Читать книгу The Cancer Survivor's Garden Companion - Jenny Peterson - Страница 10

ONE

Sweat It Out

Exercise is good for everyone, but especially those going through treatment or healing from it. Caution is the word, however, as your body might not be able to do the things it once could. Take it slow and honor what your body has gone through and is going through, and let your garden help your body get stronger.

Surgery and treatment, whether it’s chemotherapy or radiation, can really zap your immune system and physical energy. When I was going through treatment, my oncologist, Dr. Rubin de Celis, told me, “Consider it a part of your treatment to get regular exercise.”

Cardio

Given your doctor’s approval, you can participate in cardio exercises that will, over time, increase your stamina – but go slow and build up to longer sessions in the garden with greater intensity. This is particularly true for those who have lymphedema like I do, as the swelling in your limbs or torso can be greatly exacerbated by sudden changes in your physical exertion.

Some great garden chores for light cardio include:

• Hauling mulch bags, one at a time to start

• Turning your compost pile

• Shoveling compost into new beds

• Pushing a ½ full wheelbarrow up an incline

• Mowing your lawn

• Hoeing weeds

Safety First!

• Sunblock

• Wide-brimmed garden hat

• Compression garments, if necessary: glove, gauntlet, sleeve, bra, or trunk garment

• Bug repellent

• Sturdy shoes

• Gloves

• Surgical gloves to layer underneath garden gloves

There was a time during my treatment, as the weather was getting colder, that we’d bought some winter vegetable transplants from the garden center. Those poor plants sat on our back patio for a couple of weeks because, frankly, I was exhausted and so was Brett, my fiancé. One day he texted me that we should get those plants in the ground. I wish I still had those texts – we text so much that our carrier eventually deleted old messages to make room for new ones – but the conversation went something like this:

Brett: On the way home; let’s get those plants in the ground.

Me: But you’ll be home late and it’s cold outside.

Brett: Then get bundled up!

Me: But, it’ll be dark!

Brett: I’ve got headlamps.

Me: Are you kidding me?

Brett: No way, Cupcake. Get a move on!

Now, I’m sure Brett really did want to get those transplants in the ground, but if we didn’t and they died, we’d have only lost about $25. But more than that, I think he recognized that I hadn’t been out to the garden in a while and he wanted me to be moving and active. Wise man.

So, forgive the terrible night shots on my old iPhone, but here is what we did and what I looked like! I had a cap on my bald head with a headlamp over that, a hoodie with a puffy vest over it, my rubber rain boots, garden gloves and a scarf. Not a real fashion statement, but we got those transplants in the ground, watered them in, and laughed the entire time – it was good for our garden and even better for my soul.

Stretching and Flexibility

When you’ve had surgery and treatment, perhaps even ongoing treatment depending upon your stage, your body has undoubtedly been through a lot and it’s got the kinks to show for it. I had a lymph node dissection after my sentinel lymph node came back unclear, and this surgery far surpassed my lumpectomy in every way possible. And I mean, “not in a good way.” My nerves and muscles were severed underneath my left arm in order to get all the lymph nodes my surgeon could get his hands on. I’m not complaining, just stating the obvious – that kind of surgery is rough and has lasting effects! I have a lot of scar tissue all around my left underarm, and it constantly wants to pull my arm in and down.

So, the plan is to keep stretching it out. One way I do this is through yoga, and I also attend weekly rehab. But there are a number of garden activities that, when performed correctly, provide great stretching opportunities for your scar tissue and kinked-up muscles, increasing your range of motion and flexibility.

• Rake leaves and reach out just a bit farther than you think you might be able to.

• Hoe weeds, being careful if you have lymphedema.

• Shovel compost or soil.

• Hand weed, stretching across the bed or a little farther out from your body.

• Sit on the edge of your raised beds and stretch to the middle to maintain them.

• Avoid twisting your spine.

• Work with small instead of heavy loads.

• When lifting and carrying, keep objects close to your body.

• With stretching activities, you want to feel a nice stretch, not pain. If you experience pain, back off.

• Stay hydrated.

Being Smart

• Work slowly and gently.

• Take a break every 20 minutes.

• Stretch before and after gardening.

• Bend with knees, not from waist.

• Alternate activities to avoid injury.

• Keep your spine in neutral position.

Strong Bones

Cancer doesn’t care how old you are. I know many people who were diagnosed in their 20s and 30s as well as in their 50s and 60s (and beyond). So it may seem odd that a young person might need to think about keeping their bones strong, because we associate weak bones with age, don’t we? But unfortunately, cancer patients who have had chemotherapy, steroid medications or hormone therapy can suffer from osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones. There are many things you can do to increase your bone strength – avoid tobacco products, limit alcohol, eat foods high in Vitamin D and calcium (hello, spinach, kale and okra!), and get regular exercise. Are you seeing your garden here?

Most any weight-bearing exercise will increase your bone strength, which is always a good thing, but particularly if you’ve gone through cancer treatment. Garden chores provide great opportunities for building bones, and while they may seem like they are the same types of activities as those I suggested for cardio (there is some overlap), the name of the game here is “slow and steady.” And, as always, if you have recently had surgery or have any other limitation, do check with your doctor about appropriate and safe weight limits for lifting or carrying.

• Moving large pots or containers – be sure they are empty, though.

• Rearranging your patio furniture.

• Hauling one mulch bag at a time (think “pack mule,” this isn’t a race).

• Light wheelbarrowing on level ground.

• Turning the compost pile.

• Dragging tree limbs for disposal (not too heavy, though!).

• Dragging the hose around the garden (a 50' water-filled hose can be heavy).

• Unloading a 5-gallon plant from the back of your car.

Yoga

The benefits of yoga are numerous – increased flexibility, balance, circulation, positive lymphatic flow and mood enhancing – but how about yoga outside? We’ve all seen people in parks participating in public yoga, so consider bringing that same concept to your own backyard. Practicing yoga in the fresh air in the beauty of your own garden (or on your patio, deck or lawn) adds another layer of healing to this already restorative activity.

If you’ve practiced yoga before, you know there are many different types. I used to do some very powerful yoga before my diagnosis, and then because I developed lymphedema, I had to reconsider my yoga practice. With the help of Rhonda, one of my lymphedema rehab therapists, I started with a very gentle type of yoga called “Restorative.” I practiced that type for a number of months before slowly getting into more challenging poses. I’m still not where I was before, but I’m okay with it. If you are starting or restarting your yoga practice, here’s a rundown of some of the more popular types of yoga and how they may or may not be what you need:

RESTORATIVE: Restorative yoga does not resemble the type of yoga most of us picture in our heads – the poses are almost all lying down, and your body is supported with blocks and straps so you can hold positions for a number of minutes. It’s perfect for people going through treatment, recovery, or simply needing a healing session to induce calm and peace. It can also include chanting or gongs if you attend a class, but in your own practice, it’s simply relaxing.

BIKRAM: This is “hot” yoga, where the studio is heated to 105 degrees F, with 40% humidity. The heat loosens your muscles and increases your ability to stretch. It’s comprised of a series of 26 poses completed twice, sandwiched in between breath work. Check with your doctor or rehab therapist first – those with lymphedema should avoid this, as heat exacerbates the associated swelling.

KUNDALINI: A gentler form of yoga, Kundalini yoga is 50 percent exercise, 20 percent breath work, 20 percent meditation, and 10 percent relaxation. It typically includes chanting, so if you are uncomfortable with this, you might want to choose a different type of yoga, but it’s a great one for those going through or recovery from treatment.

HATHA: Ideal for beginners, Hatha yoga refers to any practice that combines poses with breathing techniques. Do it at your own pace to increase flexibility and balance and to induce calm.

VINYASA: This is a fairly fast-paced yoga, often called “power yoga,” that requires constant movement through a flowing series of lunging, stretching and bending. You can work up to this type of yoga, but it is not recommended for those who have recently had surgery or treatment.

ASHTANGA: Ashtanga is a physically challenging yoga for seasoned practitioners, using up to 70 poses including back bends, inversion poses and sun salutations. This will most likely not be recommended initially, but it is definitely a type of yoga that you can work up to over a longer period of time.

My advice is to always check with your doctor or rehab therapist first (are you getting tired of hearing me say that yet?), start slow even though you may be experienced, and drop your expectation of doing a perfect Crane pose. Don’t even make me laugh – I am so far away from Crane that it’s kind of ridiculous. I may never do the Crane pose because it’s a lot of weight on your arms, but it’s possible I can work my way up to it. In the beginning, experiment with the standing and sitting poses as well as the ones that are performed lying down, as your balance may be a bit off for a while.

If you have an iPad or similar tablet, look up some apps for yoga to help you with your practice. I use one called “Daily Yoga” that has been my guide for about two years now. It offers different levels and lengths of sessions, and I started using it specifically because it included sessions using only seated or standing poses.

When I finished treatment, I was just shy of my 50th birthday. My fiancé is a “doer” and really wanted to give me something that would be useful to me as I healed. I had balance issues created by nerve damage in my feet from chemotherapy, I had scar tissue that continually wanted to pull my left arm down, my left side was weaker than my right, and I was fighting the Mood Rollercoaster. I also love to practice yoga. So, while I was gone for a week at a flower and garden show, Brett got to work with our carpenter friend, Jim, and built me a yoga deck.

I’d showed him pictures of similar decks before, but always followed with, “Wouldn’t that be cool if…” What a lucky woman I am that I have a mate who took my words to heart! I returned from the trip to find a newly built yoga deck adjacent to our chicken coop.

Many things have changed in the backyard since that deck was built – we built a huge chicken run around the coop, and created a tropical garden around the yoga deck. Now, it’s still a very young garden, so the plants aren’t yet as mature as I envision them to be, but what a gift to go out to that deck in the mornings with my coffee to practice yoga as the sun is just rising! And I may or may not practice at the end of the day with a beer; I will never tell.

It’s a 12' × 12' square, so just large enough for about 4 people to practice yoga together, but perfect for solo practice as well. If you want to build a deck similar to this one, here are my recommendations:

Use a composite decking material such as Trex. It has a natural wood grain and comes in a variety of colors or “stains,” and it can cost twice as much as real wood but you never have to maintain it. I like it because there is zero risk of getting splinters in your feet or hands – very important if you have lymphedema in your leg or arm and are susceptible to infections like I am!

Make it just a little larger than you think you’ll need, 10' × 10' minimum. Some yoga poses are challenging, and combined with my balance issues, I fall over frequently. Better to fall on a deck than off of one.

Have some kind of lighting at or around your deck. I sometimes like to go out very early in the morning or even late at night when the light is dim, and the last thing I want to do is trip because I can’t see where I’m going. If lighting doesn’t fit within your budget, bring a flashlight.

Install a waist-high bar for balance poses – we’ve talked about doing this with my yoga deck but haven’t gotten around to it yet. It’s nice to know that you can quickly hold onto something if you feel yourself going down.

Plant choices for a yoga deck garden

As I created the garden around my deck, I really wanted to have a sense of calm, peace and tranquility, so I chose plants that are tropical in nature, lush, soft and colorful. While I love agaves (and they make sense in my Texas garden) I wouldn’t dream of planting anything spiky or pokey here. Consider some of these plants:

Ornamental Grasses:

Miscanthus spp.

Pennisetum spp.

Festuca spp.

Big-leafed tropicals:

Colocasia spp.

Canna spp.

Philodendron spp.

Exotic foliage:

Coleus spp.

Calathea spp.

Anthurium spp.

Croton spp.

The ferns:

Adiantum spp.

Nephrolepis spp.

Platycerium spp.

Asplenium spp.

Bamboo is also a great choice as it’s a very “zen” plant, but be sure you are choosing the clumping variety rather than the spreading kind, which can quickly overtake your yard as well as your neighbor’s. Believe me, planting spreading bamboo will quickly use up any cancer sympathy you have from your neighbors. Even if they don’t say anything, they will give you the Stink Eye forevermore.

I want to stress that my yoga deck garden is the only garden I really tend on our property. It’s the one that is the most important to me, the one that is the most life-giving and healing to me, and the one that I can realistically keep up with. At the writing of this book, I’m three years post-diagnosis, and while my body, mind and spirit have healed dramatically during that time, I am still aware of my limits and boundaries. It’s good to push them so I continue to move forward with my healing. This garden has proven to be the balm that helps to make me whole again.

And remember – there is a reason why yoga is called a “practice.” This is not about being perfect and judging yourself. Even the healthiest of bodies fluctuate day-to-day in terms of flexibility and strength, so the goal here is to honor where your body is at this very moment, and let your garden help move it forward.

Survivor Spotlight

Name: Rick

Age at diagnosis: 29

Diagnosis: Testicular Cancer (Embryonal Cell Carcinoma)

Stage: 3-A

Tip: Let your garden be what you need it to be on any given day. Sometimes, a quiet retreat where you can contemplate and focus. Other times, a place to just get lost in gardening and take your mind off of things.