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| 'I want to tie my own shoelaces' | 'I want to tie my own shoelaces' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News Advertisement | By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News Advertisement |
| John Stirling talks about his progress since the op | John Stirling talks about his progress since the op |
| John Stirling is looking forward to lots of things in 2009 - driving his car, doing his garden - and perhaps even tying his own shoelaces and doing up his own belt. | John Stirling is looking forward to lots of things in 2009 - driving his car, doing his garden - and perhaps even tying his own shoelaces and doing up his own belt. |
| Three months ago John, aged 59, from Peacehaven, East Sussex, lost his left forearm in a chainsaw accident while cutting wood in his garden. | Three months ago John, aged 59, from Peacehaven, East Sussex, lost his left forearm in a chainsaw accident while cutting wood in his garden. |
| Mr Stirling knocked on the door of neighbour Steve Francis and told him he had cut his arm off. | |
| Mr Francis then dialled 999, tied a belt around the arm and kept the rest of the limb in a bag of frozen pastry. | |
| Thanks to Mr Francis's quick actions, doctors at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead were able to save the severed limb, re-attaching it during two lengthy operations. | |
| Slow recovery | Slow recovery |
| Over the next year, the BBC website will be recording John's recovery. | Over the next year, the BBC website will be recording John's recovery. |
| When I first came out of hospital I felt most things were beyond me, now I feel nothing is beyond me. John Stirling href="/1/hi/health/7817838.stm">How a limb is re-attached At first John had no movement in the severed limb, but now he says he is confident of making a good recovery. | |
| "It is a very gradual process," he said. | |
| "But now if there was a basket with two handles I could lift it up, and I could push a door handle down - but I can not tie a belt or shoelace." | |
| Weekly physiotherapy sessions may at first seem slow-going, but they are steadily helping John increase his range of movement. | |
| "I am just amazed when I think I can move that a little bit more," he said. | "I am just amazed when I think I can move that a little bit more," he said. |
| "You can do all these exercises and nothing happens, then a couple of days later you think 'well that is better than it was'. | "You can do all these exercises and nothing happens, then a couple of days later you think 'well that is better than it was'. |
| Getting back sensation | Getting back sensation |
| "Initially I had no movement. Where it is cut off it felt like an elastic band - not part of me at all. | |
| "It just felt like a dead weight that was attached, but over the weeks - even though it is still numb - it becomes part of you." | |
| John is having physiotherapy every weekBut he says things are getting better. | John is having physiotherapy every weekBut he says things are getting better. |
| "Movement started at the fingertips. At first it was numb, and then I got feeling and had to learn how to move. | |
| "Now I can move my wrist and I can move about an inch on my fingers. My thumb is the last digit to get any feeling and at the moment I cannot move it very much. | |
| "The hospital will know what they expect to happen as far as my recovery is concerned. I just obey and do my exercises." | "The hospital will know what they expect to happen as far as my recovery is concerned. I just obey and do my exercises." |
| "When I first came out of hospital I felt most things were beyond me - now I feel nothing is beyond me. | |
| "I am hoping to do some gardening and hoping to drive again. | "I am hoping to do some gardening and hoping to drive again. |
| "I am quite optimistic that I will be able to drive in another three to six months." | "I am quite optimistic that I will be able to drive in another three to six months." |
| Further surgery plans | Further surgery plans |
| Mr Asit Khandwala, John's plastic surgeon at Queen Victoria Hospital, said he had been a fantastic patient and that his physical and mental fitness is aiding his recovery. | Mr Asit Khandwala, John's plastic surgeon at Queen Victoria Hospital, said he had been a fantastic patient and that his physical and mental fitness is aiding his recovery. |
| John lost his forearm in a circular saw accident"He is very positive at the moment, but this experience is quite stressful." | John lost his forearm in a circular saw accident"He is very positive at the moment, but this experience is quite stressful." |
| But he said that because of John's age his nerve recovery would be slightly limited compared to a very young patient. | But he said that because of John's age his nerve recovery would be slightly limited compared to a very young patient. |
| "Although he appears to be doing extremely well, he is unlikely to get the fine movement (turning small screws) that you would expect say an electrician or a motor mechanic to have," he said. | "Although he appears to be doing extremely well, he is unlikely to get the fine movement (turning small screws) that you would expect say an electrician or a motor mechanic to have," he said. |
| "And the dexterity in some small muscles of his hand, which are furthest away from the nerve, may be poor." | "And the dexterity in some small muscles of his hand, which are furthest away from the nerve, may be poor." |
| Mr Khandwala said they would decide whether another operation is needed in about a year's time. | Mr Khandwala said they would decide whether another operation is needed in about a year's time. |