A Friendly Handshake

"Being someones friend isn't about what you should have done.
It's about what you do."
-as heard while watching
KYLE-XY,
Season II

Think twice about shaking that hand.

Did you know that for ten years now it has been possible to transplant a donated hand (or a pair of them) to a person who has lost one or both of their hands?

As reported by www.singularityhub.com the amazing fact appears that re-attaching severed limbs such as arms and legs has been commonplace for decades. On February 16, 2009 it was revealed that not only is hand re-attachment possible, but in the last ten years hand transplantation has seen significant success in roughly 40 patients worldwide.

The source for most of this story comes from www.handtransplant.com, a website showcasing the success Jewish Hospital and its partners have achieved with hand transplants since they pioneered the world’s first long term hand transplant in January 1999.

As with all organ transplants (hearts, livers, and even hands) one of the greatest challenges a patient faces is organ rejection, a process where the immune system attacks the new organ as a foreign invader. For decades now we have had the medical means to fight organ rejection, although the treatment is error prone, requires the patient to stick to a rigorous regiment of drugs, and is plagued with several negative side effects.

Even assuming the problem of organ rejection can be contained, the problem of properly attaching the tiny veins, arteries, and other parts of the body to the new organ is quite a challenge. New advances in microsurgery have greatly enhanced our ability to overcome this challenge, paving the way for the hand transplants of today.

Twenty-five years ago today:

November 26, 1984
Monday
It was an okay day in terms of overall sales. I took a lonesome walk at lunchtime to Union Square and sat on a bench. It was somewhat sunny. The sun kept hiding behind the clouds and peeking out again. I had a good time being alone! I was just watching the pigeons, the sky, the clouds, the sun, and the variety of passers-by. It was sentimental amusement.

After work I stopped over at mom’s house only to run into Grandma Janet Lewis who was catering Ashley off to John and Sherri’s townhouse.

Mom told me she had come to my place to fold some of my clothes and ‘straighten up’. She could not help herself. She rearranged, revitalized and redecorated my place while I was at work today. I love her. She’s so thoughtful. She’s just being the person that she is.

PHOTO: Lee Remick, actress

I stayed with mom to eat dinner. We watched the television movie called ‘Rearview Mirror” starring Lee Remick and Michael Beck (an ‘okay’ actor). It was a good story. Mom and I enjoyed it.

Dad actually gave me a ride home after the movie. I hit the sack. Yawn.