Woman who lost both arms - "I shouldn't be here but by the grace of God, I am"

MONROE - Ore - "It's hard to think about. It's hard to see," said Shelley Durrant of Monroe as she stood in the exact same spot where her arms were severely mangled back in October.

Durrant said she had been digging holes to put up fence posts, using a tractor and an auger, when her arms got pulled under.

"I was moving the auger just a little bit to straighten it out," she said. "And my sleeves got caught."

Her recovery process in the hospital took weeks. Doctors had to amputate both arms and now, her recovery continues at home. Durrant said her daughters help her get dressed, shower and eat.

"My mom is like the most powerful person I've ever met in my life," said her daughter, Brittney Logan. "If anyone can do it, it's her."

Durrant has made a lot of progress. She said she has learned to use her feet to open doors and just a few weeks ago, she got a prosthetic arm that she wears for several hours during the day.

Sometimes, she says her arms and hands feel as if they're still there. "Sometimes I've tried to reach for a cup of water or a door handle or something and I'm like, huh?"

Although she's optimistic, Durrant does admit she gets sad. Especially because she can no longer embrace those who have helped her through these difficult times. "If I had to choose one thing I miss the most, it's giving hugs to my kids and my grandkids," she said. "That would be it."

Durrant said despite the incident, she is determined to use farming equipment again. And despite the hardships, she said the support she has received since her accident makes her feel luckier than ever to be alive.

"I shouldn't be here," she says. "But by the grace of God, I am."