Steroids are synthetic substances similar to hormones like testosterone. They’re similar to hormones in several key ways. In terms of chemical structure, both are lipid-based molecules with a specific four-ring structure called a cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene nucleus (say that three times fast). This shared molecular architecture allows them to interact with similar cellular receptors. In terms of their biological function, like hormones, steroids act as chemical messengers in the body. They bind to specific receptor proteins, typically inside cells and once bound, they influence gene expression and cellular behavior. Both regulate important processes like metabolism, immune response, and sexual characteristics. The body naturally produces steroid hormones in several places like the Adrenal glands (cortisol, aldosterone) and the Gonads (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone). Steroids are generally fat-soluble and can cross cell membranes easily. They tend to have longer-lasting effects than many other hormones. Synthetic steroids are now common and are designed to mimic and sometimes enhance these natural hormone effects. The close relationship between steroids and hormones is why steroid use can significantly impact the body’s endocrine (hormone) system, potentially causing imbalances if not properly managed under medical supervision. They fall into two main categories: Corticosteroids that reduce inflammation and Anabolic steroids that promote muscle growth.
When one says that something is “on steroids” (as seems to happen a lot in our emphasis-oriented culture), the general implication is that it has been artificially pumped up to exaggerate its most positive features, and yet there is some degree of artificiality to it all that causes some unspecified concern that what may look like strength could result in weakness. The body-builder on steroids is the prototype because all that added testosterone equivalency seems to bulk up his manliness and musculature but at the same time create the image of shrinking gonads and elevating voice pitch. When someone has a back or joint injury there seems always to be the suggestion that one solution to reduce discomfort and prolong functionality is a steroid injection, and yet everyone goes into that with a vague notion that it will only yield temporary relief and may even further harm the situation by masking the root problem in such a way as to render one worse off in the not so long run. In fact, steroids seem almost to be an analogy for a big portion of life. There is always a quick fix and a feel-good option, but there is nothing about that fix that feels totally right or satisfying in its completeness. The word palliative comes from Medieval Latin and it means to cloak. Today we like to say that a palliative relieves symptoms without dealing with the cause of the condition. Indeed, there is an entire course of medical care that has chosen to address that very approach.
Palliative care is a form of specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of serious illnesses. It is used to improve quality of life for both patients and their families. The main purposes of palliative care include symptom management like controlling pain, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms that can accompany serious illness. It can also be about providing emotional, practical, and spiritual support to help patients and families cope with the challenges of serious illness. This includes help with difficult medical decisions and advance care planning. There is also an element of coordination of care, aligning everyone’s best interests and advice.
Tending a garden is not so different than providing medical care. Gardening and medical care share several interesting parallels since both require monitoring and observation – Just as doctors monitor patients’ vital signs and symptoms, gardeners must observe their plants for signs of health issues like wilting, discoloration, or pest damage. It was just explained to us yesterday at our Garden Club gathering by a pest-control expert, that exact identification of pests is a critical stage in diagnosis and treatment of gardening problems. My friend Joe is paying that expert to help rid him of pocket gophers on the theory that they are causing great damage to his larger succulents like century plant agaves. When I asked him if the problem might be the dreaded snout weevils, he agreed that he didn’t know for sure and that it might be. We joked that dealing with pocket gophers costs $200 whereas eliminating snout weevils requires two $1,300 pesticide applications per year…so he was choosing to declare pocket gophers to be the culprits.
Gardening and medical care involve prevention as a key. Regular “checkups” and maintenance can prevent bigger problems. In gardening, this means proper watering, fertilizing, and pest management. In medicine, it means preventive care, screenings, and healthy lifestyle habits. Now go figure out what proper watering, fertilizing and pest management mean. I love the gardening apps that tell you the diagnosis indicates that you are watering too much or perhaps providing too little water. Take your pick. The same problem exists with fertilizing and pest control. In all cases treatment needs to be calibrated. Both gardeners and medical providers must carefully consider dosage and timing. Too much or too little water/fertilizer can harm plants, just as medication dosage must be precisely calibrated for patients.
Both require understanding of overall systems. Gardens are complex ecosystems where soil health, sunlight, water, and nutrients interact. Similarly, the human body is an intricate system where different organs and processes affect each other. And yet, individual care is essential. Just as each patient needs personalized medical care based on their specific condition and circumstances, different plants have unique requirements for soil, light, water, and nutrients, somewhat regardless of the overall system. Both involve cycles of growth and healing. Plants go through natural growth cycles and can recover from damage with proper care, similar to how the human body can heal and recover with appropriate medical treatment. And, of course, like everything in life, timing is critical. Interventions need to happen at the right time, whether that’s planting according to seasons or providing timely medical, fertilizing or pest control treatment.
During much of last year we got very little rain and, as we all know, it was a particularly hot year. I have 25 zones of irrigation, which I made sure to tinker with regularly to insure everything had what I thought was the right amount of water. Some things did fine because they are very robust, other things curled up and died before I could blink and then lots of stuff wallowed in between. I have just ripped out a bunch of plants, mostly eschevarias (Hen & Chicks plants) that are considered a difficult succulent to keep healthy. I was tempted to pull out a bunch of tree aeoneums as well but resisted. Now we have just had three days of heavy rain. I am not sure why that is so different from my sprinkler system, but it is. The aeoniums that worried me are flourishing like never before. Ones that were curled up into three-inch turtle-balls are now the size of dinner plate chargers, and so green that they actually look almost artificial.
This rain has given my otherwise desert garden an injection of steroids. Everything looks strong and vibrant and my worries will now have to shift from palliative care to growth containment and control. Mother Nature is amazing. Just as my knee is healing itself from my fall (no steroid shots involved), my garden has just healed itself with a simple rainfall. Now the big question will be, was this a short-lived garden steroid shot or a lasting cure? I’m afraid I know the answer. Lasting garden cures don’t exist. Everything in life is one big steroid shot for the moment.