a complete hand. You see, I have Poland's syndrome which left me with only 2 fingers on my right hand. I have adapted pretty well to my "disability" and can do most anything including playing the piano, guitar, etc. But as I get older, I have noticed that I have lost function. I am not able to turn doorknobs like I used to. I can no longer hold a cup. I drop more things...and not just because I'm a klutz. I've had several surgeries already to widen the space between my fingers so that I can grip things. But there is only so much skin they can cut away and stretch.

So I started doing research about 8 months ago and found this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/12/health/bionic-hands/

So I did a little more research and found this company website:
http://www.touchbionics.com/

My dreams were becoming a reality!  I had only heard of hand transplants for those with severed hands. And the prosthetic devices I knew about where passive devices and therefore would not allow me to do more than I can do now.  But Touch Bionics offers an active prosthesis which allows different kinds of grips and a rotating thumb.  This is truly amazing.

The next thing I did was look up where I could find out more about this device and whether or not I would even be a candidate. So I used their Certified Clinician Finder on the website and found The Hanger Clinic in Norfolk Virginia...one town over from us! So I thought about it for a few months and finally made and appointment on August 29.

Sam and I met with Dr. Salazar and discussed the possibilities for me. I fully expected him to say that I would need an amputation first...which is what he started with. But after looking at my hand and seeing its functionality, he said, I would be a perfect candidate for the i-Limb without an amputation. They could make a glove that would incorporate my current fingers and also give me more utility.  I left the office encouraged and very excited.  But I was also trying not to get my hopes up.  I wasn't sure if my insurance would even cover this type of thing. The Hanger Clinic would work up a design and letter for the insurance company to consider. Now it was a waiting game.  I checked in with them every month just to see if they had heard anything. The upper extremity specialist and Dr. Salazar were working together to come up with best design for my needs. Finally they sent the package to the insurance company.

So on December 16, 2013, I got the call!  Tiffany at Hanger Clinic informed me that my insurance would cover me 100%!  Thank you Optima! I will be traveling to Hilliard, Ohio to Touch Bionics at the end of January to get my new hand!  Insurance is also covering the cost of travel as well. 

I am still in shock to say the least.  It hasn't fully hit me yet, but I'm started to get excited!  I can't believe that this is happening to me!  I keep thinking something will fall through...but they have assured me that it has been approved.

I go for my initial fitting in Norfolk the day after Christmas. What a tremendous Christmas gift! So in a little over a month, I will be the Bionic Woman!

Now I will have to figure out how to get through airport security :)

Some things I will be able to do with my new hand:

• Wear long silky gloves like Audrey Hepburn
• Make a fist!
• Shake someone's hand (no more dead fish handshakes!)
• Count to 10 using my fingers
• Dance the Macarena without shame (well, relatively)
• Braid my hair 

I am so thankful to my husband for encouraging me in all of this, to God for making it possible, and to the doctors and medical staff who pulled this together. 

I want to make the effort to try and blog when I go to pick up my new hand...but I can't promise anything because I will have to learn to type all over again! :)