Rewired: An Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle That Made History

by Ajay K. Seth, Robert Suggs

A raccoon bite on the arm doesn’t seem that serious, but it soon becomes a life-or-death medical crisis for Melissa Loomis. After days of treatment for recurring infection, it becomes obvious that her arm must be amputated. Dr. Ajay Seth, the son of immigrant parents from India and a local orthopaedic surgeon in private practice, performs his first-ever amputation procedure. In the months that follow, divine intervention, combined with Melissa’s determination and Dr. Seth’s disciplined commitment and dedication to his patients, brings about the opportunity for a medical breakthrough that will potentially transform the lives of amputees around the world. Rewired is the inspirational, miraculous story of Dr. Seth’s revolutionary surgery that allows Melissa to not just move a prosthetic arm simply by thinking, but to actually feel with the prosthetic hand, just as she would with her natural arm. This resulted in what others have recognized as the world’s most advanced amputee, all done from Dr. Seth’s private practice in a community hospital, using a local staff, and with no special training or extensive research funding.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical, Christian

256 pages, Hardcover

Published January 8, 2019

About the author

Dr. Ajay K Seth is an orthopaedic surgeon in North Canton, Ohio, whose education includes the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Medical College of Wisconsin, Ohio State University, and Allegany General Hospital. Dr. Seth successfully completed a revolutionary surgery to rearrange the body, allowing his patient to both move and feel a prosthetic arm with her brain. He is working on advancements in prosthetics with Johns Hopkins University, in relationship with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and through his company, Bionic Miracle, LLC. Dr. Seth volunteers with local police, radio, sports, and schools. He and his high school sweetheart, also a physician, are raising two children.

Reviews

[Marika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started with a racoon bite. I never thought that I would say, much less type that phrase but that is what led to a woman losing her arm. A racoon came into the yard of Melissa Loomis and her dogs were going to attack it, so she PICKED UP THE RACOON AND THREW IT OVER THE FENCE. That in itself is/was unbelievable but she also got a raging infection in her arm. The racoon did not have rabies, but the bacteria simply exploded in her arm. Oddly, no bacteria ever showed up in pathology but it was clear that Melissa would die if her arm wasn't amputated. This is where the story begins.

I read an advance copy and was not compensated.

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was interesting, told in easy to follow language (not always the case in a medical memoir), and with a humble spirit. This is told strictly from the point of view of the surgeon; I was anticipating hearing the story from the patient point of view, but that isn't what this work is about. I recommend this for anyone interested in recent advances in modern medicine.
I voluntarily read an advance review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.

[Jeff Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and quite enjoyable read. Very cool to hear this remarkable story first-hand from the doctor who performed the surgery. I really enjoyed his perspective on courage, miracles, and on balancing family life with a demanding career. Dr Seth did a good job building suspense with the story and weaving it together with several larger themes.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book for review is “Rewired: An Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle That Made History” by Dr. Ajay K. Seth. It falls in the genre of biography and autobiography.

Meet Melissa Loomis. By all account she is an everyday run of the mill woman. Until the day a raccoon bites her on the arm. Not taking it seriously she goes on with her day at work.

Meet Dr. Seth, a who is a son of immigrant parents from India, a local orthopedic surgeon in private practice. His days are already long and his wife, a doctor herself and their two kids barely see him as it is.

Melissa’s arm does not get better and finally she goes to to the doctor to be seen. What first starts off as a series of antibiotics from the low grade to the top of the line her arm is still not getting better.

Throughout all of this her spirit is still up and positive and feels things will be okay. Dr. Seth is confident he can help her to where she won’t lose her arm.

Upon surgery things are more serious than first anticipated. While he guaranteed he can save her arm he is no longer sure that is possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact I read it in one sitting wanting to know how it ended. The personality of the doctor and patient, and their relationship to each other, were wonderful to read. I was drawn into that.

Knowing this was a true story was heart wrenching and at the other end of the spectrum heart warming. It showed of determination, never giving up and good attitude in a true trial of adversity.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Jill Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit nervous after reading the book flap description that this read would be a bit “heavy” and procedural for the average consumer. While my family has an extensive medical background, I personally have NONE. Regardless, I was intrigued by the cover image (I will admit) and the prospect of reading a novel surrounding an amputee and the ground-breaking effects this would likely have on war veterans. What I didn’t expect, was walking away from this book wholly enjoying the story telling of authors, Dr. Seth and Robert Suggs, and feeling the profound effect of Melissa Loomis’ positive spirit throughout her ordeal.

Melissa Loomis is first introduced to us as an “average” homeowner, who happens to find herself suffering from a racoon bite. While this is a concerning encounter, it is certainly not worthy of an entire book. However, the battle the ensues within Melissa, and with the guidance and treatment of Dr. Seth the story becomes entirely engrossing for even the “average” reader.

Dr. Seth has a way with words. He so effortlessly guides the reader on this journey and enraptures us in his, and Melissa’s, life post-bite. The authors display talent in their tone and writing, ensuring their “doctor-speak” is toned down to be understood and visualized by anyone who happens to pick up this book. And picking up this book is exactly what you should be doing! Be prepared for the buoyancy of Melissa’s optimism and harrowing promises of Dr. Ajay Seth in this quick read.

*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Angela Seth Yocum · Rating 5 out of 5]

“UNBELIEVEABLE” is one word to describe Rewired by Dr. Ajay Seth! It is a truly inspirational true story that when things do not go as planned that there could be another door waiting to open that can change an outcome of a bad situation and turn it out to be miraculous. I felt like the author surgeon Dr. Ajay Seth took me on his complete journey with Melissa and I loved it. Dr. Seth made me smile, laugh and even get emotionally attached to Melissa and him learning about their story. I still can’t believe that this journey didn’t’ take place at the big known university hospitals or research facilities but took place in a small town…North Canton, Ohio in a small local hospital with an amazing dedicated surgical team that believed that they could help to change medicine. Rewired shows that Dr. Seth and Melissa have advanced medicine to make her the world’s most advanced amputee to feel a prosthetic hand and move her prosthetic elbow, hand and fingers by simply thinking. I loved every minute of this book and couldn’t put it down. I can now only imagine all the medical possibilities that could help our Wounded Warriors or other amputees around the United States by reading this book. I would strongly and highly recommend reading Rewired and please share it with your friends. It also would be a great book to read for book clubs too. Congratulations Dr. Seth and Melissa for making medical history!

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable book about a very unique patient, doctor, raccoon bite and circumstance. If you are a health care provider you will really enjoy this book.

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Rewired: an Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle that Made History, by Dr. Ajay K. Seth
Animal-lover Melissa Loomis was seeing to her barking dogs one early morning, in hopes she could quiet them before they woke the neighbors. She discovered their barking was incited by a raccoon climbing over the fence into the back yard. One of the dogs went for its tail pulling the raccoon from the fence and into the yard.
Melissa knew she had to separate the raccoon from her dogs, as much for the raccoon’s safety as her dogs’ wellbeing. She reached into the fray to grab the dogs’ collars, and it was then that the raccoon bit her hard on the right wrist and scratched her left arm. Using both hands, Melissa grabbed the wild animal and hurled it back over the fence.
Thus begins the story of the injury that cost Melissa her hand and lower arm, opening the way for what the doctor treating Melissa calls a series of miraculous happenings to align so that in 2016 Melissa could become the most advanced bionic woman on the planet.
The groundbreaking medicine, in this case, was not just a prosthetic hand that could grasp and hold in a surprisingly helpful way. The new breakthrough was an artificial hand that could send signals to the brain mimicking feeling.
This was great news for Melissa in her tragic circumstances, of course. Although it was experimental at the time Melissa went through it, Dr. Seth closed the book by describing efforts to bring the same technology to the amputees at Walter Reed Hospital, which treats wounded American soldiers.
This is an inspirational book if you can look for the many positives that come out of the story. If you are prone to stand with your mouth agape when the amputation occurs, not able to move past that point, Rewired may not be for you. For the rest of us, let’s follow Melissa’s example of rolling with life’s punches and looking for the good that comes our way.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rewired is the story of how one doctor changed the ways amputated arms’ nerve ending are left to allow the amputee to actually feel the fingers of the prosthetic. It also shows what doctor’s feel when working with a patient.

Melissa is an animal lover. When her two dogs cornered a raccoon on her fence, she went out to encourage the raccoon to leave. The raccoon did but first bit her on one side of her right arm and then scratched the other side. At the small hospital in the Midwest near her home, her doctor, Dr. Seth, assured her that he could save her arm. After a series of medicines and surgeries, that proves to be impossible. Dr. Seth pilots a new type of surgery allowing Melissa to be able to feel her prosthetic’s fingers. She is the first in the world with this ability.

While Melissa’s story is fascinating, the best part is seeing the emotions of Dr. Seth as Melissa is going through weeks of painful surgeries. We think of doctors as omniscient. That they don’t have feelings. However, Dr. Seth has many feelings about how he has let his patient Melissa down. This is a very Christian book with Dr. Seth taking no credit personally for his innovative surgery but instead attributing all of his contribution to God.

Rewired is recommended as an inspirational story of how one physician overcame long odds to create a better prognosis for all arm amputees. 4 stars!

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Donia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to rate. I am a lay person. A physician would obviously obtain something different than I from reading this book than I as would.

Certainly, the world is a better place for the presence of Dr Seth. He is unique and to be praised for his humanity; for his curiosity; for his "bedside manner".

Though I deeply deeply admire and appreciate the attitude, the compassion and the medical expertise of Dr Seth, I wanted more from this book as a lay reader. I wanted to know about the pathology of wild animal bites and about the lack of identifiable pathology with Melissa's raging temperatures. Were they a response to her body dealing with antibiotics that she was allergic to?

I thought the story could have used more information on the explanations as to why Melissa got so sick and how her personality, her attitude and her body dealt with her massive infection. How common is it for humans to harbor such massive infections but have no identifiable pathology? Did doctors think her body may have been allergic to the antibiotics? What about mind over matter? Did Melissa have a super connection to her body in the first place being able to control her body's responses to illness and that's why she did so well with the prosthetic?

Obviously the latter half of the book which was slow for me, would have been extremely rewarding for anyone facing the loss of a limb or other orthopedic doctors.

[Becka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rewired is the inspiring true story of Melissa Loomis, an Ohio woman who was bitten by a raccoon, eventually leading to the amputation of her arm from the elbow down. The book details the journey of Melissa and her surgeon, Dr. Ajay Seth, as they encounter too many unlikely events to be considered coincidence on the road to Melissa becoming the world’s most advanced amputee.

This book is full of remarkable scientific/technological advancement, but more importantly, it acknowledges the fact that there are some happenings that simply cannot be explained scientifically. The scientific/technological aspects are easily understood by a layperson—no need to have a medical degree to understand or appreciate what Melissa and Dr. Seth are going through. Overall, an inspirational biography of how two ordinary people changed the world of prostheses for potentially countless others.

The last two pages alone are worthy of 5 stars.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early 80s and as a young man, I got deathly ill and spent 75 days at Stanford University Hospital, much of it in ICU. I was fighting for my life, but as a newspaper reporter I remained inquisitive.
I asked my doctors why I was alive and improving while others with the same condition - hemorrhagic pancreatitis - died. I was surprised by their answers. Essentially, they said they saw many people die who shouldn’t have and some live who also shouldn’t have - no medical or other scientific reason.
The conclusions of these deeply scientific, highly trained doctors was that greater forces are at work. And that is what this author - Dr. Seth - also seems to have learned.
This is an incredible and uplifting story. While I’m not traditionally religious, after my Stanford experience I am a more spiritual man.
Experiences like Dr. Seth and his patient, Melissa Loomis, shared tend to do that. Things happen for a reason.

[Angela Go · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small animal bite, a life changing surgery and an incredible 11-month journey bringing patient and doctor together for an extraordinary experience. Melissa Loomis, an Ohio woman was bitten by racoon while trying to save her dogs during a fight with the wild animal. The bite didn't lead to rabies, but to an unknown muscle destroying infection.

Dr. Ajay Seth, son of immigrants from India, is a small town orthopedic surgeon charged with caring for Melissa -- first with surgery to clean the infection from her wrist and forearm, later to save her life with the amputation he had hoped to avoid.

Each time Dr. Seth examined Melissa her injury grew worse and brough new and unusual twists and concerns. But also, each time, Melissa put her faith in Dr. Seth. Their common faith in God helped build the relationship between them, until one day Dr. Seth made a promise he could keep, to make her the most advanced amputee possible.

I highly recommend Rewired.

[Nancy Larimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rewired" by Dr. Seth is an inspirational Christian book. Melissa Loomis developed a bite from a raccoon. This bite turned into a terrible infection.Her dogs and the raccoon were having a fight and she tried to stop the fight and ended up getting the bitten by the raccoon and then got a very serious infection. She asked Dr. Seth to be her doctor . He is an orthopedic surgeon. He was a local doctor. He was the son of immigrant parents from India. He was kind and patient and dedicated when He worked with her. He spent time explaining the procedures, surgeries He was going to do. He made sure the family and patient understood what He was going to do. He started out draining the wound daily to control the build up of infection. He promised Melissa He would do everything He could not to have to do an amputation. He used one antibiotic after another and they did not get rid of the infection. He had to do an amputation but it did not work. Her diabetes complicated everything step by step. Melissa was a good patient and cooperated with all the doctor asked of her. After trying everything Dr. Seth heard about a prosthesis that was a new procedure. He went to a conference to hear more about the procedure and see if would be a good option for Melissa. After learning about the prosthesis , He discussed the procedure , surgery with Melissa and the family. He warned them it would take a while to see the results of the surgery and they would have to be patient. This surgery was a big step for Dr. Seth since it not usually done in a small local area but a larger hospital. He as willing to try the surgery to help Melissa. He felt this would be a good option for her. She would be able to feel and think with this prosthesis just like a normal arm. It was exciting to have this option for Melissa after all she went though. In the end this surgery was successful for Melissa. Dr. Seth ended up speaking and sharing the benefits with others in the medical community and at Walter Reed hospital so others in turn may also benefit from the innovative surgery of a prosthetic arm. This surgery has many possibilities for others who have an injured arm that needs repair such as a wounded army patient and others as well. The book was very riving and exciting and so very inspiring. The book shows how this procedure is really on the cutting edge and can make a difference in may lives! I am so thankful to the publisher for sharing this book with me. I was given this book by netgalley for a review and it has been blessing to read such an inspiring book. Thank you so much for sharing this book. I am going to share this review on Amazon, facebook, with pastors, friends, goodreads. It is a book that can encourage those going though difficult times knowing that these trials for Melissa were used for good by God and good did come out of the trials.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy.

A real story of perseverance and triumph through a horrific experience that can both inspire and teach. The book is recommended for all older ages because younger children might need a grown up to read it for them and to really break down the moments. The outcome is well worth the time it takes to get through each chapter.

[DustBunniesAndBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! I am not one for reading non-fiction, but this story grabbed me from the get-go and I only put down when life interfered. Well written (reads like a novel) and brought down to level where even a totally non-medical person understands. Highly recommended. One I will definitely be adding to our church library.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely interesting story about prosthetics and the possibilities for the future use. Felt sorry for Melissa's loss of her hand, and awful infection she endured. But did appreciate the good sport she was. Many thanks to Dr. Seth for perservance and dedication!! We need a lot more MD's to be like that! Thanks for a very nice read.

[Joe McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could change your life

Words almost fail me. This book, this story, are so inspiring and challenging. Even the most ordinary of us can find ways to make a difference. Sometimes we need a nudge, an inspiration, a renewal of faith. A challenge. Thank you Melissa and Dr. Seth.

[Cathy Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rewired

As a patient of Dr Seth's, I was well aware of his prowess as a physician. What I learned reading this book - he's also an amazing man!! Well written, I couldn't put it down!!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure about this when I took it out of the library but it wound up being a good story. I doesn’t go into excessive detail about the medical procedures, rather it focuses more on the people involved.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this by audio book and the reader's voice doesn't help the story, which imo is written by a doctor who did perform an amazing surgery, but is very puffed up by the experience. His ego has gotten in the way of the full recovery story. Many people helped in this wonderful woman's recovery.

[KR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I was so entertained reading a book! I love the down-to-earth and funny tone of book. And what a story! It's so clear that God was in the details. If you need a pick-me-up or some encouragement that God does look out for us, read this book!

[Frederick J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food For The Soul

We need this book; this is a true story involving real people with real challenges. Their inspirations are real as are the results. I thank the good doctor for his good deeds and decision to write this book, for the benefit of all. God bless.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and inspiring story

I started and finished this book in one day. I felt like I was in the room with Dr. Seth as this story unfolded. I love how his humility shines throughout and he ends the book with the challenge for all of us to make a difference in the world.

[Gerry Flaten · Rating 5 out of 5]

rewired. an unlikely doctor

An amazing story. What a gift he performed for people with such an adjustment to there life. Having spent 30 years as an operating room nurse I can appreciate the time and care it took by his team to get the amazing outcome.

[Via Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED reading this. Even down to the gory details most people would avoid. Ajay is not only a gifted doctor but also a gifted writer. READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE http://bit.ly/2MJCqW7

[Analie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story! I came away inspired by Melissa's courage and want to live with her outlook on life.

[Jamie Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing and inspirational story!

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and inspirational, what an amazing story! I couldn't put it down.