O'Brien , 55 , had his left arm amputated above the elbow in February 2014 after a heavy bag fell onto his forearm . He was diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome , a condition where his swollen muscles blocked blood flow in his arm . O'Brien woke up after amputation thinking his arm has been paralyzed because he could feel it , but it was a phantom limb . He did n't tell his family back home what 's happened to him and stopped working . O'Brien says he had to learn how to perform simple everyday tasks like cutting a bagel or riding a bicycle with just one hand . He broke his nose while walking when he reached to break his fall with an arm that was no longer there . O'Brien is the subject of a new documentary , Miles O'Brien : A Life Lost and Found , that premieres on CNN March 10 .
O'Brien , 55 , had his left arm amputated above the elbow in February 2014 after a heavy bag fell onto his forearm . He was diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome , a condition where his swollen muscles blocked blood flow in his arm . O'Brien woke up after amputation thinking his arm has been spared because he could feel it , but it was a phantom limb . He did n't tell his family back home what 's happened to him and kept working . O'Brien says he had to learn how to perform simple everyday tasks like cutting a bagel or riding a bicycle with just one hand . He broke his nose while jogging when he reached to break his fall with an arm that was no longer there . O'Brien is the subject of a new documentary , Miles O'Brien : A Life Lost and Found , that premieres on CNN March 10 .