At 43 years old, with a 3-year old daughter, I went in for a routine mammogram. The results were far from routine. My world stopped in the moment I received the phone call that I had cancer. I had been through years of infertility treatments to finally have my baby and the first thing I said to my doctor is, “I can’t die! I have to see my daughter grow up!” In her infinite compassion she said to me, “You will see your daughter walk down the aisle.” It was the best thing she could have done.
It was Stage 2 Invasive Lobular Cancer and in the next few months I would endure a mastectomy using my latissimus muscle and work on regaining strength and mobility. In the big scheme of things, the physical healing happened far quicker than the lingering emotional repercussions.
As both a Psychotherapist and Yoga Therapist, I was fortunate to have the tools and find the resources to help me through the grieving and healing process. I already knew that we store traumatic events in our bodies and there is a saying in the therapy world that “The Issue are in the Tissues”, meaning that we store emotions in our physical body. With the work of a trained professional, the tension and trauma can be released so that you can move forward in a more empowered way.
It has been 12 years since that diagnosis. Today, I find gratification in working with women who’ve been faced with the same diagnosis as well as women going through other challenging life transitions. I help them move from Fear to Fierce, from feeling weak to feeling strong again. This is done from both a Mind and Body approach where relief can come far more quickly.
For a free 15-minute consultation, please contact Kim at kimsaunders@mindspring.com or go to her website www.LiftYogaStudio.com