Day 4 The Doctor said

I had scoliosis surgery when I was 16. The majority of my spine is fused. I have 3 vertebrae in my lower back not fused and 3 in my heck.

I got interested in gardening 25 plus years ago. I loved gardening. It breathed life into me. I planted 30 flats of seeds. I planted 2000 bulbs. I read and watched every program on gardening. I had numerous garden tours with 1,000s of people attending. I presented in Manhattan, KS to all the Master Gardeners in the state. Gardening was a major part of my life.

Around 50 I started having low back pain. A specialist in scoliosis said I had to give up gardening. I had to stop all bending. I had to preserve the vertebrae that were left. Options to have a pain free future were minimal. Having a 2nd surgery was not a viable solution for a positive outcome.

It was devastating. For several years I floundered around trying to find something else to breath life into me. Yeah, I tried container gardening which I do today. I grieved for a number of years before I could find it's place in my life.

Next week I am going to work in my yard. And that Scoliosis Doctor was and is wrong.... I think!

 

Happy to hear the you find such JOY in gardening. This is VERY important. Finding things we love to do balances out the everyday stressors.