OT: Disabled Gardeners
- Subject: OT: Disabled Gardeners
- From: W* C* S*
- Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 10:59:13 -0700
A handicap, disability, or the effects of increased age shouldn't
keep us from gardening. Where there's a will - there's a way, and I know
that some of you in this group have found little "tricks" that you've learn
through experience that allow you to keep gardening. I'm hoping you'll
share them with the group. Doing so should make gardening easier for all
concerned. If you are disabled, or handicapped, or have reached that senior
status that has limited your gardening and know of some product or way that
would make it easier for all of us to garden, please share it with me. I'd
like to collect this data and write an article on it.
I'll start first!
Three years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This ultimately
resulted in a radical mastectomy and chemo/radiation therapy. Some of the
consequences of this is that my dominant gardening hand was affected. The
removal of lymph nodes compromised the immune response to my hand and I now
get a buildup of lymph fluid if I use overuse my hand - especially with
digging. I also have the side effects of tirdness from the chemo/radiation
and from my current medication. I have also lost the sweat glands under my
armpit and have to be very careful of heat problems.
One of the hardest things for me to do was to alter and adapt my
gardening habits. In the past I would tackle a project with full force, but
now I have to divide projects up into sections, allow opportunity for rest,
then do another section. Perviously, I would "eat the elephant" in one large
bite, but now I take smaller and more frequent bites! I have also found
that the new ergonomically engineered tools lessen the fluid buildup in my
hand. I also tend to garden in the cooler periods of the day, but will
frequently overextend myself. While I should garden with gloves to lessen
the chance of infection, I find this personally impossible to do and after
gardening I diligently make sure that I wash my arm and hands with
antibacterial soap and immediately treat any cuts or abrasions.
I hope that this will be an interesting thread and look forward to your
input. Hopefully, it will benefit us all!
Warm regards,
BillSmoot
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