Severely injured troops relearn living skills

  • Published
  • By Rudi Williams
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  "It smells good in here already," a visitor to "Fort Independence" said as she walked into the kitchen where amputees sharpen their culinary skills at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

Fort Independence is a mock apartment set up in the hospital's occupational-therapy department to train newly disabled patients how to cook, get around an apartment safely, clean and do other skills they need to relearn in order to live alone after being discharged from the hospital.

What the visitor smelled was, "my grandmother Fairbanks' pot roast recipe," said Marine Capt. Jonathan Kuniholm, who lost part of his right arm Jan. 1 when an improvised explosive device exploded while he was on foot patrol in Haditha, Iraq.

Captain Kuniholm said cooking classes for amputees is "a great idea."

"It's a good way to get people to test their skills or learn some new skills in preparing food," he said. "It's also a good way for all the patients to get to know each other a little bit better."

While the aroma of Captain Kuniholm's grandmother's pot roast permeated the kitchen, Army Sgt. Robert Blikle used his right hand to push a potato down on two nails to steady it on a chopping board. He used a vegetable peeler to peel one side, then turned it over, stuck it back on the nails and peeled the other side.

Sergeant Blikle was using only his right hand because an improvised explosive device blew off his left hand in Iraq in March. He also suffered shrapnel wounds to his head and on his right arm.

Sergeant Blikle said taking cooking classes in Fort Independence "gives you a little taste of what you have to prepare for when you get back home."

Trish Autery watched silently as her son, Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan Autery, 20, used his prosthetic hand to hold a piece of potato while he cut it with his other hand.

"Since I just got my (prosthetic) arm, I'm learning things slowly," Corporal Autery said. "I'm trying to integrate using my prosthetic arm, but cutting potatoes was kind of difficult because they were wet and slippery.

"This is a good thing because it teaches us how to be able to cook for ourselves if we live alone," he said. "It's just another way of teaching how to work with one hand and one prosthetic hand."

"I think (the program is) a wonderful idea because they need to be able to learn to do this stuff by themselves instead of just calling pizza delivery," Ms. Autery said. "You've got to have some nourishing food every once in a while."

The three servicemen prepared pot roast, mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. Normally four to seven patients attend cooking classes at Fort Independence.

The kitchen is outfitted with a stove, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer, irons and ironing boards. The mock apartment is also outfitted with a bedroom, bathroom and living room with a television, computer and other amenities.

Kristi Say, an occupational therapist, said their biggest goals at Fort Independence are trying to increase the amputees' independence and safety.

"This isn't really teaching them to cook, but more so retraining," she said.

Ms. Say said they also have to make a bed, do laundry, and fold clothes and towels.

"In the bathroom, they have to show us that they can safely and independently get in and out of the bathtub, on and off the toilet," she said.

Kitchen safety issues might include "things like instead of carrying something across the room, they might put it on a wheeled cart and push it across the room," Ms. Say said. "We also have brooms, dust pans, mops, and they have to totally clean up after they cook."

"We're using their prostheses with real-life tasks that they'll do when they leave here," said Army Capt. Jon Verdoni, who is in charge of the amputee section of the occupational therapy department. "It doesn't get more real than this."

Captain Verdoni said the more cooking classes that are held, the better the meals get.

"We had a student here about three weeks ago who was a professional chef on the outside," he said. "For his last week here, he (made) smoked chicken enchiladas. It was awesome."

Captain Verdoni said he and Ms. Say try to keep the classes structured, but it is not a regimented activity.

"It's not like a military activity; we want the informalities, camaraderie and socialization, which is a goal in itself to get these guys socializing again in a proper manner," he said.