How to weed with migraines? Anyone have tips for me?

I incurred a concussion last Christmas from an auto accident. I've had a headache daily since then (never had anything to note before this episode, except if I had the flu or a sinus infection...but nothing like this!). Prognosis is I'll have headaches for 'a while' or maybe 'for the rest of my days' (I'm 46).

I love to garden! I adore my own veggies! My herbs are staples during long winters and the savory meals that they flavor!

However, with my head-aching, aversion to sunshine and/or intense lights.....how can I continue to garden?! My veggies are in slightly raised beds (2 timbers high or about 8" above the walkway), my herbs also. My flowers are in beds that are ripped out lawn around our home.

I'm finding some measures work - but not enough. Anyone care to give tips for me so I can be outside working in the garden and happy again?!

Has your doctor suggested medications that can be taken to control the worst of your headaches? I too get migraines. When discussing them with my doctor he asked how bad I felt the headaches were. My reply, "I have never understood the concept of suicide, but if you were to tell me that I would have to spend the remainder of my life with a full blown migraine , I might have to consider that option." He immediately prescribed Imitrex which works well for me. I had cataract surgery in February and have seen a 90% decrease in headaches since then. Get your eyes checked, and talk to your doctor about medication. Only a fellow migraine sufferer understands.

Believe it or not there are weed-free gardening options. I don't weed my garden. Plant what you want to plant then add lots of straw/mulch or, a less natural option, before you plant, put down plastic (the gardening kind or an old tarp with holes cut in it works well) then plant the plants where the holes are. Voila, no weeding. I think this will help you a lot.

edited to add these pictures that will give you an idea:





Not my pictures, found them online.

Life is Good! said:

I incurred a concussion last Christmas from an auto accident.  I've had a headache daily since then (never had anything to note before this episode, except if I had the flu or a sinus infection...but nothing like this!).  Prognosis is I'll have headaches for 'a while' or maybe 'for the rest of my days' (I'm 46).

I love to garden!  I adore my own veggies!  My herbs are staples during long winters and the savory meals that they flavor! 

However, with my head-aching, aversion to sunshine and/or intense lights.....how can I continue to garden?!  My veggies are in slightly raised beds (2 timbers high or about 8" above the walkway), my herbs also.  My flowers are in beds that are ripped out lawn around our home.

I'm finding some measures work - but not enough.  Anyone care to give tips for me so I can be outside working in the garden and happy again?! 

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PM me, dearie... I have battled migraines for 10 years, medications, herbs, massage...everything. I have not had a migraine for almost 2 years now, but its private, but I think I can help in more ways than one, if you're interested

Although, I found it helpful to honour about an hour before sunrise and do most of my work on the east side then, as I have good shade on the west.. I would go in by 10 because not just the sun but the heat... I'm allergic to thevsun, so I have to stay covered lol, its the pits

Anyway, I would retire to inside by then and stayboutvifvthecsun until about 7, then I could get 2 more hours in...

I stay up most nights anyway in summer; we have crops, sweet corn being one, si coons run rampant; I'd stay up at nights and putter around with the yard light or during a full moon... I like it better at night anyway, do the things I needed to see for during the day... Weeding, I garden bio-intensive, so I don't really NEED to weed, they each have a job. But that would be first thing in the morning so I can see

Flood irrigating. I designed my personal garden(bout half an acre) like the fields lol, at a slight slant so I can plop the hose on the northwest corner and by morning the whole garden will have flood irrigated. I do that once, maybe twice a week.

Very hard. I used to not even bother going outside at all, but I missed my garden and the sunshine, so I learned to work at night ALOT.

If you have been at the point bof taking Sumatriptan (what I was taking, oh my so dangerous)... Andvuts not helping, pm me; I haven't taken THAT in almost 2 years either. Now I work all day, even though my sunburn says i shouldnt lolb

Thank you all. Yes, the headaches are as intense as migraines - more so if I bend over for a stretch of time. On a scale of 10, most days I'm at a 8 or 9. No, I'm not taking meds for this - other than otc ones (anti-inflammatories) to reduce the swelling and therefore the ache.

The vision issues are being cared for by a neuro-optomistrist. Great practice! She's helped a whole lot. But when one is working with a brain injury - I know I need to stop, rest and heal. Which I've done in the past through my garden. I healed a broken foot as well as a later sprained ankle by sitting in my garden putzing about. Not so with this. Putzing hurts because gravity is at play!

Mulches have helped - this year I used newspaper with chicken compost over it....but wouldn't you know it? Apparently, last year, my hens ate a lot of weed seeds, so they're growing like crazy in this fertile space! Grass clippings only work if you have grass (we have green weeds for a lawn - they mow lovely, they're still green, and from the street, no one knows). Straw only produced a hayfield instead of a potato patch. Plastics I've not tried, as I don't really wish to leech petro-chemicals where my bees forage.

Working during 'not high noon' helps - but with all the flooding rains here, the mosquitos are literally as large as dragonflies. I'm frustrated of visiting with the vampires to check for ripe tomatoes! And bug sprays seems to not repel these terradactyls with a vengeance. But the bugs aren't necessarily the issue - the pounding head is.

Perhaps I need to find someone to complete this year for me...and call it a wash. There just isn't a solution in sight....

Oh wow, it just sounds like you're torturing yourself trying to keep up....do you have a neighborhood kid or a family member up for helping?

If it were me, I would look at it this way; there's no way I will ever keep up, and I will get frustrated and depressed looking at it, and that's no way to heal; depressed. It would leave me with 2 options, water like mad and get the biggest weeds and sunflowers I can, FOR THE COMPOST PILE. Lol if it can't grow veggies, it can grow weeds that can be wacked and composted, so not an entire wash

Or...mow it all down and toss a 50# bag of oats on it; the rain you've been getting, it'll sprout like mad, smother the weeds and you'll have fluffy grass, with no effort other than water.

Take the time off... IMO you are only going to get depressed thinking about it, and the time has been GIVEN to you to put your health first. Take the time off to plan next years' garden, inside, with a glass of tea and a seed catalog

shortgrass said:

Oh wow, it just sounds like you're torturing yourself trying to keep up....do you have a neighborhood kid or a family member up for helping?

If it were me, I would look at it this way; there's no way I will ever keep up, and I will get frustrated and depressed looking at it, and that's no way to heal; depressed. It would leave me with 2 options, water like mad and get the biggest weeds and sunflowers I can, FOR THE COMPOST PILE. Lol if it can't grow veggies, it can grow weeds that can be wacked and composted, so not an entire wash

Or...mow it all down and toss a 50# bag of oats on it; the rain you've been getting, it'll sprout like mad, smother the weeds and you'll have fluffy grass, with no effort other than water.

Take the time off... IMO you are only going to get depressed thinking about it, and the time has been GIVEN to you to put your health first. Take the time off to plan next years' garden, inside, with a glass of tea and a seed catalog

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I suffer from migraines & everyone has given you great advice. Go out early. Don't bend over, etc. I agree with the above poster. Give yourself time to heal & cut yourself some slack. You've earned it. Caffeine really helps, try a coke - not Pepsi. I also take medication - maxalt. I really feel for you, and I hope you are better soon. Keep everyone posted.