Problem

In between the time of my injury and my elective amputation, I had forgotten how to hold a fork or spoon like an adult because an overhand fist grip was the only way I could eat without pain. After re-learning how to hold utensils like an adult, it became clear that relying on my ring finger to do the work of my middle finger wasn’t the best idea and I went back to using a fist grip.

What if I used a prosthetic finger? Unfortunately the commercial options for functional prosthetic fingers don’t work for me because the gap between my pointer and ring fingers is too narrow. And since I don’t have a stump, even 3D printable fingers that I could adjust to fit my gap would have no way to attach to my hand.

Solution

I played with using different materials to create my own prosthetic finger, copying the shape of the middle finger on my left hand, but getting the right shape in a fixed position proved difficult. Then I discovered that the gap between my fingers was a perfect fit for a LEGO! And who doesn’t want to be part LEGO!

 

 

Using a LEGO finger when eating saves my ringer finger from getting painful, but sometimes I strain it during other activities, like when I use scissors. LEGOs come in handy at those times too, giving me an option to rest my ring finger while leaving my pinky finger free.

And since it’s LEGOs, there’s no end to the fun I can have with my prosthetic finger!