{"id":40973,"date":"2017-12-29T11:52:26","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T10:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?p=40973"},"modified":"2017-12-29T11:53:16","modified_gmt":"2017-12-29T10:53:16","slug":"ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

It was seven hours into Suki\u2019s shift when her tech started getting the shakes. They were operating on the prosthetic arm of Mr Baines, Patrick, date of birth 7th April 2053. It should have been a simple ligament print and fix, in and out and sealant sprayed in less than ten minutes, but the tech, <\/span>Danyll<\/span>, was lit up with amber warnings and couldn\u2019t seem to steady the scalpel. <\/span><\/p>\n

She tipped her head gently to open a sub-vocal channel and raised her eyebrow at him. His head tilted in return as he accepted the link. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou okay?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a slight tremor.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He glanced up briefly, <\/span>then<\/span> down again to the glowing guidelines projected onto the patient\u2019s arm. \u201cJust fine, Dr Asante,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Her visual overlay picked up a subtle movement, and zoomed in to a white blush over <\/span>Danyll\u2019s<\/span> knuckles where his grip had tightened. It would have been imperceptible to the naked eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve gone amber,\u201d she pressed. The tip of the blade was only moving fractionally, hovering over the patient\u2019s smooth, peachy skin, but it was more than enough for S<\/span>u<\/span>ki\u2019s VO to flag it up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can see that, thank you,\u201d he said testily. \u201cThis is about my twentieth limb today and I haven\u2019t had a break yet. You know how it is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She knew all too well. <\/span>Danyll<\/span> was a contractor, paid per o<\/span>p<\/span>eration and not by the hour. If she didn\u2019t give him som<\/span>e<\/span>thing to quell his tremors it wouldn\u2019t be long before he lit up red as unsafe. She sighed, \u201cYou need a shot? The clinic will deduct it from your fees, but it should level you out a bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His eyes met hers. They were a rich brown like polished mahogany, but the whites were flecked with broken pink veins. He was sleep deprived as well. There was nothing she could do about that \u2013 stimulants were strictly a two person sign off and she knew she wouldn\u2019t find a spare pharmacist during this busy period. <\/span><\/p>\n

Danyll<\/span> lifted the scalpel away from the prone limb, and took a moment to consider. \u201cSure, go on then,\u201d he replied. <\/span><\/p>\n

Suki turned to the cubicle\u2019s <\/span>chem<\/span>-printer and tapped in a short command. With a gentle hum, a loaded syringe was ejected. <\/span><\/p>\n

She glanced over to Mr Baines. He was immersed reading something on his VO, his eyes half-glazed and flicking left and right, left and right. Suki pulled up his records on her own VO, and scrolled back through the history. Arm severed at age nineteen in a hover-jet accident. He\u2019d had nearly thirty years of these procedures. No wonder he was so r<\/span>e<\/span>laxed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Prosthetics were already cheap enough to produce back in the seventies for it to be unexceptional to replace a limb with a false one rather than try to repair so much as a compound fracture. Now most insurers wouldn\u2019t authorise anything else. Suki\u2019s thoughts strayed to her daughter. <\/span>My poor Jules.<\/span> She doesn\u2019t even qualify for this kind of maintenance. She\u2019s been limping for months and they won\u2019t do a thing until she\u2019s outgrown that cheap printout our insurers call a leg.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regaining her focus, Suki picked up the syringe and turned her back, motioning to <\/span>Danyll<\/span> to come to her so the patient wouldn\u2019t notice his tech being injected. She plunged the needle directly into <\/span>Danyll\u2019s<\/span> hand, and watched through her VO as he stilled enough to fall back into the green. Satisfied, <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
\n

she gestured to him to continue the procedure.<\/p>\n

The blade smoothly parted the synthetic skin, which <\/span>Danyll<\/span> peeled like ripe fruit to reveal the rosy musculature beneath. He located the frayed ligament and prised it up ge<\/span>n<\/span>tly with long tweezers. The scalpel hovered, ready to cut it free. A replacement <\/span>lay<\/span> waiting in a sterilised dish off to one side. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere we go,\u201d he said out loud, and positioned the blade under the taut strand.<\/span><\/p>\n

And slipped.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki\u2019s alerts flashed to red as the scalpel sunk into the limb\u2019s extensor carpi. The artificial muscle burst, releasing a sudden gush of gel and flinging fat, pink globules over the patient\u2019s upper arm and chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Mr Baines was suddenly alert, and shouting in alarm. Suki quickly doused the slashed prosthesis with sealant spray, gesturing to the patient to calm him. <\/span>Danyll<\/span> stood back with his hands raised, the blade still poised between fingers sticky with muscle filler. Suki re-opened the channel to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re done,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m blocking your sign in for ten hours. Go home and get some sleep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He glared at her for a moment. Realising there was nothing he could do to challenge her <\/span>authority,<\/span> he slammed down the scalpel and stormed out.<\/span><\/p>\n

The patient was also glaring at Suki as he dabbed at the sticky pink <\/span>goop<\/span> with the corner of his gown. The spray on his arm was slowly congealing and gave off an acrid smell. \u201cDr Asante,\u201d he growled, \u201cwhat the hell is going on? Is he coming back?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m assigning a new technician to you Mr Baines,\u201d Suki r<\/span>e<\/span>plied. \u201cWe\u2019ll have a new muscle printed up for you in no time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t you get on and fix it? These damned technicians are always messing up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she explained, \u201c<\/span>your<\/span> insurance won\u2019t authorise a surgeon to carry out this kind of routine procedure. You\u2019re covered for the new muscle, but it still has to be fitted by a technician. I can only get involved if there\u2019s a flesh and blood emergency.\u201d <\/span>Which happens more often than you would like to think, she reflected. I could make you good as new, but i<\/span>n<\/span>stead I spend my time cleaning up after overworked and inexperienced techs because that\u2019s all your employer wants to pay for. And you still have better insurance than me. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just at that moment, a different type of alert flashed up on Suki\u2019s VO \u2013 a page to call the <\/span>Amberside<\/span> Hospice. Charlie Hunter was dying.<\/span><\/p>\n

**<\/span><\/p>\n

Jules was already tucked in bed by the time Suki arrived home from the clinic. The soft whispers of <\/span>Musin<\/span> reading to her drifted down the stairs. Suki slipped off her shoes and followed the sound on tip toe until she stood just outside Jules\u2019 door. Peeking in, the dappled glow of starlight from the ceiling\u2019s screen illuminated her reclining daughter and husband. She didn\u2019t go in, not wishing to disturb them, and listened to <\/span>Musin<\/span> speak as Jules gazed up, enraptured as only a child could be at hearing the same story for the hu<\/span>n<\/span>dredth time. <\/span>Musin\u2019s<\/span> dark, strong features came to life as he recited from the worn pages of a real <\/span>book,<\/span> one Suki had received herself as a child.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Dorothy discovered something shining in a ray of sunshine that fell between the trees\u2019,\u201d he read. \u201c\u2018She ran to the place and then stopped short, with a little cry of surprise. One of the big trees had been partly chopped through, and stan<\/span>d<\/span>ing beside it, with an uplifted axe in his hands, was\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe tin woodman!\u201d cried Jules.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\u201cYes! \u2018<\/span>\u2026a man made entirely of tin. His head and arms and legs were jointed upon his body, but he stood perfectly m<\/span>o<\/span>tionless, as if he could not stir at all.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike my leg when it gets stuck?\u201d she asked, rubbing her right knee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d he replied. \u201cThe tin woodman just needed Dorothy to run and get his oil can so he could move again. And soon you\u2019ll have a whole new leg and it won\u2019t get stuck <\/span>any more<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t Mummy run and get me <\/span>an oil<\/span> can? Then I could play with everyone again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki welled up hearing her daughter\u2019s words. She pushed open the door and crossed the room to join them on the bed. As she threw her arms around her daughter <\/span>Musin<\/span> smiled warmly at her, but his dark eyes were also filled with dismay. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry I can\u2019t fix your leg right away my little jewel,\u201d Suki said, holding Jules close to her. \u201cYou know, you\u2019re growing really fast, so you\u2019ll have a new one before you know it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She knew it was a lie. The prosthetic had only been a<\/span>t<\/span>tached a few months before, and had started failing almost immediately. It would probably be a full year before a r<\/span>e<\/span>placement was authorised. <\/span><\/p>\n

Musin<\/span> held his wife\u2019s gaze, and tipped his head to the right. Suki did the same, allowing him to open a sub-vocal channel to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow long were you standing there?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly a minute.<\/span> I wanted to listen to you,\u201d she replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou would have thought she would be tired of the Wo<\/span>n<\/span>derful Wizard of Oz by now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI never was. Besides, I think the tin man makes her feel a little more normal. How is she?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He smiled faintly. \u201cFine, I think\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Musin<\/span> sighed. \u201cBut, she fell over again. No more than a scrape, but the other kids are merciless brats. They\u2019re still teasing her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki stroked her daughter\u2019s unruly hair. She could feel Jules becoming heavy as she drifted towards sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry my love,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I have to go out again. It\u2019s Charlie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo soon?\u201d he replied, his forehead creased with concern.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid so. The hospice thinks he only has days left, I have to go and see him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.<\/span> I\u2019ll make sure Jules gets to sleep. And I\u2019ll speak to her teachers in the <\/span>morning,<\/span> see if they can keep a better eye on her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki made to leave, but turned back to <\/span>Musin<\/span>, frowning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just wish\u2026\u201d she started.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d he replied, cutting her off. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had the authorisation she could be running around in minutes!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut you don\u2019t. All we can do is <\/span>wait<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m upset about Charlie too,\u201d she sighed. \u201cI just feel so powerless.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cGo see him. I\u2019ll take care of our little jewel. She\u2019s strong, she\u2019ll get through this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jules murmured in her sleep. Suki watched for a moment as etiolated starlight twinkled over her face, then turned to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

**<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Amberside<\/span> Hospice had once been refurbished as a hotel, unkindly adorned with slices of red brick and co<\/span>n<\/span>crete scroll work. Now that facade was crumbling, exposing dull, grey stone beneath, reflecting the dwindling lives of the residents within. Suki picked nervously at the <\/span>craqu<\/span>e<\/span>lured<\/span> paint on the <\/span>iron gate<\/span> as she waited to be buzzed in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie Hunter was a former patient, whom she had kept an eye on in the years since his heart transplant. Suki had been a junior back then, and it was the first time she had assisted a surgeon with an internal prosthetic, fusing Charlie\u2019s a<\/span>r<\/span>teries and veins to the newly printed valves which would keep his blood pumping. <\/span><\/p>\n

Back then, Charlie was a well-respected architect. But his operation had bankrupted him, and he was forced to live hand to mouth, unable to start up his old business again. Now in his dotage he relied on this state run hospice to care for him. <\/span><\/p>\n

Suki had grown very fond of the old man and his easy charm. As she walked through the sour-smelling corridors which led to his room she felt her chest tighten at the thought that this may be her last visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie was just rousing when the nurse showed Suki into his room. There was no screen to illuminate his crinkled, papery skin, only the weak glow of a bedside lamp. He blinked blearily a few times before recognising her. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuki!<\/span> I hoped you would come and see an old man off!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Charlie,\u201d she sighed, \u201cI came as soon as I could. How are you feeling?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie chuckled, reaching out to pat Suki\u2019s hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you worry about me, my <\/span>dear.<\/span> There\u2019s no pain. If I put my hand to my chest I can feel my old heart fluttering like a bird with a broken wing. One day soon it will stop, and that will be the end of me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hoped to be replacing your heart after fifteen years,\u201d Suki said. \u201cAt least you\u2019ve gone nearly twenty. But I wish you could go twenty more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t want another twenty years of this, even if I had the money for a new heart. It\u2019s my time now. I\u2019ll miss Jules growing up though. How is she?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s seven, and a delightful handful. I left <\/span>Musin<\/span> reading her the Wonderful Wizard of Oz again. She fancies herself as a tin woodman.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHa! Tell her that role is taken!\u201d Charlie took Suki\u2019s hand and placed it on his chest. Suki could feel his heart\u2019s a<\/span>r<\/span>rhythmic beat. \u201cThat story has a sad ending though,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe tin man is given a new heart by a wonde<\/span>r<\/span>ful doctor, but now that heart is broken, and she hasn\u2019t brought him so much as a sticking plaster to patch it t<\/span>o<\/span>gether again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki looked away, ashamed. \u201cThat\u2019s not fair, Charlie. You know I\u2019d give you a new heart in a second if I could.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Charlie was grinning. \u201cOh, you know I\u2019m just teasing, Suki,\u201d he said. \u201cBesides, I have a little confession to make.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Suki said, confused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI may have had a little help keeping this old thing pumping for an extra five years.\u201d He leaned over to her and conti<\/span>n<\/span>ued in a conspiratorial whisper, \u201cLook in the drawer, little blue box in the corner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki pulled the drawer open and fished out a small contai<\/span>n<\/span>er. She opened it, and gasped. \u201cCharlie! These are illegal!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re life-saving,\u201d he snapped. \u201cThose pills have been laying down fresh layers of polymer for years. They\u2019ve stopped my heart wearing thin before I was ready. This is my sticking plaster, and the tin man has lived for another few chapters, enough to finish his story the way he wan<\/span>t<\/span>ed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me you were taking these?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know how you\u2019d react, Suki. If you\u2019d reported it \u2013 well, it\u2019s too late for that now. I stopped taking them a while ago. I\u2019m done with all this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Charlie.<\/span> Of course I wouldn\u2019t have reported you. I might have tried to stop you though, you have no idea what the side effects could be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRubbish. Aside from my heart wearing out I\u2019m as healthy as a horse. It\u2019s only illegal because it works too well. The biotech companies, the insurers, they\u2019re all in this together. If you don\u2019t have good insurance you don\u2019t get good maintenance, you know that. You spend all your money trying to get a bespoke printout from your insurer\u2019s own manufacturer because they won\u2019t let you install a generic design. They certainly won\u2019t let you take pills that target degrading areas because heaven help if your lungs or your liver lasted a few years longer, it would cut into the div<\/span>i<\/span>dends.\u201d He paused, <\/span>then<\/span> continued quietly again, \u201cHalf the residents in here would be dead already if it wasn\u2019t for the black market.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki looked at him thoughtfully. She knew unlicensed bi<\/span>o<\/span>tech was out there, but she hadn\u2019t known that her old friend Charlie was using it under her nose, despite her sp<\/span>e<\/span>ciality. Maybe black market technology was better than the insurance companies made out? Perhaps she had been n<\/span>a<\/span>ive. A dangerous thought occurred to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Jules has been having real problems with her new leg. It will be the best part of a year before she\u2019s scanned for a new one.\u201d She looked at her friend questio<\/span>n<\/span>ingly. As he met her gaze his face creased into a beaming smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you\u2019d never ask,\u201d he said. \u201cThink of this as an old man\u2019s parting gift. There\u2019s a nurse here, <\/span>Akim<\/span>. Tell him I sent you, he\u2019ll tell you where to find our printer. I don\u2019t know who she is. But she can <\/span>print you just about anything. <\/span>Parts, whole prostheses if you really need it.<\/span> And she\u2019s good. You could have Jules running around again and nobody would be any the wiser.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

**<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving Charlie was hard, but Suki took some comfort that he seemed to be at peace with his fate. <\/span><\/p>\n

She agonised, but the next day she followed <\/span>Akim\u2019s<\/span> dire<\/span>c<\/span>tions to a run-down industrial estate, and found the unit he had told her about, producing printed toys and colourful tchotchkes for export. She was taken through a maze of racks stacked high with boxes, to a back office which was quiet and clean. <\/span><\/p>\n

To Suki\u2019s surprise, the printer was a young woman. She had trained with one of the large <\/span>biotechs<\/span>, but spent most of her time modifying designs so they couldn\u2019t be copied and used on the street. When she left, sickened by the way such simple but life changing technology was being restricted, she knew what to look for and how to reproduce the co<\/span>m<\/span>pany\u2019s patented products and formulae.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

They spent a long time conversing. Suki was impressed by the printer\u2019s altruism. Her underground business was hea<\/span>v<\/span>ily subsidised by her legitimate one. She wasn\u2019t trying to exploit a desperate market, but to help ease the plight of so many who had fallen through society\u2019s cracks. She was an experienced tech and fitted parts for customers herself, but her eyes lit up when she discovered Suki was a prosthetic surgeon. <\/span><\/p>\n

When Suki left, clutching a precious parcel of ligaments and tendons for Jules\u2019 leg, she knew it wouldn\u2019t be long before she returned.<\/span><\/p>\n

**<\/span><\/p>\n

At home, Suki found Jules playing with little figures <\/span>Musin<\/span> had made for her, marching them back and forth across the carpet. Jules\u2019 leg was stretched out in front of her, locked straight. <\/span><\/p>\n

Suki helped her up from the floor, and pulled her into a crushing hug. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi, my little jewel,\u201d she said. \u201cLook.\u201d She held the package up so Jules could see the fresh polymer strands floating in sterilised gel. Tears welled in her eyes as her daughter te<\/span>n<\/span>tatively prodded at the bag. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Jules asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suki replied, \u201cMummy has brought you <\/span>an oil<\/span> can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ida Keogh<\/strong> is a new writer and an avid devourer of dystopian and speculative fiction. She works as a barrister in London chambers specialising in employment and regulatory law, with a particular interest in the medical profession. Her regular contact with practitioners and NHS institutions provides her with a unique insight into the daily challenges facing our modern healthcare system.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

This story was shortlisted for Writing the Future, the world’s largest health short story prize, which aims to bring together those working in health and healthcare with creative writers to think differently about the future and its implications for today. It’s run by Kaleidoscope<\/a>, a social enterprise set up to bring people together to improve health and care.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read about the judging process in this BMJ Opinion piece<\/a> by Richard Smith, one of the judges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was seven hours into Suki\u2019s shift when her tech started getting the shakes. They were operating on the prosthetic arm of Mr Baines, Patrick, date of birth 7th April […]<\/p>\n

More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[223],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-bloggers"],"yoast_head":"\nIda Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart - The BMJ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart - The BMJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It was seven hours into Suki\u2019s shift when her tech started getting the shakes. They were operating on the prosthetic arm of Mr Baines, Patrick, date of birth 7th April [...]More...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The BMJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bmjdotcom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-12-29T10:52:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-12-29T10:53:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/12\/2100.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"BMJ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bmj_latest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bmj_latest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BMJ\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"BMJ\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe\"},\"headline\":\"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-12-29T10:52:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-12-29T10:53:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3310,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/2100.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Guest writers\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/\",\"name\":\"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart - The BMJ\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/2100.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-12-29T10:52:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-12-29T10:53:16+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/2100.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/2100.jpg\",\"width\":540,\"height\":350},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/2017\\\/12\\\/29\\\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/\",\"name\":\"The BMJ\",\"description\":\"Helping doctors make better decisions.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The BMJ\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/files\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg\",\"width\":852,\"height\":568,\"caption\":\"The BMJ\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bmjdotcom\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/bmj_latest\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe\",\"name\":\"BMJ\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BMJ\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bmj.com\\\/bmj\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart - The BMJ","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart - The BMJ","og_description":"It was seven hours into Suki\u2019s shift when her tech started getting the shakes. They were operating on the prosthetic arm of Mr Baines, Patrick, date of birth 7th April [...]More...","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/","og_site_name":"The BMJ","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bmjdotcom\/","article_published_time":"2017-12-29T10:52:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-12-29T10:53:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":540,"height":350,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/12\/2100.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"BMJ","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@bmj_latest","twitter_site":"@bmj_latest","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BMJ","Est. reading time":"16 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/"},"author":{"name":"BMJ","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/person\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe"},"headline":"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart","datePublished":"2017-12-29T10:52:26+00:00","dateModified":"2017-12-29T10:53:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/"},"wordCount":3310,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/12\/2100.jpg","articleSection":["Guest writers"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/","name":"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart - The BMJ","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/12\/2100.jpg","datePublished":"2017-12-29T10:52:26+00:00","dateModified":"2017-12-29T10:53:16+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/12\/2100.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2017\/12\/2100.jpg","width":540,"height":350},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2017\/12\/29\/ida-keogh-sticking-plaster-for-the-tin-mans-broken-heart\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ida Keogh: Sticking Plaster for the Tin Man\u2019s Broken Heart"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/","name":"The BMJ","description":"Helping doctors make better decisions.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#organization","name":"The BMJ","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2018\/05\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2018\/05\/The-BMJ-logo.jpg","width":852,"height":568,"caption":"The BMJ"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bmjdotcom\/","https:\/\/x.com\/bmj_latest"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/#\/schema\/person\/ba3da426ed20e8f1d933ca367d8216fe","name":"BMJ","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b4d8f39281bcae118348a1c027347b8e53b82d42520e774a8b50dd9a6ac6c01d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BMJ"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}