Posted 11.17.2009 at 11:47 am
7 Comments
Ged Galvin, 55, Owner of Cyborg Sphincter
via The Daily Telegraph
Meet Ged Galvin, the Steve Austin of colorectal surgery. After a car crash in which Galvin almost died, surgeons at Royal London Hospital realized they could rebuild his crushed organs. Stronger. Faster. They had the technology to give him a cyborg colon.
"The operation changed my life and gave me back my pride and confidence," Galvin told the Daily Telegraph.
After he spent a short time with a colostomy bag, the doctors surgically removed muscle from Galvin's leg, fashioned it into an ersatz sphincter, and surgically implanted electrodes into the new muscle ring. Doctors then installed the device in Galvin.
Now, Galvin is free from the indignity of a colostomy bag. He controls his functions with a small remote control, about the size of a cell phone, that operates the electrodes. Now he can do his business at his leisure, although the muscles and electrodes will need replacement every five years. "Because of the remote control I can lead a normal life again," Galvin said.
Armed with his new sense of confidence, all Galvin has to do now to steal Steve Austin's crown is fight Sasquatch.
[Daily Telegraph, via Geekologie]
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Good luck to Mr. Galvin. But I wonder if it was he or you who decided to use the word "indignity" associated with having an ostomy? Is it undignified to be cured of a chronic or life-threatening disease? Is it undignified to be rid or taking multiple pharmaceuticals that have their own risky side-effects -- or to be continent when the natural sphincters were impaired at birth or just don't work right? My heroes are those who find dignity within and live their lives well WITH an ostomy. You will see some of them in a video on the website attached to my profile.
Trying that link again ... www.uoaa.org
Hater!
Makin it through life with an ailment and keeping your head held high is all shits'n'giggles but dignity is gone.
Oh the embarrassment of sphincter botox.
Oh Please . . . an ileostomy saved my life - and believe me. . . there is a lot more "indignity" to having to live attached to a toilet because of Ulcerative Colitis. I am free of pain, medicine and am a healthy, attractive, highly educated woman. I married an amazing man, attained a Master's Degree, climb, hike, kayak and canoe - camp - I have lived in Madrid, traveled the world and raised two daughters. My life is as normal as they come. I have had my ileostomy for 29 years. Get your facts straight - good luck to robobutt - but it sounds like he had other issues dealing with self image and self esteem.
Ahahahahaha; so this guy presses a button to shit?! Good stuff.
Linda you sound like a self important dipshit. Are you suggesting that human beings don't feel some loss of dignity when through any mechanism they lose bowel control and require medical aid of some sort to accomplish normal daily and quite private tasks? They may be sensible and pragmatic about it, they may overcome their feelings, they may live long, happy productive lives after appropriate treatment/rememdies are applied, but don't be so naive and presumptious to claim that this man is somehow less worthy of your praise than your special list of people are, and perhaps even more so by allowing his story and photograph to be published as news to the world?
As to this procedure, good show mates, that is a heck of a story. What a way to give the man back some control over his life. Maybe some dignity too.