Anesia Leon-Guerro
COVID-19
Anesia Leon-Guerro is a lifelong military spouse, so she knows the challenge of being separated from her husband while he was fighting for our country. However, a new enemy had worked its way into their lives in the form of COVID-19, and this time it was Anesia who had to be the fighter.
At first, Anesia felt like she just had a cold, but began to feel worse and worse. As it became harder to breathe she suspected and feared COVID-19. She headed to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Lakeway where she tested positive for the virus. Just a few days later, she was on a ventilator.
After nearly two weeks in the hospital, Anesia began to improve. She was out of the woods in terms of COVID-19, but the infection had significantly affected her ability to care for herself. Her fatigue was so extreme that she was unable to feed herself, dress, or even walk across the room to use the bathroom. She was also suffering from what’s been referred to as ‘COVID Fog’ which impacted her ability to stay focused and alert.
At the recommendation of her doctors and her son, who researched local rehabilitation facilities, Anesia decided to go to Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation – Lakeway (BSWIR – Lakeway) to begin the next stage of her recovery.
Upon admission, Anesia was still struggling to do routine personal care activities on her own. Her goal was to become independent again. Her rehabilitation team put a plan together to get her there.
Anesia recalls the positive encouragement that went along with her daily physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions. Physical therapy helped her rebuild endurance and strength to be able to get up and walk again, as well as climbing stairs. Occupational therapy focused on specialized techniques to improve endurance and adapt everyday tasks like dressing and using the bathroom to make them easier for Anesia. Finally, speech therapy helped tackle the cognitive impact of COVID-19 by incorporating math problems and memory building strategies into her sessions.
After about 15 days of rehabilitation, Anesia was ready to go home. She was back on her feet and able do all the things required to live an independent life again. When departing, Anesia shared that rehab “was hard, but great.” She was grateful for how the entire team worked together to make sure her recovery was a streamlined process. She’s looking forward to spending well-deserved quality time with her husband and children following her fight with the virus.
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