Rory Bush is up to his eyeballs in numbers. Calculus to be specific. This 34-year-old, single dad is a college student with his sights set on becoming a biomedical engineer. He loves to snowboard, ride four wheelers with his friends, and for exercise, he likes to run and do push-ups. As you watch him play with his daughter Taylor, age 5, he seems like any other young dad- gaming on the iPad, drawing pictures with Taylor, and making mac and cheese for dinner. Take a closer look though and you'll notice there's something different about Rory's right hand and right leg: both are prosthetic.
On November 8, 2006, Rory was riding his motorcycle when he lost control, hit a street sign and a telephone pole, and was thrown into a muddy ditch. As a result of his severe injuries and a subsequent infection, his right arm had to be amputated above the elbow and his right leg above the knee.
"When I was in the hospital, several prosthetists came to see me and they were all focused on my leg," said Rory. "Most of them said things like 'You don't need a prosthetic arm. It's not even worth looking at because most people just stick them in their closet.'"
But Rory had already decided that he wanted to try a prosthetic arm, and about four months after his accident, he received a body-powered device from the same prosthetist who had fit his leg. "It was cumbersome and it just didn't fit me as an individual. I didn't like it-I didn't want to know how to use it," he said. "I had looked on the Internet and I knew that there were better options out there. I also learned that there are a lot more people missing legs than missing arms." So he started looking for a prosthetist who was an upper limb specialist. "A prosthetist who does arms everyday is up-to-date on the latest and greatest. And the ones that just dabble in arms from time to time, well I don't think that they're in touch with what's going on."
Today, Rory relies on a myoelectric arm that has an interchangeable greifer and an electric hand with a cosmetic glove. He is adept at two-handed tasks such as driving, cooking, washing dishes, and carrying more than one thing at a time. "For me, the myoelectric works. It's almost intuitive," he said. "Everything is easier, more functional and less frustrating." The occupational therapy provided by Advanced Arm Dynamics was an important part of his recovery. "Because it was easier to do stuff with my left hand then to take the time to use the prosthesis, I needed somebody like a therapist to force me to use it," he said. "And the more you use it, the faster you get, but it takes time. And when you can't figure something out, the therapist has an answer."
Rory's experience of becoming a double amputee and using two prostheses is what led him back to school and attracted him to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. "I like taking things apart and putting them back together," he said. "I like the idea of being on the cutting edge of new things. So I hope to get into the research and design of prosthetics and robotics."
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Rory's story is that after the loss of both an arm and a leg, and navigating the challenges of a whole new way of life, he can say with utter sincerity, "I think I'm probably pretty close to being the same as I was before. I can pretty much do whatever I feel like doing now."
You can find more patient success stories on our website: www.armdynamic....
29 авг 2024