Propagated from the Ashes: The Story of How My Indoor Garden Saved My Life (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781988736600)

In December of 2016, Kristin Topping's life changed in a fraction of a second. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. She was an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, she had a charmed career that took her all over the world as an engineering specialist, and she aspired to do great and important things. A split second was all it took to wash those dreams down the drain. A concussion, or in Kristin's case a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with loss of consciousness, is a serious injury that is accompanied with changes to a person's physical well-being, cognitive abilities, and can result in an altered mental state. The training and the social pressures instilled over twenty-two years of military service were a deterrent to her seeking help right away for her injury. Kristin wallowed in despair for months before she would admit the significance of her problem. Her relationships collapsed, her ability to function in and out of the workplace deteriorated and her purpose was lost. When she finally admitted to herself that she needed help, she was thrown into a rehabilitation labyrinth with the hope of regaining simple skills that were taken for granted. This isn't a sad story though; this is a story about how Kristin's indoor garden saved her life.

Author: Kristin Topping
ISBN-10: 1988736609
ISBN-13: 9781988736600
Publisher: Golden Brick Road Publishing House
Language: English
Published: 10/10/2020
Pages: 220
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.60d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/03/2020

About the Author
Kristin Topping is a twenty-two-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2016, she experienced a brain injury and from that experience she wrote a recovery memoir about mindful horticulture. Kristin promotes a holistic approach to brain injury recovery with an emphasis on the inclusion of horticulture as a component of a patient's self-care regime. She is the owner of Sweetlife Flora, a rare and exotic plant shop. Kristin lives south of Arnprior, Ontario with her husband, a plethora of animals and, of course, her indoor jungle.