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True Pioneer.. View full sizeJENNY KANE, The Patriot-NewsChris Pollock practices picking up small obAfter a corn picker destroyed his hands, Chris Pollock wondered if it also ruined his life. An introduction to a pastor helped put those feelings to rest. The Susquehanna Township resident eventually received a pioneering double-hand transplant. Two weeks ago he bought a pickup. He drives it with no modifications beyond a homemade ignition key extender. "It’s amazing what you can do — going from one end of the spectrum to the other, going from no hands to two hands, in less than two years," says Pollock, 42. One of his goals is to drive a stick-shift by next summer. Writing and texting Pollock received the transplants in February during an 11-hour operation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He was the second person to get a double-hand transplant in the United States. Two more have been done since then. Pollock stands out even among them — his transplanted right hand includes the forearm and elbow. He spends 28 hours a week in physical therapy. It will take years for his hands to reach their full potential. They won’t be perfect. But Pollock is elated by his progress. With his left hand, attached at the wrist, he can give a firm handshake. He can feel when someone’s hand is cold from being outside.
A natural righty, he has trained himself to write with his left. He picks up small ob His right hand, attached above the elbow, needs more time, and probably won’t ever function as well as the left. Nerves in Pollock’s upper right arm must connect to nerves in his hand and fingers. The connections are needed for feeling and activating muscles. Nerves grow about a half-inch per month. Or at least they do in a nontransplanted limb, where broken connections emit a chemical "beacon" to guide returning nerves. This is a new frontier. "The thing you hope for is that the muscles can still accept the return," says Jana Poole, a Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center hand specialist who works with Pollock. Alone for 30 minutes It happened the day after Thanksgiving in 2008. Pollock was helping harvest corn at a friend’s farm in Cumberland County. He was driving a tractor and pulling a corn picker that deposited corn in a wagon. The 1950s-vintage picker made him nervous. Late in the day, he hopped off the tractor to check the wagon. He noticed corn stalks caught in the chute of the picker. He batted at the stalks to get them moving. A conveyor chain snagged a sleeve and pulled his hand into the picker. Pollock reflexively reached with his other hand. It too became caught. He knew immediately his hands were lost. He was alone for 30 minutes. Hands stuck in the machine, Pollock wanted to die. Finding faith and purpose His father had recently joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Swatara Twp. He asked his pastor to visit the hospital, where Pollock would spend 20 days. Talking to her, Pollock’s outlook began to change. Over time, he realized prosthetic hands could enable him to do things such as drive. He was a career member of the Army National Guard. He wouldn’t return to his occupation as a mechanic. But he could teach or do many jobs. Now he’s a regular at Good Shepherd, usually attending on Sunday and Wednesday, his day off from therapy. He views his accident as something that happened for a good reason, maybe to guide him to church. He also views it as an event that made him a better person. Pollock describes himself as formerly "skeptical." He used to dream of winning the lottery. "With that kind of wishing, you don’t know what you’ll get. I tend not to wish anymore. I take things day by day. And when a situation comes up, I deal with it," he says. "God put me on earth to be this way, and I’m happy." His prosthetics — artificial hands — amounted to hooks. They enabled him to drive. But they allowed no sense of touch. People who have lost limbs tend to long for the ability to feel. Doctors consider it one of the best arguments in favor of hand transplants. One day Pollock saw a Parade magazine article about the first double-hand transplant, done at UPMC. He called the next day. The hard part begins The first hand transplant was done in 1964 in Ecuador. But they weren’t considered practical until recently. Drugs needed to suppress the immune system to prevent the body from rejecting the foreign part are a major reason. They can open the door to infections and a range of diseases including diabetes and cancer. Unless someone needed a life-sustaining organ, it wasn’t considered worth the risk. Doctors at UPMC, with the help of pioneers such as Pollock, hope to open the door to more hand transplants, as well as other transplants such as face transplants. They inject bone marrow from the donor to "re-educate" the recipient’s cells not to react to the transplanted part as foreign. This lessens the need to suppress the immune system. Additionally, limb transplants pose challenges beyond those of organ transplants. "When you put in a kidney, once you put it in, it’s essentially working. That’s also fairly true of a liver — once you set up the plumbing, blood coming in an out, etc., it starts to work," says Dr. Shane Johnson, a Penn State-Hershey plastic surgeon involved with Pollock’s care. A hand transplant involves careful connections of skin, bone, tendons, muscle, blood vessels and nerves. For the patient, the hard part begins after the transplant is over. Daunting therapy Jeff Kepner is struggling. He was the first person to get a double-hand transplant in the U.S., receiving it at UPMC in early 2008. His story is the one that caused Pollock to seek a transplant. Kepner is a former pastry chef who once lived in Lancaster and now lives in Georgia. He lost his hands and feet in 1999 following a bacterial infection. A year after his transplant, a CNN story quoted Kepner as saying he regretted the transplant. He had attained very little use of his hands and still was unable to drive, which he could do with his prosthetic hands. Kepner was discouraged by the endless hours of therapy, saying it was far more than he expected. His surgeon and his family remain optimistic the therapy will pay off. Setting an example Pollock keeps a spread sheet of hours devoted to therapy. He’s nearing 900. He’s been told to plan on 2,000. He intends to reach that mark next summer. Yet he doesn’t envision that as the end. Doctors tell him that, with effort, he can gain feeling and function for years, maybe a decade. During a recent therapy session, Pollock first worked his left hand. One exercise involved using tweezers, then fingers, to pick up an assortment of marbles, beads, washers, paper clips, etc. Then he worked with spring clips, plucking them off one rod and lining them up on another. On the right hand, the one attached above the elbow, much of the work is performed by Poole, the therapist. She kneads and stretches it, and applies electrical current to stimulate and exercise the muscles. Pollock can gesture with the hand, and recently used it to help hoist a case of water into his shopping cart. He says he can feel the sensitivity slowly returning. In November, he first sensed cold in his right palm. Washing his hands last week, he had his first sensation of warmth in his right forearm. The injury forced Pollock’s retirement from the military after 21 years. Later this month, he’ll be the guest of honor at a Wounded Warrior event in Florida. One purpose of his appearance is to provide inspiration for war veterans dealing with limb loss. Pollock says he doesn’t crave the attention — it takes time away from therapy — but he’s happy to help. "I want people to realize you have to put your mind to this. You don’t just get a transplant and it works. You have to put a lot of time into it," he says.ue
God's mysterious ways !! Chris Pollock’s life changed forever on Nov. 28, 2008, while harvesting a friend’s cornfields in Carlisle. When the Harrisburg native noticed a piece of corn stuck in the picker’s steel rollers, he left the machine running and reached in with his left hand to knock it loose. The rollers caught his jacket sleeve, pulling his left hand inside. As he reached forward with his other hand to free his arm, his right hand was pulled in as well. For 30 agonizing minutes, Pollock screamed for help. “I told God three times, ‘Let me die,’” he told the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America News Service. Eventually, his friends heard his cries, and Pollock was airlifted to Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He had lost both of his hands and his right forearm. Pollock, who was not attending church before the accident, heeded his parents’ advice to visit Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Harrisburg after the accident. He was pleased to find that he felt right at home with members in the congregation, who would hold his hymnal before he was fitted for prosthetic hands. “It’s the kind of church you would want to be involved in. They make you feel like you’re part of the family,” he told the ELCA. And it was John’s new family that supported him through a ground-breaking transplant surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on Feb. 5. After 11 hours of surgery, he had a new transplanted human right hand and right forearm, and a new transplanted left hand, all from a deceased donor. Pollock is thought to be the first patient in the U.S., and one of the first in the world, to received two transplanted human hands, including an entire forearm. Through it all, Pollock’s church family has stood by his side. “I’m glad that I have a church family that can be as supportive as they are,” he said in the article. “They’ve sent a lot of cards (and) said a lot of prayers.” Good Shepherd eagerly awaits Pollock’s return home, as he is currently living in an apartment in Pittsburgh while he completes intensive physical therapy over the next few months, learning to use his new hands. The Rev. Kathleen J. Baker, pastor of Good Shepherd, anticipates the day when she can give communion to Pollock by hand. “For me, it has been one of those mountaintop experiences. We talk about a transfiguration moment where you can just identify everybody operating at their best. That’s what I see happening, with God’s work, Christ’s work and the church’s work all coming together,” she told the ELCA. Pollock’s father, John, credits God for providing strength and wisdom to his family and those involved in the aftermath of the accident — including the doctors. “When you’re in the (hospital) hallways, and Chris’ name gets mentioned, people will say, ‘Isn’t it amazing what God has done?’ Sure, they talk about the doctors, but they still talk about how God has put (those) hands back on,” he said in the article. This inspirational story is fascinating on so many levels — medical and spiritual, to name two. We know God works in mysterious ways, and one must wonder if Pollock would have ever gone to church had he not lost his hands. “After this accident, things were different for me. I believe that God wanted me here. If God wanted me to die, he would have let me die,” Pollock told the ELCA. But because God wanted Pollock to live, a brutal accident has a happy ending that has touched so many lives, from the pews of Good Shepherd to the Central Pennsylvania community. ——— Sentinel copy editor Jennifer Autry grew up in an Evangelical Free church and attends a Southern Baptist church. She welcomes comments at jautry@cumberlink.com.
Good Morning America preview of my interview.......Google Chris Pollock Hand Transplants
My trip to Puerto Plata Dominican Republic..Went on a little mini vacation MetalFatigue and I . Between Christmas and New Years. Left PA Monday morning arrived at Dulles Airport for a 300 p.m. flight . To find it was delayed till 430 p.m. that was good cause we got there by the skin of our teeth.. Waited around for about 2 hours and then boarded the plane for JFK in NYC. Even with our delay we got there for a layover till about 1100 pm. We enjoyed two different restaurants in the waiting . One was Italian the other Japanese both had great food and drinks........ Waiting a few hours we finally board and fly to Puerto Plata Dominican Republic and arrive at the hotel around 400 a.m. And here is what it looked like. We stayed until 1230 a.m. New Years.
www.riu.com/en-us/binaris/fc39ac4981e77835_tcm71-18535.jpg www.riu.com/en-us/Paises/dominican-republic/puerto-plata/clubhotel-riu-bachata/hotel_fotos.jsp#
Germany day 8 !Flying home. Well some of my crew decided they needed a night at a disco club. So 3 of them when and stayed out till 300 in the a.m. We I was getting up at six to be at the train station and travel to the airport to be there before 9:30. Needless to say we did not make the 9:30 arrival at the airport. I couldn't get the sleepyheads moving. All in all we did have a wonderful time in Germany and Austria. I will be posting some pictures as soon as my daughter get to copy them. Hope everyone enjoyed my Germany blog... Germany day 7 !Final day . To do anything that we could do before flying home in the morning. I actually slept till almost 12. But the girls had me get up so we could get them some food for there fires..... At this point I was sad cause we were getting ready to go home and anything that was said to me I was taking the wrong way. Like I couldn't make anyone happy. Today was my daughter's birthday and she was very excited. Cause she knew that she was going to see the bar tender one last time. I think they even exchanged facebook info. I feel good for her. Not much went on with me and everyone else were doing there last minute shopping before leaving in the morning. Then evening came and some of the gang decide they want to go clubbing. And yes they did. They got back around 300 a.m and wake up was at 600.. They were lovely to deal with.... lol
Germany day 6 !Sorry peeps I forgot a day was quite busy yesterday and the blog slipped my mind. So day six was Monday Nov 30, my sons birthday. On this day we decided on our 3 rd and final trip around Germany. That trip was with the same tour guide as we took Saturday but today we met at 1000 a.m in front of the Hauptbahnhof for a train ride to see Ludwig II Neuschwanstien Castle in Ruffing Germany. Was not the greatest day to go as it was overcast and until we arrived at the castle it was raining. We were going to get a bus to the top of the mountain but the Germans and there stubborn way would not see it. So we set out on foot , what a wonderful experience as it was raining at the bottom it was snowing when we got to the top. Very cool indeed and everyone loved the experience. Took a hour break for some luch at a restaurant right below the castle before we took a tour of the castle. Had our tour and until we were done it was just about time for the train ride back to Munich. Got back to the Hauptbahnhof and walked to another local Augustine Bier Haus and had a wonderful supper with my children and their two friends..... Was just a total blast doing this castle tour. Metal stayed behind this day as she had a stocking mission to fulfill................
Germany day 5 !Today is Sunday and only two more days left before we have to leave.. My daughter wanted to go to church but instead decides to sleep in. As she has come down with a cold...... We walk to the near by church and she does not want to go to service because she doesn't know what it is about.. We go to the hotel and she and her friend go to the spa at another hotel that is by the one we stayed in.. Really not much to report as we were all pretty tired from yesterdays walking and festivities..... For supper Metal and I went to the Tolwood festival which is held on the same grounds as the Oktoberfest....... And it was just walking distance... Had to have our Gluwein wine.. Hot toddy for the body... I could go for some right now. mmmmmmm
Germany day 4 !So far so good, great time..... Today all six of us Moise are way to the Hauptbahnhof to find a tour guide that is taking a trip to Saltzburg, Austria. We find a very energetic Irish woman named Valarie, what a pleasant lady .
She collects our Euros and we precede to the Train station to travel 2 hours from Munich to Austria on the way we learn about Mozart and learn of the fortress that looks over Saltzburg being the oldest monument in Europe. Also walked through the garden where the Sound of Music was filmed. We arrived around 1:00 p.m. And trekked our way to the fortress for a wonderful view overlooking the city and the Alps. Very breath taking. This day we had done quite bit of walking.
We had lunch at the fortress and went back down to the old city to find Christ Kindle Markets and also to see where Mozart was born ... Was very cool indeed. To end the day we needed to find a liquor store. And by our surprise we found one and even found Absinthe to have for our trip back to Munich. We get back to Munich around 7:30 p.m. We were pretty much tired so we get back to the hotel and go to the American bar have a few drinks. And two of my peeps decide they want to go to a hookah bar oooooh the fun they had.. LMFAO...... Go Metal and Jordan. hehehe..
Germany day 3 !Well with two days under our belt and all the chaotic moments Metal and I decide on an itinerary...... So today being Friday we all go on a tour of the city of Munich by bus. What a great time saw lots of architecture and statues my favorite being the Angel of peace.... Also saw were the 1972 Olympics were held along with BMW's museum. Great times !!! The Nymphenberg castle and then back to the main train station. That evening Metal and I went to Augustin er for my favorite being Brotzeit.(bread time )
Germany day 2 !Still being a little tired we were lethargic to get motivated but we came to our senses and made up an itinerary for the rest of our stay.
Today Metal and I walked the city streets of Munich and on our way found a small Cafe that she really enjoyed. We walked around most of the day as we got up late.
Walking the city we saw different statues of King Ludwig and some real nice architecture , even a medieval Christ Kindle Market.. We finished by walking back to our hotel being Thanksgiving everyone wanted to dress nice and go to the HofBrauHaus for some Bavarian food. Place was packed and the kids did not get served even though the age to drink is sixteen so we went to The Hard Rock Cafe for supper. Just keeping it American I guess. Was great for me and everyone else... More tomorrow....... C
Germany day 1 !Well as most of you know I went to Germany and am now back as of the 2 ND of Dec.
Arrived at Munich airport at 7:30 a.m. Munich time. Went to the S Bahn to be taken to the city . Had a local help us get tickets for the 45 min ride to the city. Took this long as there were about 8 to 10 stops on the way. And the S Bahn is very prompt. Arrived in Marienplatz which was probably from 1.98838 mi the hotel. Was actually 3.2 K .......Which I had in my mind as to where the hotel was located I was unsure..
Needless to say I had several unhappy campers with me. We kept on trudging along though. We finally made it to the hotel around 11:00 a.m. We get to the hotel and could not check into the rooms till 3:00 p.m. What a bummer ! So the front desk keep our luggage and we decided to find some food which entailed more walking...... Actually it was right around the corner from our hotel went to a beer house Hacker Pcshorr.......Metal and myself and the kids had sat down for our first meal with beer as we waited for our rooms to be ready.... We had our lunch and returned to the hotel for some much needed rest as we were burnt from all the walking. And as the time wore on we found our way around the city quite easy. And even found out the train even came closer to the hotel than I imagined.. Got back to the hotel settled in we all took a nap and went out that evening to the Marienplat to Augustin er Bauhaus for another great Bavarian Dinner...... Walked back to the hotel and planned our up coming days in Munich......... Stay tuned Chris.
Circle of friends please read important......!!!
Regards CJ
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Previous Posts  Most recent hand transplant story !, posted April 1st, 2011, 9 comments GMA Video, posted March 30th, 2011, 6 comments True Pioneer.., posted January 9th, 2011, 45 comments God's mysterious ways !!, posted August 12th, 2010, 23 comments Good Morning America preview of my interview......., posted March 12th, 2010, 32 comments My trip to Puerto Plata Dominican Republic.., posted January 4th, 2010, 22 comments Kelly & Conner, posted December 13th, 2009, 15 comments Kelly's skating show 2009, posted December 13th, 2009, 2 comments Germany day 8 !, posted December 10th, 2009, 1 comment Germany day 7 !, posted December 10th, 2009, 4 comments Germany day 6 !, posted December 10th, 2009, 8 comments Germany day 5 !, posted December 8th, 2009, 2 comments Germany day 4 !, posted December 7th, 2009, 12 comments Germany day 3 !, posted December 6th, 2009, 7 comments Germany day 2 !, posted December 5th, 2009, 4 comments Germany day 1 !, posted December 4th, 2009, 21 comments Circle of friends please read important......!!!, posted October 12th, 2009, 17 comments Velvet Revolver - Slither, posted October 10th, 2009, 16 comments Fall Out boy - A little less sixteen candles, a little more, posted October 8th, 2009, 1 comment Green Day - 21 Guns, posted October 7th, 2009, 5 comments Linkin Park - New Divide (Official Video) HQ, posted October 7th, 2009, 1 comment Led Zeppelin-kashmir...the real video, posted October 3rd, 2009 when the levee breaks/led zeppelin, posted October 2nd, 2009, 8 comments Hoobastank - Out Of Control, posted October 1st, 2009 Roundabout, posted September 30th, 2009 10 Years - Beautiful, posted September 30th, 2009, 4 comments Days of the New - Touch, Peel and Stand, posted September 29th, 2009, 4 comments The New Radicals - You Get What You Give, posted September 28th, 2009, 7 comments In The Mood, posted September 28th, 2009, 13 comments Cab Calloway - Minnie The Moocher, posted September 27th, 2009, 6 comments Wonderful World - Sam Cooke - UPGRADED, posted September 26th, 2009, 1 comment Sam Cooke - Sad Mood, posted September 26th, 2009 Jo Stafford - 'Why Can't You Behave', posted September 26th, 2009 Iron Man Video - Inside the Fire by Disturbed, posted September 26th, 2009 Trapt - Headstrong, posted September 25th, 2009 War - Edwin Starr, posted September 21st, 2009 Rev Theory-Far From Over, posted September 17th, 2009 Bugs Bunny Funny Moments., posted September 16th, 2009 Queens Of The Stone Age - Little Sister, posted September 14th, 2009 My Quiz...., posted September 13th, 2009, 49 comments Many thoughts....., posted September 12th, 2009, 8 comments Flyleaf- im so sick (live), posted September 11th, 2009, 6 comments puddle of mud - she f****ing hates me, posted September 10th, 2009, 9 comments Weezer "Beverly Hills", posted September 9th, 2009, 3 comments Weezer - Buddy Holly, posted September 9th, 2009 Jimmy Eat World "The Middle", posted September 9th, 2009 STAIND - Believe, posted September 9th, 2009, 1 comment Tool - Vicarious, posted September 8th, 2009, 3 comments Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire, posted September 5th, 2009 u2 - vertigo, posted September 3rd, 2009, 1 commentBlogroll Here are some friends' blogs...
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