Tamera Anderson-Hanna is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Addiction Professional, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and became a Registered Yoga Teacher while coping with breast cancer in 2015. She owns Wellness, Therapy, & Yoga in Florida where she provides personal wellness services and coaching and she is a public speaker on wellness-related topics.  You can connect with her at www.wellnesstherapyyoga.com.

Tamera Anderson-Hanna

Being a breast cancer survivor is facilitated by being flexible and adapting to my body and needs post-cancer. I am gratefully a six-year survivor and I have learned flexibility is key due to changes I sometimes experience after breast cancer.

One such change I have experienced post-cancer is lymphedema (an excess of fluid in tissues that causes swelling). I have experienced lymphedema in my right arm but also in the breast, which is affected by the loss of lymph nodes. The experience of lymphedema is uncomfortable, but I find that stretching and participating in adaptive yoga helps me to continue to be active and combat symptoms. I have found at times traditional Vinyasa yoga may not always be supported in my body, but I can modify my yoga to be seated. I can also practice in a manner in which I transition to a chair, which essentially brings the ground up a supportive level I can reach to.

I thankfully completed training that further assisted me in learning about adaptive exercise and yoga in early 2020, just as COVID-19 was impacting many of our lives. By further enhancing my ability to offer adaptive exercises classes, I expanded upon my own practice. I learned during COVID-19 that some individuals were not going to be able to practice yoga in their traditional setting, so I completed my training in chair yoga and began offering online classes on Zoom, not only for my own benefit, but to help fellow cancer survivors and other individuals potentially needing a more adaptive practice.

The adaptive class I have been working on for cancer survivors has thankfully caught on. Thanks to LympheDIVAs, I have a free sponsored online class, Chair and Standing Yoga for Cancer, that I offer monthly on Zoom. The sponsorship helps cover the cost of Zoom and a bit of my time as I would otherwise be teaching a paid class elsewhere.

My time is limited because I also work full-time, but I appreciate the opportunity to help fellow survivors with their health and wellness and hope to see programming grow as needs of our community grow.

It is my belief that adaptive exercise, including adaptive yoga, will grow as our population ages and as more cancer survivors explore its benefits to help meet their needs post-cancer. I most certainly enjoy the benefits of an adaptive yoga class.

I teach the class to seniors at an adult living facility who are also looking to maintain wellness as they age. Ideally, chair yoga is for everyone, but the ability to adapt chair yoga makes it more accessible to individuals with any special needs post-cancer or injury.

I encourage individuals to explore ways to stay active and maybe give chair yoga a try. It is great not only post-cancer, but is taking off in many corporate settings as well, as it is easy to practice in a home or office environment as needed.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to 

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A breast cancer survivor writes about the benefits she has experienced from adaptive exercise, such as yoga.

Adaptive Exercise Can Have Benefits Following a Cancer Diagnosis

There may be many things to think about or consider regarding COVID-19.

As I wrote and pondered in December, one choice for myself was following up with the opportunity to get vaccinated. I faced some negative feedback from some individuals and outside parties, but overall, I was given support to make an educated decision about receiving the vaccine.

READ MORE: Weighing The Pros and Cons of Receiving a COVID-19 Vaccine

To prepare, I met with three specialists from my medical care team and all three agreed the COVID-19 vaccine was a good fit for me. One even stated, “Get whatever version is first available to you.” I am at higher risk of COVID-19 complications not due to breast cancer, but due to asthma and by working as a first responder.

Following receipt of the vaccine, I am someone who will likely be required to go back to working unrestricted with individuals with a known or unknown COVID-19 status.

To further clarify, I was also cleared by all three of my specialists despite having allergies, which require monthly immunotherapy treatments. My immunologist stated I could receive any of the currently available vaccines. The rule of thumb — and his research suggested — is that if I have not had a negative reaction to any prior vaccinations such as the pneumonia or shingles vaccine, then I would not be expected to have an adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. But I do encourage individuals with allergies to speak to their immunologist before getting vaccinated as a precaution.

The next step was finding access to the vaccine. I believed I would receive the vaccine as a first responder, but by mid-January nothing was being provided to myself or my coworkers. I was fortunate to begin receiving the vaccine at the Miami Cancer Institute. The staff were great, and they had everyone wait for up to 30 minutes after the injection to assess any potential concerns or a rare reaction.

I did not experience any reaction with either injection and I did not experience any muscular pain. In fact, it was the most pleasant of any vaccine I have ever been given. I would even say my allergy shots probably hurt more than the COVID-19 vaccine did.

During my second injection, the nurse explained the key to administration is to give the shot three fingers down from your shoulder into the deltoid to help avoid unnecessary soreness and difficulty moving your arm following the injection. They also did not squeeze my arm during the injection but only held the sides of my arm to prevent movement.

As a precaution, however, I asked to receive the shot in the arm I have not had lymph nodes removed from. I have since heard from at least one fellow survivor that she received one version of a vaccine in her non-dominate arm (where she had lymph nodes removed) as advised due to any potential soreness, but felt it was a mistake as it may have triggered her previous experiences with lymphedema.

I now share her experience only as something for other individuals to ask their oncologist about to avoid any potential lymphedema flare-up as maybe soreness in a dominant arm is better than triggering symptoms of a breast cancer treatment-related side effect.

I am aware of some peers who have had their second injection and who have experienced flu-like symptoms. I feel it’s just a sign the vaccine is working and would expect needing no more than a day off from work to rest and manage symptoms.

For me, my symptoms following the second Pfizer injection included mild fatigue, some mild body aches, a feeling of swelling in my armpit on the side the shot was given, and a bit of an upset stomach on the final day which was fairly short lived. My symptoms began approximately 24 hours after the second injection and ended after approximately one day.

The choice to get vaccinated is a personal one. I appreciate individuals who don’t care to receive the vaccine due to their own beliefs or concerns, but I hope such individuals respect the choice of those who do receive the vaccine. While Veklury (remdesivir) and convalescent plasma are now game changers for those who develop a severe complication due to a COVID-19 infection — and was available to one of my family members — I hope not to end up in the situation of needing such treatment or risking damage to my lungs.

I am presently NED (no evidence of disease), but for myself, I would be making the same choice to get vaccinated if undergoing treatment unless contraindicated for some reason. I am grateful to the staff of MCI, my oncologist, and my primary care physician for the opportunity to get vaccinated and their having me on a list to receive the vaccine.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to

A cancer survivor reflects on her decision to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when it was made available to her. 

After Weighing the Pros and Cons of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine, I Decided to Get One

After cancer, is it okay to be sexy? I sure hope so, and I am now helping fellow survivors to embrace their bodies the way we are. Being a woman, and a licensed mental health professional, I have spent most of my life hearing women refer to their bodies and what they don’t like and what they think could be better. Cancer, from my experience, has amplified these feelings of dissatisfaction with their body for some of my peers but I am all about embracing our bodies pre- and post-cancer.

I can still admit I was once comparing my own body to those in magazines or trying particular workouts to look like someone or something else, but at some point, I turned my energy inward. I accepted spending time on exercise to maintain health as a goal and not to necessarily change or alter my body to look any other way. Cancer can challenge this concept of self-esteem and body image. For the majority of breast cancer survivors, like myself, there is scarring due to treatments or medical procedures where the breast tissue is removed, and our bodies may look or appear foreign to us afterward. I have felt I had two or three different sets of breasts in my lifetime thus far, but I have tried to love each one of them. The first was before cancer, the second during reconstruction with expanders, while mainly flat and the third set following reconstruction with implants.

While I healed and began to accept my cancer diagnosis is when I inadvertently began yoga teacher training. I was two weeks into training when I was told I had breast cancer. I used my time and energy to work on mind-body healing. I spent time eating healthy, getting rest, breathing for meditation and caring for my body which included using affirmations and supportive self-talk. I also did not think to myself, if only my body looked different so I embraced my body and did not hold back from experiencing feelings or acts of intimacy during my surgeries or reconstruction.

So, how am I now helping other women? I have developed a workshop in which I help women examine their self-talk and how they speak about or relate to their bodies. We explore any benefits to changing the dialogue they have with and about their body along with exploring expectations. Part of the workshop will also include exploring how and when certain feelings about their body surfaced and for some negative dialogue may have begun before cancer. I believe following a breast cancer diagnosis, we may become more aware of messages we have about our body during the cancer journey.

The agenda of the workshop includes learning about self-talk, affirmations, cognitive reframing, exploring the role of self-care and setting healthy and supportive goals that may rely upon using a treatment team for further support. Individuals may set goals to further address sexual function and healthy or supportive diet and exercise for the benefits of improving their general health. The workshop will also touch on learning how to have a healthy dialogue about sex and intimacy with oneself and feelings and goals about communicating needs. It is important to understand what is important in feeling sexy and the specific types of intimacy women are looking for in life or a relationship. The goal will be to begin by having a supportive relationship with oneself and the body we reside in to then help improve upon any other relationships we might have or be in with regard to ways those relationships impact personal intimacy.

There is nothing more empowering as a woman than to feel my own sense of self-worth and that feeling sexy for example begins with me

Even after surgery for breast cancer women can still feel empowered and own their sense of self-worth.

Embracing Our Sexy Self as Women After Surgery for Breast Cancer

In approximately four weeks, as I write this, I will have the option to receive a vaccine for COVID-19.

The vaccine is being offered to me because I work in a high-risk position as a first responder. It is optional for me to take the vaccine, so I need to ask myself: What are the pros and cons of getting it?

My reason for taking the vaccine would be to reduce the risk of severe complications related to contracting COVID-19. I observed a family member contract COVID-19 and end up in the hospital. Fortunately, remdesivir, the first drug authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat COVID-19, was available to my family member, along with a plasma treatment. Their lung function was affected, and it has taken time for them to build back up their physical stamina and lung function following hospitalization.

Expert Breaks Down Misconceptions About COVID-19 Vaccine

Prior to getting the vaccine, one of the first things I will do is talk to a couple of my health care providers regarding their thoughts on the vaccines. I want to know if, in their opinion, getting the vaccine is recommended considering my medical history with cancer. What I will be weighing with my medical team is the benefits of taking the vaccine (even with potential side effects) versus contracting the virus. 

I assume they will say I should take the vaccine or else live with the risk of experiencing the full effects if I contract COVID-19, which, according to antibody testing, I have not contracted already. What are some of the potential side effects of the vaccine? They include pain at the injection site, fatigue, muscle aches or pain, joint pain, headache and fever, which would be short-lived, according to the recent authorization of the vaccine by the FDA.

Two separate injections are given approximately one month apart. Earlier this year, I was due to receive a vaccine for pneumonia, and I was encouraged to also get a flu shot, which I have not received for almost 10 years. I received both the flu and pneumonia vaccines plus the initial vaccine for shingles, which also is given in two separate injections. I was surprised to learn I could receive all three at the same appointment. My side effects included stomach upset, loss of appetite and a headache that lasted around 24 hours.

The benefit is, hopefully, to have few or no problems with pneumonia or the flu and never get shingles. I would hope the COVID-19 vaccine would give me the same level of protection, but I will ask if it is known how long potential immunity or partial immunity will last. To be honest, COVID-19 worries me because the virus seems to affect lung function along with sometimes causing other unusual symptoms that seem more severe than your typical flu.

The Double Whammy of Cancer and COVID-19 on Mental Health

My other concerns about not getting vaccinated include being able to get proper medical care and attention during increased demand on the health care system for COVID-19 treatments. Also, I worry about getting supportive treatment if I get COVID-19 while traveling. I would like to resume a more normal lifestyle in 2021 and get back to traveling and enjoying life more fully.

I also see and hear about providers who are getting burned out and are at risk for infection every time they treat a new patient. I do not want to add to that risk. One of my biggest concerns is not wanting to pass COVID-19 to someone who might be immunocompromised. I am now NED (no evidence of disease) but still have a higher risk for severe complications because of my asthma. 

I will feel better about helping to protect the community that I live in if I am vaccinated. I don’t look forward to possibly getting ill from a vaccine, but perhaps the payoff will be having fewer negative complications and avoiding hospitalization due to the side effects of COVID-19.

A cancer survivor debates getting the vaccine and seeks more information about its side effects.

Tamera Anderson-Hanna

Adaptive Exercise Can Have Benefits Following a Cancer Diagnosis

After Weighing the Pros and Cons of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine, I Decided to Get One

Embracing Our Sexy Self as Women After Surgery for Breast Cancer

A First Responder and Survivor Weighs Pros and Cons of the COVID-19 Vaccines

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