James Byrne was doing some carpentry work when he cut his left thumb. Doctors tried to unsuccessfully re-attach it, so they proposed an alternative: “Why don’t we use your dominant left toe instead?” He said yes.
But why would you want to have a huge toe instead of leaving your hand as it is? Wouldn’t you rather have nothing at all and tell people that you lost it fighting with a pack of vicious hyenas than having a big arse toe on your hand? Apparently, James’s thumb was vital for his work, paver and plant operator, so the answer was easy for him.
The operation was a success, although he still can’t fully move the thumb naturally: “I can’t bend it yet, but I hope to be able to do so soon. It rotates and I can give it a good wiggle. I am so, so pleased that I had it done. It is just such a relief that I’ll be able to get back to work soon.” He would have to return to surgery to remove the wires that currently secure the bones in place, but otherwise everything seems perfectly fine.
He says that some people find it disgusting and others find it funny. As long as it works, who cares. [Daily Mail]