But for Tanesha Jones, those are now daily challenges.
All her life, the Ontario resident prided herself on being independent, a go-getter.
That is until an illness forced doctors to amputate her hands above the wrist and her feet above the ankle in order to save her life.
Jones now faces the challenges of learning new ways to do simple things such as brushing her teeth or opening a bottle.
But for Tanesha Jones, those are now daily challenges.
All her life, the Ontario resident prided herself on being independent, a go-getter.
That is until an illness forced doctors to amputate her hands above the wrist and her feet above the ankle in order to save her life.
Jones now faces the challenges of learning new ways to do simple things such as brushing her teeth or opening a bottle.
"I've got to put my best foot forward and be back to being independent," she said. "I've got to see how I will function on my own."
Going to the hospital
It has been almost a year since Jones was in the intensive care unit at San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland. For weeks, she moved in and out of consciousness.
"I tell myself, `You are still here for a reason and for a purpose,"' she said.
Jones, a second-grade teacher, started feeling sick on Jan. 20, 2009.
Initially, Jones thought she was feeling tired from teaching or had a bad reaction from something she ate.
Jones felt she could just sleep it off, but the next morning, she tried to get up and couldn't move.
Husband Rodney had to sit her up, which caused Jones to lose her vision.
"It was in and out, like a light bulb going on and off," she said.
When she got to the hospital, doctors determined that her blood sugar was too low, and she was fed intravenously.
By then, her kidney started to shut down and she had a rapid heart rate.
While it may have been a life-changing moment and nearly cost her life, Jones said she is grateful because she is alive.
"I wasn't supposed to make it through that," she said. "The medical staff suggested to my husband that he `call her parents and start praying for her."'
For the next couple of weeks, Jones would undergo a series of tests, as doctors tried to determine what it was that was causing her illness.
"A lot of it I am not able to remember. But I still have the scars that remind me," she said.
The diagnosis
It was determined that her infection was triggered by pneumococcal pneumonia, which resulted in sepsis, an illness that occurs when the body enters an inflammatory state.
By then, the illness had nearly shut down all of her body organs and filled her lungs with fluid from pneumonia. As a result, Jones needed a ventilator to help her breathe.
A feeding tube was also inserted and she was given "a cocktail of medication and antibiotics to help me pull through."
What Jones does remember was her fingertips started to turn black, the result of gangrene.
The doctors considered amputating her hands and feet, but were concerned it could jeopardize her life.
After a couple of weeks, the doctors proceeded with the quadruple amputation, and Jones remained at the Upland hospital while her strength improved.
The rehabilitation
On March 31, Jones was released from the hospital and through May was at Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation in Pomona. She was monitored by a team of doctors, nurses and therapists who helped her adjust to new daily life routines.
"All my life, I've been independent, done things for myself, but now I have to be taken care of.
At the rehabilitation center, Jones met Dr. David Patterson and his occupational and physical therapy staff. Patterson would push her into picking up daily activities such as walking and writing.
Patterson and Jones met with a certified prosthetist and started shaping her limbs to accept a prosthetic.
Every week, Patterson said, he and his staff would meet with Jones and set short-term and long-term goals.
"She was exceeding all her goals," he said, noting a quadruple amputation is very rare.
During her rehabilitation, Jones had to have surgery on her limbs to release some nerves on her arms, Patterson said.
Then Jones had to learn how to balance herself on the prosthesis. She had to learn how to use her hips to help her walk, Patterson said.
Initially, Jones couldn't even stand up and when she did take steps, they were wobbly, he said.
Despite the demanding challenges, Jones was "always a positive person, always saw the light at the end of the tunnel," Patterson said.
At first, Jones admitted, she wasn't a believer.
"You want me to do what? How am I supposed to do that with no limbs?" Jones said about being directed to pick up a bottle from the refrigerator during therapy.
"Everything was about problem-solving," she said.
But it was also about regaining her strength.
Her hospitalization left her so weak she couldn't sit up for more than five minutes, Patterson said.
"The infection had stunted her heart," he said. "Her heart was at 20 percent of what it should be functioning."
So they practiced breathing routines, learning how to breathe all over again, he said.
Coming home
By the time she came home, Jones had been away for five months. During that time, her son had turned 5 years old.
And she still went to Casa Colina for weekly therapy.
Physical therapist Joe Ponce, who saw her on those outpatient visits, said Jones' goal by the time she ended treatment with him was to be able to feed herself.
A big test was going to be if Jones could do daily chores on her own.
Ponce said he also wanted her to be able to learn how to play with the toys her son typically used.
Sure enough, the first thing her son told her when they got home was, "Come on, let's go play, mom."
Jones is able to maneuver fine around her home because friends and family members have installed new doorknobs and remodeled her bathroom.
Everything in her bathroom has been lowered - from the sink to the cabinets - so she can use them when she doesn't have her leg prosthesis on.
Despite all the rehab, Jones needs help doing some daily household activities like washing laundry.
"It's about adjusting to my life and doing things differently. I've never been alone to do (the laundry) and it's a lot of work," she said.
Throughout her treatment at Casa Colina, Ponce said he was impressed by Jones' will to succeed and not feel sorry for herself.
But there are depressing moments.
Recently, when Jones was helping her son with school work, he couldn't use the scissors.
At that moment, Jones said he turned to her and asked her to do it for him.
Jones said she realized "there are some things that are too challenging to take on. Then I have these dark days."
It's on those days, when Jones is faced with the fact that she will never be able to pick up a pair of scissors or chase her son around.
At those rare moments, Jones said, she has setbacks in her progress.
"I fell into a little of a depression because I know I will never be able to cut anything," she said.
While there have been some setbacks to her recovery, for the most part Jones has remained optimistic about her new life.
She doesn't wear her hand prosthetics daily.
Instead, Jones and her husband came up with their own technique to do daily activities.
By wrapping a band around her arm, Jones said she has her husband or caretaker insert a toothbrush or even a utensil so that she can do things for herself.
Jones gets on the Internet and sends e-mails by using her limbs to touch the keyboard. She has also learned to grab items from the refrigerator without help.
"It's become second nature to me now," she said. "When I figure out something, it's like an eye-opener. And I tell myself, `OK, this is not too hard,' and I get another burst of energy."
Going out in public also requires a bit of work because of the stares she often gets, she said.
Often she will wear pants or long sleeves that can cover her prosthesis, but there are occasions when children come up and ask her where her hands are.
Having worked with children, Jones said she does not take those questions personally, rather she uses her experience as a teacher to explain it to children.
Jones said she has not given up on teaching. However, it might not be in a conventional classroom.
She might go into public speaking, teaching others about amputees, or she might write a book.
"Anything can happen to anyone," Jones said. "Life is unexpected and takes its own path. You just have to be ready."
As Jones sat in her living room, she paused for a moment and said, "I thank God I'm still here."
liset.marquez@inlandnewspapers.com
909-483-8556
 |
| Liset Márquez has covered the city of Ontario for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin since 2008. She started the OntarioNow blog in August 2008. To contact Liset, leave a comment on this blog or send an e-mail to Liset Marquez |
| For more local Southern California News: | Copyright ©2010 |
| Los Angeles Newspaper group |
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