An Oklahoma man, the recipient of the nation's third double hand transplant.. is speaking out about his ordeal.

Surgeons at Jewish Hospital in Louisville performed the operation last week.

Dr. Richard Edwards says it's the simple things he misses and hopes this surgery will bring them back to his life.

For Dr. Richard Edwards, a chiropractor by trade his hands were his lifeline, but he would trade his work for the one thing he missed the most.

" I loved to hold my wife's hand and feel her skin, and I want to do that again," said Edwards.

Dr. Edwards is considered to be a medical breakthrough because much of his original hands were kept, not amputated and then merged with the donor hands.

"My life had become so dull, so much at a standstill,"said Edwards.

Both of Edwards hands were injured after a fire engulfed his truck.

Seven of his fingers were destroyed and the others left immobile.

He says despite the risk of complications he never thought twice about going through with the surgery.

"I don't believe that god would have allowed me to get this far, and would have sent me to this team of doctors if it were not his will," says Edwards.

Doctors say Edwards mobility after the surgery is the best they've ever seen in a transplant patient.

Dr. Edwards says he would like to go back to his chiropractic work.