Technology has literally and figuratively opened doors for us. Advances are changing the way in which we communicate, as well as how we move about in this world.
Those of us who have prosthetics have benefited from technological advances. I once went to a Hip Hip Hooray fundraiser, where they had the first artificial hips on display. Talk about carrying extra weight. Those things looked more like parts that would fit into a DC-3 rather than into a human body!
After reading this story in the paper - "Artificial body parts take big strides" - I've been giving lots of thought to how far I would be willing to go to restore myself to my natural self - the self before RA had its way with me. Would I be willing to remove my existing hand for an artificial one, like the one Bertoit Meyer is using? How far would you be willing to go?
In 1983 my friend and surgeon refused to replace my hips because the prostheses available then were of the old stainless steel variety with limited life span. I had to wait till 1985 to get Low Friction Arthroplasty designed by John Charnley in India and the same were used again for revisions in December 2000 and February 2001. When one hip had to be revised again in 2011, better prosthesis of the cementless variety were available and I have now been fitted with the same with an assurance that I am unlikely to need another revision till I pop off. One more is yet to be done but so far it has not started to give trouble.
I however agree, that I would have loved to have had normal hip joints. But that is the hand that I have been dealt with and I shall play it to the best of my ability.