UK woman edges closer to becoming bionic woman

Eileen Brown doesn't have any full-fledged robotic phalanges or anything, but she is slowly but surely becoming what most would consider a bionic woman. Mrs. Brown has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis since her 20s, and now that she's 49, countless operations have replaced every joint in her body with artificial alternatives save for her elbow and left hip -- the latter of which is set to be swapped out before the month's end. Currently, the determined dame lives with a lot of pain, but she refuses to let a few aches ruin her livelihood. In all honesty, the most amazing part of this isn't the ability of metal (enough to set off an airport detector) to hold a person together, it's the will to soldier on. Kudos, Eileen.

[Via Digg]

[kingu @ Jun 11th 2008 8:36AM]

Solder on!

[David @ Jun 11th 2008 9:43AM]

COME ON EILEEN!

[OneLove @ Jun 11th 2008 10:41AM]

bionic fugly!

[Ghen @ Jun 11th 2008 3:20PM]

2/3 jokes ain't bad =)

[Bufsabre @ Jun 11th 2008 8:36AM]

every joint? including the knuckles and toe joints?

either way, bravo to this women, i hope her pain ends soon

[Bunson @ Jun 11th 2008 12:05PM]

You hope she dies?

[gad get @ Jun 11th 2008 3:53PM]

How cold!

[Tim @ Jun 11th 2008 8:37AM]

Lets hope poulan's phrasing there was intentional. But I'm pretty sure any amount of metal will set off a metal detector - the key is if its ferrous or not. I have titanium in my neck, and haven't had any problems with that.

[RC @ Jun 11th 2008 8:39AM]

So...is it hilarious if she walks under a junkyard electromagnet?

[Magnulus @ Jun 11th 2008 8:43AM]

An Engadget post that's not immensely self-satisfying, arrogant and sarcastic? Wow! I'm impressed! Of course, if it was, you'd be a monster, but that's mere detail.

[FGL82 @ Jun 11th 2008 8:45AM]

And this fits in engadget because....

[Phil Perman @ Jun 11th 2008 9:01AM]

Because after a couple more upgrades shes going to become iEileen, adored by the press but lampooned by savvy tech users due to her lack of a user replaceable soul and propriety clothes

(Not everything on Engadget has to involve electronics, they do interesting medical science stories now and then too)

[Spawn Xe @ Jul 4th 2008 10:06AM]

hahahaha!

iEileen... i love it, you sir are a comedic genius

[Leroy Vargas @ Jun 11th 2008 5:46PM]

No, she'll become Shirow Masamune's next role model for his next Ghost in the Shell manga/movie as the replacement for Public Security Section 9's beloved Major Motoko Kusanagi. Or, perhaps, she'll become Chief Aramaki's next secretary.

[Saad Rabia @ Jun 11th 2008 8:46AM]

Aren't bionic women supposed to be hot and sexy AND young?

[Rob Bourne @ Jun 11th 2008 8:57AM]

I heard they're known to make shit tv shows too

[halkonlar @ Jun 11th 2008 8:58AM]

soooooo, with all this metal she qualifies as a gadget?

[Luvthem Securityfolks @ Jun 11th 2008 9:02AM]

TSA wouldn't believe her story.

[Paul @ Jun 11th 2008 9:02AM]

RA is a terrible disease - good luck to this woman.

[Gr1zz @ Jun 11th 2008 9:21AM]

"She was read the Last Rites in hospital but miraculously pulled through and made a full recovery."
Wow. This is a good read.

[Cotay @ Jun 11th 2008 1:20PM]

You are so right that RA is a terrible disease. The problem is that the word "arthritis" is associated with it and people automatically dismiss the disease because they assume it's just a form of osteoarthritis ( not to diminish that disease either). This is an autoimmune disease where your own body attacks your joints and organs. Think of your body eating itself and you have a good idea about what this disease does. This runs in my family and has killed many of my relatives. My grandmother was the most recent death and my my mother has been living with it for more than a decade...and it will kill her too. Please be considerate of the suffering this woman goes through and try to be kind to the way she looks...this disease doesn't exactly make you feel like your best and I'm sure she would appreciate some encouragement.

[gad get @ Jun 11th 2008 4:04PM]

Yes, those who are commenting should imagine that maybe by some chance she stumbles upon this story on Engadget and reads the comments. Or, more likely, someone with a friend or relative with RA happens to read the comments (which as you can see has happened), or for that matter, someone else who's personally going through what Eileen's going through. It's not always harmless fun. Your comments, even made anonymously on the net, do affect people.

[Roofus @ Jun 12th 2008 11:52PM]

Wow, that one hit close to home. Yeah maybe the other readers here should consider that some people who read Engadget have RA and don't appreciate some of the humor.

Beyond the daily pain, which can be excruciating especially in the morning. You have to fight deformations with surgery and medications that shorten your life span.

I'm sure nobody meant any harm, but it's hard to laugh at jokes about your own body turning on you in the worst way.

Sorry to be a bit melodramatic, but I'll be in her shoes in 20 years and it's not something I look forward to.

[apeguero @ Jun 11th 2008 9:13AM]

I thought one had to have some sort of special power in order to be considered bionic. Like super fast acting legs that propelled one to faster than human speeds. Or zoomable sight/hearing (you know, bionic eye/ear). You get the point. This lady, God bless her, is just a lucky person that technology is keeping away from a wheel chair. Either way, touchy story but I think she's far from being the Bionic Woman.

[Coral @ Jun 11th 2008 10:06AM]

You watch too much TV — there's a reason it's called an "idiot tube".

Bionic (bī-ŏn'ĭk) -adj.
1. Utilizing electronic devices and mechanical parts to assist humans in performing difficult, dangerous, or intricate tasks, as by supplementing or duplicating parts of the body.
2. Having anatomical structures or physiological processes that are replaced or enhanced by electronic or mechanical components.

[Amun @ Jun 11th 2008 9:20AM]

will she run Doom?

[gyffes @ Jun 11th 2008 9:57AM]

Damn, there goes my chance at a Crysis reference...

[Bunson @ Jun 11th 2008 12:08PM]

Wow, thats the first doom joke I laughed at in months.

[Bones3D @ Jun 11th 2008 9:24AM]

So... when does she install the adamantium claws?

[Artie Lange @ Jun 11th 2008 9:27AM]

Bionic or not, she's a stone-cold fox!

[Some Kid @ Jun 11th 2008 9:27AM]

i wonder what type of metal
becasue if they put in some copper and silicon, plus some nanoengeneering, she couldnot only run doom, but maybe crysis
but how much metal does there have to ve to set off a metal detector
and when she goes through a magnet??????!!!!!!
ouch
but ellen, keep on keepin on

[Shawn @ Jun 11th 2008 11:08AM]

Anyone else think Eileen...Tchitcherine?

Uncanny.

[Gert @ Jun 11th 2008 11:30AM]

What will happen when she dies, i mean it isnt her original skeleton (except for the skull)?

It would make a nice casing for my pc.

[gad get @ Jun 11th 2008 4:12PM]

Something's seriously wrong with you.

[Steve Chrysostom @ Jun 11th 2008 12:04PM]

Will she blend?

It had to be said.

[t3_slider @ Jun 11th 2008 1:24PM]

No. It didn't.

[Ghen @ Jun 11th 2008 3:24PM]

One meme per article please

[Zorque @ Jun 11th 2008 1:17PM]

Do you guys mean they've replaced every major joint in her body, or are all her fingers and everything metal and plastic too? That'd be impressive if they are, it's got to take a real skillful surgeon to do something like that.

[Adrenaline @ Jun 11th 2008 1:24PM]

I think the authors totally glossed over Eileen's most amazing features, she has one elbow and two hips!!

[maff @ Jun 11th 2008 6:41PM]

keep on fighting UK woman! (Arlene) (just....kiddin')

[r3n @ Jun 11th 2008 8:00PM]

Damn that's a big fridge magnet.

Keep on keepin' on Eileen!

[Thomas @ Jun 15th 2008 12:41PM]

still laughing at the doom joke that was hilarious.