Veteran Who Received Life-Changing Double-Arm Transplant Shows Off Progress

— -- Just four months after undergoing a life-changing double-arm transplant, John Peck shared how far he has come by releasing a video of him being able to control his elbow.

Peck, 31, underwent the surgery last August at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and has been undergoing rehabilitation ever since. Peck shared a video on Monday in which -- with the help of a therapist -- he slowly and carefully practices moving his right elbow.

As he reaches the end of his exercise, Peck exclaims, “Cool!”

Peck, a Marine, became a quadruple amputee in 2010 after stepping on an explosive device in Afghanistan.

Peck has been working on regaining function in his arms since the surgery. At a news conference in October, Peck said he was hoping that someday he could use his arms to pursue his dream of becoming a chef.

"My dream job since I was 12 is to become a chef," Peck told reporters at the time.

For now, Peck will have to wait as he regains function. Sensation in transplanted limbs often take weeks to months since nerves grow extremely slowly.

The surgery to give him transplanted arms took 14 hours of painstaking work with surgeons carefully attaching muscle, nerves and veins, doctors said.

Dr. David Crandell, the amputee program medical director at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, said in October that Peck's skills and drive as a Marine have been evident as he goes through the rehabilitation process.

"John spent less than one week on inpatient service, and the last three weeks as outpatient, participating in almost daily physical therapy and occupational [therapy]," Crandell said, noting that Peck brought "an intensity to all his therapy which is clearly evident."