Talk about a rewrite: A Pulitzer Prize-winning author is on the mend after some serious hand surgery, sharing an X-ray of her “badass” rebuilt digit.
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Barbara Kingsolver, who won the coveted award for her 2022 novel, Demon Copperhead, had corrective surgery for Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition that causes one or more fingers to bend toward the palm. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the affected fingers cannot straighten completely, and the cause of the condition is unknown, though it tends to run in families.
Surgery for the condition usually involves an orthopedic hand surgeon removing the thick, tight fascia tissue in the palm. This procedure, known as a fasciectomy, restores finger movement and allows them to straighten. In Kingsolver’s case, it also appears to have involved inserting metal pieces to support her pinky.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author recently took to Instagram to update fans rebuilt pinky finger.
“A little bit of skeleton for Halloween — my own newly renovated left hand,” the 70-year-old author wrote on October 28 alongside an image of a gnarly X-ray of her hand. “No, I cannot flick out that claw like Wolverine; it stays on the inside for good. (Probably for the best; my “berserkers” come on when I read the daily news.)”
Barbara Kingsolver Gives More Details of Her Hand Surgery
Kingsolver, who recently opened Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence in Lee County, Virginia, to combat opioid addiction in Appalachia with proceeds from Demon Copperhead, reflected on how Dupuytren’s contracture likely affected generations of her ancestors.
“This disease I inherited took so many things from my forbears: handshakes, playing instruments, even their livelihoods,” she continued. “I’m lucky to live in a time of science-based medicine and its dedicated practitioners. (And Medicare.) With regular surgical tune-ups and some hardware, I can still play the piano, type up a storm, put my hand flat on a table, or in my pocket. Precious capability.”
However, the writer’s sense of humor was still clearly intact after the surgery.
“And honestly, as little fingers go, is this one not badass?” she concluded.
Meanwhile, in the comments section, Kingsolver elaborated on her procedure (and the Wolverine-style hardware…).
“Arthrodesis,” she began in the explanation of her procedure. “It’s a last resort, if a finger keeps curling closed to the palm after multiple release surgeries. With luck, you won’t ever need it. (My case is extreme.) The hardware fixes it permanently in a semi-open position. Joints no longer work, but you get open-hand function back.”