Section 1: Client Feature Story - An On-the-Job Fall Changed Jyl Waters' Life

Coping with Stress

In many ways Jean Greener is a typical farm wife. She raised the children, runs the household, assists with farm finances, keeps the family connected to the community, and helps out with seasonal farm chores. Jean and Don have raised seven children who are now between the ages of 20 and 31. Four of their children were adopted and have special needs.

"She [Carla] was able to help me look at the big picture. She provided me insights and help on working with all of the providers and agencies."

The Greeners have operated a 40-head dairy farm with 2000 acres of pasture and cropland near Brush, Colorado for almost 30 years. Don continues to raise all of his own replacements and purchases additional heifers that he sells as springers, a term used to identify a heifer close to term with her first calf. Don operates the farm alone but employs one or two part-time hired hands during the busy seasons.

Life changed for all the Greeners in 1990 when Don and Nikki were injured in a car accident. Nikki, 7 ½ at the time, was unconscious for almost three months. She sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and became legally blind. Don was unconscious and was hospitalized for nearly a week. He also sustained a brain injury, but less severe than Nikki’s. One of the side effects of the brain injury for Don has been short-term memory loss.

Since the accident, Jean has carried on with her normal day-to-day activities but added to them have been additional emotional and hands-on support for her husband Don in operating the farm. Nikki’s severe disabilities required Jean to provide more intense caregiving. In addition, Jean began home schooling Nikki part of each week. In 2001, Jean became overwhelmed by the many demands of her life. Not only did she worry about how her husband was going to handle all the farm work and keep a roof over their heads but she was also trying to deal with coordinating educational and medical services for Nikki. Combining these worries with running the household and helping with the farm, Jean was feeling the cumulative effects of stress.

Suspecting that Jean was overwhelmed, the Morgan county extension agent suggested that Jean contact Carla Wilhite, former project coordinator with the Colorado AgrAbility Project at Easter Seals Colorado. This was the Greeners’ first contact with AgrAbility but not their first contact with Easter Seals. Shortly after the car accident, the Greeners had worked with Easter Seals Colorado staff, who helped the family obtain a computer for Nikki to use in school.

Jean told Carla that, “Don’s first priority is to keep the farm going and to keep a roof over our heads. I am dealing with everything else.” Jean felt she had to support Don in whatever ways she could but she was confused and consumed by the details and changes in rules and regulations affecting her daughter’s education. The AgrAbility staff helped support Jean in her role as caregiver for Nikki. “She [Carla] was able to help me look at the big picture. She provided me insights and help on working with all of the providers and agencies [working with my daughter],” Jean reports. “Carla offered the kind of expertise I didn’t have. She understands the issues related to having a child with a disability and living on a farm. I trust Carla’s opinions.”

The AgrAbility staff also suggested to Jean that she may benefit from counseling services. They connected her to the Centennial Mental Health Center. Centennial Mental Health is a nonprofit organization funded by the state of Colorado, private insurance, Medicaid, and client fees. For the past year and a half, both Jean and Nikki have been meeting with the Centennial counselors. Jean says that these services have been extremely helpful for them. The counselors helped her put her concerns into perspective, develop techniques to remain calm, and manage her reactions to stressful situations. Due to state budget constraints, however, the funding for these services is in jeopardy. Lack of access to and availability of rural mental health services across the country have been issues that rural communities continue to battle. Jean has learned stress management strategies that she hopes will continue to serve her well.

Jean’s positive outlook, nice sense of humor, and willingness to seek help when she recognized her need, are positive factors that help her manage her stress. Jean wholeheartedly recommends that other farmwomen not hesitate to seek and accept help when they are feeling overwhelmed by life’s many stressors. She urges them to contact their state AgrAbility Project or other local resources for assistance if they find themselves in a situation similar to hers.

NEXT: Focus - Mental Health

In This Issue
Section 1: Client Story: Coping with Stress Section 2: Focus - Mental Health Section 3: Resources	Section 4: Colorado AgrAbility Project Section 5: Contacts