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Mar. 10th, 2011 12:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
porcelain_perfectionThe construction and installation of “Doll Joints”
Dr. Michel Rhodes M.D.
It is with both great pride and reservation I publish this paper, as the research and methods that will be described in full in a moment will prove a great boon to the field of prosthetic and plastic surgery in general. However, I was also hesitant to publish a case study of this new approach for fear of the privacy and well being of my patient, , a girl whom I will refer to simply as “V” for the rest of this paper, of whom said techniques were first practiced. This concern was quickly put to rest as my patient agreed to not only allow for the release of her records that concern this case, but also to provide a photographic log of her appearance before and after the procedure. Now, with my patient’s permission I will now lay out, in full, what I believe to be the future of not only my practice but that of the entire field of prosthetics as well.
Before we explore the creation and implementation of the artificial limbs referred to in this paper’s title, I believe a bit of context is necessary to frame the development of this exciting advancement. To be short, all of this began a day eight months ago when Miss V turned up in my waiting room with a rather odd request, it seems she had heard from what she described as an “reliable source” that I not only was one of the top providers of prosthetic limbs in the northwest but also something of a conasour when it came to the construction and upkeep of replacement parts for various types of dolls, a fact some of my readers may recall from my previous effort on the similarities between the manufacture of replacement limbs for both humans and children’s dolls[Footnote]. Of course all this was well and true, but what Miss V said next was very, very, odd to say the least and will not be mentioned here for the previously stated concern of her privacy. What I can state in print is that V had been suffering from a physical disorder and had come seeking the replacement of her left arm with a very specific prosthetic limb. In particular she wished for said replacement to resemble what I usually craft for children’s play things, in other words a doll’s limb scaled to fit the body of a human being. Her request in order, I now went about the hardest part of V’s request, drawing up plans for the actual limb and the porcelain-like finish that the young lady so loudly required be part of it.
As you can see from the diagram below, the design of miss V’s limb is akin to many of its kind currently in production. The main difference lies within the manner by which the prosthetic is made to move at its various connection joints, which are marked as points 1-6 on the chart. By utilizing the ball joint normally used in doll manufacturing, a much wider range of motion is possible then that allowed by previous means of connection. Of course, these joints can be hidden beneath faux skin, as they are in most modern prosthetics; the model shown here simply bares a custom design meant to resemble a doll’s limb as closely as possible. Though, unlike a doll’s limb the prosthetic used in Miss V’s surgery is quite sturdy and made of the best plastics I could lay my hand on, the porcelain like sheen was then achieved by treating the limb with a light, but permanent, paint. I will note this is the first time a patient has ever requested such a treatment, and I assume it will be the last as well.
Next, if you will turn your attention to the right side of the graphic, you will see a photo of V’s limb before it had been fully assembled. As you can see the construct itself is in fact hollow, save for an array of wires whose purpose I will discuss in a moment, allowing for a slightly less encumbering experience for the devices wearer. As for the previously mentioned wires, they are meant to connect directly to the patient’s nervous system, completely alleviating the need for more mechanical modes of movement that have plagued the field for decades. This, my dear, readers is where the true innovation of my work with V lies. This young woman stands as a live test run for a very experimental system which stands to launch a revolution which could change the way we construct artificial limbs forever. Or, at least I would like for Miss V. to enjoy a better life style then that afforded to her by nature. The details of the success or failure of integrating the limb with be the subject of the second paper in this series, while the rest of this text will refer to the surgical aspects of replacing the subject’s naturally occurring appendage with an artificial replacement.
Moving onto the implementation of the limb onto Miss V’s frame, I will refer you to the photo the series of photo graphs below which show both her naturally occurring arm and the finished prosthetic that has since taken its place. As a side note, it is worth noting that the position of Miss V’s arm in the second photo is due to her inability, as of the time the photo was taken, to manipulate her new limb. The progress of her therapy to be able to do so will also be noted in a forthcoming paper. That being said, the actual surgical procedure was quite brutal, requiring almost eight hours of solid work from start to finish. The first matter, after putting the patient under local anesthesia of course, was to remove the offending limb with damaging any nerve tissue in the process. To achieve this result a cut was made just above the shoulder, making special care to sever just enough of the bone to allow the prosthetic to fit comfortable into the shoulder socket. Now, severed from the bone and flesh, it was only a matter of time before V’s arm could simply be slid wholesale from her side. Next, came the actual installation of the next generation prosthetic, which by the time of surgery had been nicknamed Vee after the patient who had commissioned it, which was skillfully, if I do say so myself, wired to her nerves, a subject that will take yet another paper to explain, and gently attached via the shoulder joint where her flesh-based limb has been mere hours before. V awoke not long after the surgeries and seemed quite pleased with the result. Though she has returned to school as of the time of writing, I still require her to attend a physical therapy session once a week to strengthen her control of her new arm.
In conclusion, I very well believe that the techniques and technology I’m developing in my work with Miss V. will be a great boon to the entire field of prosthetics in the near future. I would also like to thank Miss V. for her cooperation with this study and allowing myself to further my technique as well. As for you readers, I hope you have learned something useful from this rather brief summary of my work and will be look forward to reading more as it becomes available.
Transcript #3257
Subject: Victoria Carter
Therapist: Nina J.
Date: 9/5/33
Nina: If you don’t mind, I’ll be recording today’s session for future use. As, I believe it will be useful in tracking your progress in the future.
Victoria: I don’t mind, I’m used to being on camera in an intimate setting.
[Both women sit in silence for several minutes before speaking again.]
Nina: Ahem [clearing her thought.] anyway, I’ve heard from your instructors that your general mood and appearance have been much better lately. Could you please tell me why this is?
Victoria: Oh right, that… Well, I’ve recently come into the possession of a young woman who is currently taking care of me.
Nina: [Tapping a pen against her chair] Interesting. But, what do you mean by possession? Are you dating then?
Victoria: No, I mean what I said. She is my owner and I am her doll. That is the extent of our relationship.
Nina: Owner and Doll… What does this relationship entail?
Victoria: Simply put, she takes care of my needs, emotional and otherwise. And, in return, I act as her plaything, to do with whatever she wishes.
Nina: What do you two do while you’re together? I’m a bit worried about your use of the word “plaything”.
Victoria: Don’t worry, it is nothing destructive. We simply spend time at each other’s houses, play around with games and such things, and then generally sleep together. Are you still worried now?
Nina: That is reassuring to hear… But, that sounds like the type of things a normal couple does together. Why do you insist upon the label of doll and owner?
Victoria: Because I am a doll. It is the only type of relationship I’m capable of that will not end in ruin.
[More silence, there are many a spot of this within the tape.]
Nina: I think we’ve hit upon something important here, Victoria. The fact that you consider yourself a doll seems a shape a massive amount of your own self image and that of the world around you. I’d like it if you would explain why you feel this way.
Victoria: There is nothing to explain, Nina. It is simply who I am. You’re a human, I’m a doll. I really do not see a way to make my position any more clear than that.
Nina: Victoria… I’m not trying to tell you you’re not a doll; I just want to know what it means to be one. I’m honestly interested…
Victoria: Fine then, it’s rather simple. As a doll my purpose in life is to be kept by another, my owner, and cared for unconditionally for a long period of time. It is a simple life, but one I enjoy.
Nina: But what of the time you’re not with your “owner”? Is there a point to the rest of your life?
Victoria: Yes, I must prepare myself to be a proper doll. No one would keep a doll that is dull in appearance, mind, or spirit. I seek to improve myself in the name of appearing more attractive to my owner and other who might admire me.
Nina: That is what I was looking for, thank you Victoria. [She spoke while jotting down excessive amounts of notes on a plain yellow pad of paper.] But, I’d like to change subjects now. Could you tell me more about this girl, your owner? What is she like? Does she go to school here?
Victoria: She is about my age, a bit short, blond hair, a very pale complexion, intelligent but not overtly so… Oh! And she is an avid collector of eastern dolls, though she says I’m more beautiful than any other doll in her collection.
Nina: It seems she care for you greatly, how did you to meet?
Victoria: She was in a class of mine many years ago, but we didn’t connect until I found her on a site devoted to a certain type of gothic fashion. The rest is history, so to speak.
Nina: Well, it seems being around her has been good for you. I haven’t received word of you trying to hurt yourself, and your weight seems to have finally stabilized at a healthy level. …I’m happy for you Victoria.
Victoria: [A confused look upon her face.] …Thank you, I guess? I think this is enough for today, I promised Mary this would be over by 2. And, I’d hate to leave her waiting.
Nina: Mary?
Victoria: My owner, we have plans for the afternoon I simply cannot be late for!
Nina: Very well then, should we meet at the same time next week?
Victoria: That would be lovely…
[Victoria dashes out of the room, her elegant dress blowing in her wake. Nina, meanwhile, stands up on turns off the camera while murmuring to herself.]
