I am a compulsive gardener and I have to admit that my gardening is part of my back problems. Even though I have known for quite a while that I have protruding discs, in spite of having seen the MRI images for myself, I continued to do heavy gardening when I should have stopped. I work without care, I forget about the recommended precautions, I get carried away and overdo it. Two weeks ago I required surgery for nerve compression due to a herniated disc.
Working hard in the fresh air in my garden makes me feel good emotionally, mentally...and if nothing hurts, physically, too. And it's not just being outside; it's the results, the beauty of the flowers, the satisfaction of working with nature to build something I consider artful and lovely to see. It's a creative act for me, and I need that. How will I be able to continue with this fragile spine?
spinal surgery
Oh, mercy. You are facing some tough adjustments. I do hope, first of all, that you are making steady progress recovering from the surgery, which had to be a major ordeal!
I would guess that your doctor will provide some sort of brace to wear. But you will need to take precautions beyond that, and it seems to me that employing a buddy system is a logical plan. I know that "delegating" your favorites tasks would not be easy but there will be chores that you simply should not attempt. And while there are many times that being alone in one's garden brings a special sense of contentment, there is now a chance of injury while being alone and possibly not being able to call for help.
It isn't practical to expect the same person to be with you for each foray outdoors, so a group of buddies should be enlisted. If there is a Master Gardener chapter in your area, you could ask for suggestions there. Boy and Girl Scouts earn merit badges and 4-H Club members have similar projects. If there is a college or trade school near by with a horticultural program, volunteers might be available. And for the "heavy lifting" items, you'll need to hire some work done.
Watching some one else doing the things you'd rather do yourself won't be fun, especially at first. But you'll still be in charge, and will be outdoors in that very special evironment.
Best wishes, Yuska
I had back surgery at the end of August and had to watch the end of summer/beginning of dormancy and that was so frustrating for me. I had plans to reorganize beds and it just couldn't get done.
Then I had even more extensive back surgery at the end of October and am still recovering from that. I don't know what I can do until I try it and it hurts and then I am down again for a few days.
It's very, very hard to not be able to do what we want to do. I have bad knees so can't kneel to garden. I sit on my behind, but then it's hard to get up. I have almost everything in perennials, but they still need care and I still have all that reorganization to do.
I really can sympathize with you and your struggle to learn a new way to do things. Just be careful, follow all your doctor's instructions, maybe check out some new tools with long handles. Most of all just don't struggle with what you really can't do. That'll make you crazy.
Hang in there!!
Diane
I've had 5 spinal sugeries and a major shoulder surgery over the last 8 years, was left with nerve damage, spinal arthritis and fibromyalgia. Needless to say it makes gardening diffucult! Physical therapy taught me how to do things the proper way and lots of exercise to build up the adbomen helps that lower back. But the most important thing is learning limitations and sticking with them and not being ashamed or afraid to ask for help-and that can be the hardest thing of all. I'm still learning that somedays! After one of my major back surgeries I knew my garden would need redone. I recruited a neighbor to run the rented rototiller and put down weedblock and gravel, creating island beds that were easy for me to reach. Now I'm back at the home where I grew up and have a blank slate to work with. My inclination is to put in raised beds for my herbs and veggies since I know I'm not going to be getting any better and will eventually be worse. Areas under my pine trees I would like to naturalize so there won't be loads of work to do. I realize much of the installation, if not all, of raised beds will have to be done by someone for me, but I prefer that to another surgery! If possible, consider this a time to rethink and recreate your garden. There are many tools out there for people with limited mobility like us, I've even found them at Big Lots! Help is there for the asking, and sometimes that can be the hardest thing of all.Yuska's suggestions for help are great. You and your garden could be teaching youngsters! Remember your garden didn't grow overnight and you won't heal overnight- it takes time, so take that time to rest and recuperate. Good luck!!
missgarney ---- I am a male 69yrs and suffer similiar complications plus post polio syndrome. I can not dirt farm which means I can not get down on the ground. A few years ago I found www.earthbox.com and purchased three EBs(earthboxes) and discovered,again, the joy of gardening. My son lifted the potting mix for me and I scooped it out of the sack and set everything up. I also use the garden scooter from Gardeners Supply. With the height of the EBs plus sitting on the scooter I was back to my original self only far better as the EBs gave me far more beautiful plants without weeding, fertilizing only once per season and watering through a fill tube.
There are many ways to garden with this system. Only a lack of imagination would stop a gardener and gardeners do not have that problem. Go over to the Tomato or Container Garden and look me up. You will have to search aways in the container forum to find earthbox related subjects as most are off season at this time. This is an old picture of my new tomato garden. Since then I've learned different ways and still learning new ways to garden with hanging baskets and such. You can see my garden scooter. Without it I can not do anything! I have grown melons, marigolds etc all kinds of good stuff. If it can be grown in the ground it can be grown in EBS.
A view of my melon farm when it is too hot for me to work outside in our summer heat. Melons require little care so all I do is water them every other day thru the watering tube. That is my son and my garden scooter. It is always present!
One of my honeydew melons.
A casaba melon on the vine with my foot in the way. I'm showing you all these things to encourage you to not to get disheartened as where there is a will there is away! Look up and read all about www.earthbox.com You won't regret it>>
Ted
I have had three more back surgeries in 2006 on top of the two from 2005. One of the last surgeries left me with an E-coli type infection and I nearly died. There are weeks and weeks of this last summer that I don't remember at all, and I spent several months in the hospital. Talk about learning your limitations! I'm lucky to walk a lot of days and am never pain free at this point. The doctors tell me that I should be able to do much more, including some gardening, by spring.
One of my granddaughters took over watering my extensive gardens this last summer and has grown a whole new interest in gardening because of it. I purchased the scooter from Gardeners' Supply at the beginning of the summer, but had a bit of a hard time with it because my pathways are mostly gravel and flagstone. I am going to rig some sort of pulling device for it so that I can move it more easily. I can't easily bend over to pull it along when the handle is so far down.
I can't make raised beds because of the way the yard is laid out. It's a huge yard and I have added perennial beds all the way around both front and back, so I will have to still sit on my behinder in the dirt or pull the scooter around. I used to take my wheelbarrow with me everywhere to carry weeds, soil, plants, tools, whatever.
But I am thankful to have survived this last year and am looking forward to being outside again. I spent five years getting poor soil amended and putting in perennials and now I can reap some of that work and just add my few annuals I can't seem to live without (geraniums, petunias, a couple of others).
But as I advised a year ago, don't give up. Hang in there! It may be a lot harder than it used to be, and we have to learn to ask for help (the hardest part of all for me!!), but WE CAN DO IT. By the way, I am 68 and have finally had to retire from the hospital during all of this.
My goodness 1gardengram, you certainly have had a rough time of things. I can relate to the long hospital stays and never a pain free day. My first back surgery was at 38 and my biggest at 43 with more to follow. I think spending a month inpatient rehabbing and a year in outpatient helped me tremendously in learning how to better get around and use tools to do things for myself when the old body wouldn't cooperate! My first foray into the garden was a definite learning experience. I quickly found that sunny hot pea gravel was great to lay on your back in, moving slowly was a must and getting up from sitting had to be done the way I was taught or I'd get stuck :) Weed pulling was my challenge. I didn't want to leave the garden with one stray weed, but trying to get them all did me in. I learned to divide my garden into sections and concentrate only on one section per day. Small goals made it easier to feel I'd accomplished something and gave me something to look forward to the next day. And it kept me from doing myself in so much that I'd have to rest for days before being able to return to it. It also made me slow down and appreciate the garden I had, to sit and enjoy it and relax in it watching the birds and chipmunks and butterflies rather than just all work and no play :) And see how you've turned your granddaughter into a gardener now- that's wonderful! I've learned to experiment with different things to make it more comfortable to work out there. I have a cheap memory foam pillow that I wrap in a sack and use to sit on. A little rolling seat helps but I find the pillow more to my liking. Long handled tools are a must for me and of course the hardest thing of all- asking for help when you need it. A friend once told me that not asking for someone's help denied that person a blessing.I think that's pretty wise! Good luck as you relearn the pleasure of your garden!
1gardengram ---- You should not have difficulty with your garden scooter if the balloon tires are fully inflated? I can roll over anything and as far as mobilization I sit with my feet facing the rear and my hand on the sterring handle and simply push with my feet or I should say foot as the other is to weak to do so. Are your pebbles so thick that the tires sink in even when inflated to capacity??
Has anyone looked up earthboxes? I'm in sad shape and if I can garden with this system than anyone can!! www.earthbox.com It is an initial investment but well worth it and the best part no weeding ever....