Facing a battle with cancer, one couple discovers how gardening can strengthen the body and soothe the soul
BY WENDY ABRAMS
Six months after doctors pronounced her free of breast cancer, Elizabeth Terry faced an unexpected setback: The stage I cancer she thought she'd licked was back with a vengeance. Invading her bones and lungs, the stealthy disease had advanced to stage IV. Knowing what lay ahead, Elizabeth wasn't sure she had enough fight left. In the days following the devastating diagnosis, she felt "stunned by the horror of it," she says. "At times I was so full of desperation it scared me."
Eleven years of marriage and one epic battle successfully fought had made Elizabeth, age 44, and her 48-year-old husband, James, a formidable team. But watching his wife's despair slide into depression, James understood that he needed to take the lead.
As the garden blossomed, so did Elizabeth's resolve and energy
A professional horticulturist, James decided to plant the healthiest foods he could grow. "I wanted to take our health in our hands and be partners with the medical team to get Elizabeth well," he explains.
With permission from the building's owners, James prepared the patch of earth in front of their modest Santa Monica, California, apartment. After work, he'd check in with Elizabeth then head straight to the garden.
From her office window, Elizabeth, a freelance journalist, watched her husband till the dirt, pull up weeds, and sow "our seeds of hope," she says. "James was creating this natural pharmacy for our table and our souls. During my most frightened and confused moments, I watched him planting, nurturing, harvesting — all for me. In my mind, I was that garden, and by tending it he was a part of me."
James grew vegetables and herbs to provide the nutrients and chemicals he believed would help his wife fight the disease (see "Nature's Pharmacy," below). When spring melted into summer, James clipped lavender for their apartment and cooked simple recipes from the fresh harvests.
| Plants |
What they Provide |
| Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale |
Antioxidants lutein, and vitamins C and E help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Sulfur compounds help the body eliminate carcinogens. |
| Carrots, tomatoes, mesclun lettuces, dandelion greens, and Swiss chard |
Carotenoids, especially beta-carotene and lycopene. Studies show that beta-carotene boosts levels of monocytes, the white blood cells that attack cancer. Iron, found in the dandelion greens and Swiss chard, helps your body utilize oxygen more efficiently, resulting in fewer free radicals. |
| Greek oregano, sage, garlic, onions, and lima beans |
Phytochemicals target free radicals, and reduce inflammation. The thujone in sage can be toxic, so experts advise against using the herb for long periods or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. |
| Parsley and dill |
Essential oils contained in these herbs help make them "chemoprotective," which means they help neutralize carcinogens and may protect healthy tissue during cancer treatment. |
As the garden blossomed, so did Elizabeth's resolve and energy. Eventually, there was no room for despair. She grew stronger, despite an exhaustive chemotherapy regimen. She began spending time in the garden, proudly watching James tell curious passersby why he was tending a farm in the middle of Los Angeles. And she laughed with the neighborhood kids who called her husband "The Carrot Man."
"Chatting with James and our neighbors made me feel part of the human race again," Elizabeth says. "The garden strengthened my connection to James; as he toiled, I could feel his love. But it's also a bridge to new friendships. The whole experience keeps me fighting."
Next:
The Top 20 Antioxidant- Packed Foods
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