Tamera Anderson-Hanna

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.

Yoga is a beneficial exercise and outlet for patients with cancer, and their caregivers, to help handle the mental and physical side effects that come with cancer, including issues of lymphedema. But with the COVID-19 pandemic it’s become harder to continue yoga routines, but virtual yoga still has its benefits.

 Tamera Anderson-Hanna, a registered yoga teacher and owner of 

in Florida, she discusses transitioning to yoga classes over video and how they are still beneficial for patients with cancer and their caregivers.

I think one of the things that I at least focus on is, somebody who's going through cancer can attend, but also the caregiver, the husband, the wife, the spouse, the partner, whoever that (support) person might be. They're also usually welcome to attend the classes, and that could be support as well. You'll notice I'm wearing a compression sleeve. So, when you attend a class, where somebody who has a little bit of a background working in cancer, and knowing the concessions that have to be made, we can look at how you need to use different props. I've got some blocks out because this is what I would use in my classes. And what I've been teaching people is they might not have the block in their home, but we can take a chair, we can take a stool, we can take different things that a person come to so when we go from a standing pose, which is like a mountain pose, then exhale down, you're coming down onto this block. So you're not having to come all the way down to the ground.

And we can adjust chair height, we can adjust the stool height. When I'm doing this kind of class I've been doing in person, I might have six of these blocks, I might have eight of these blocks, because it depends on how far the person can come down based on what range of motion they have. So, it's just a lot of different work that we do. I focus a lot on teaching people that have lymphedema. I didn't have the swelling in my arm or a little bit of that restriction, that tight feeling, probably until about three years out from my post cancer surgeries. And I really didn't think I was at high risk, but we have individuals in the cancer community that are experiencing loss of their lymph nodes or impairment product function.

So, I like to talk to people through the yoga not only about keeping good mental well-being as we go through the class, I talk about the poses and benefits. So a lot of the things that I do is I'm teaching people to bring your arms up, for example, and I will talk about the importance of bringing up lymphatic fluid all the way back down towards the heart center, and down towards it being detoxed through the body. What we're doing through yoga is if you think about it, kind of like when you're wringing out a dish cloth or a towel, and we're bringing up water and moisture, but for our body, which were mostly made up of water, so we're trying to detox that system. And as we're moving if we get that lymphatic fluid going in the right direction, that's the end of the fingers, for example, the facts the heart center, we do have we're helping to decrease that fluid.

Check back later for the full interview and brief yoga demonstration from Tamera! 

Videos

CURE® interviews Voices contributor Tamera Anderson-Hanna on the benefits of continuing to perform yoga at home for both patients with cancer experiencing lymphedema, as well as caregivers looking to address their own mental well-being.
 

CURE Community Vlogs: Staying Active At Home Through Virtual Yoga

Blood donations have been down since the impact of COVID-19 and now that surgeries are resuming and individuals with cancer seek treatment some of us can do our part to pay it forward and donate blood. While undergoing surgeries and procedures as a breast cancer survivor, I was not allowed to give blood, but being 5 years out from my diagnosis, I gave blood for the first time in 5 years at the end of May. I was taught early on to donate blood. My mother is a universal blood donor, as are other members of my family, and donating blood was a regular part of my life from age 18 up until my breast cancer diagnosis. There are many benefits beyond just helping to potentially save a life. From a personal perspective, you have your own personal portal to evaluate and compare cholesterol levels from any date you have donated to also keeping track of blood pressure. This year when I resumed donating to help individuals following a blood shortage associated with our lockdown, I also benefitted from an antibody test for COVID-19.

The topic of measuring for antibodies has mixed reviews regarding what it will mean if you have antibodies and if you do it is not a definite and may not indicate you can't later again contract COVID-19, but if you have antibodies it is possible you can donate plasma as a treatment option to help others should a family member contract COVID-19 and be in need of treatment. Some individuals have found benefit from plasma donations given by individuals who have COVID-19 antibodies.

How does blood help patients with cancer? Some patients with cancer benefit from blood transfusions due to internal bleeding caused by tumors. When my stepfather was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, he had fallen out from internal bleeding caused by an unknown tumor which had invaded the lining of his stomach and was pushing itself out from the stomach lining. Initial testing could not pinpoint why he was losing blood, but an MRI soon showed the results of a baseball-sized tumor which had invaded his body and was leading to blood loss which required almost immediate surgery. While he did not need a transfusion, he was close to needing such as he was at risk of losing too much of his own blood.

Other patients with cancer benefit from blood donations or bone marrow donations. In addition to giving blood to help others, you can also agree to be a bone marrow donor which, if you match with someone, can be critical in saving a life by helping provide stem cells for transplant. Other patients with cancer sometimes require blood due to anemia, blood loss during surgery, or as a result of negative side effects of radiation or chemotherapy on platelet or red blood cell counts.

If you're looking for more information on how and why you might want to consider donating blood you can contact your local blood donation center or look for resources with organizations such as the American Cancer Society to learn more about ways you can help others by donating.

Articles

Cancer patients sometimes require blood due to anemia, blood loss during surgery, or as a result of negative side effects radiation or chemotherapy have on platelet or red blood cell counts.

Donating Blood has Benefits for Patients With Cancer

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I would venture to say most everyone has needed to examine their mental well-being lately. Checking in with our mental well-being is okay and during such times is a healthy and normal thing to do. It is a great time to de-stigmatize the discussion about mental health both during and after a cancer diagnosis and when facing life challenges and changes in our normal routine.

I found myself needing to monitor for feelings of anxiety and irritability in the last couple of months. In my experience any feelings of anxiety in my life were probably at their peak when concerned about my former cancer diagnosis, having family member's diagnosed with cancer, and when potentially facing Covid-19 and having difficulty breathing due to allergies. It is difficult when we can't be in control of our health and healing or can we? I became a registered yoga teacher as I coped with breast cancer in 2015 and learning basic breath work along with practicing mindful meditation has been extremely helpful over the years, but I was also aware of other supports I could benefit from being knowledgeable of skills to promote coping that I have learned as a Licensed Mental Health Professional.

None of us are immune to events around us at this time, but we can reach out for resources to help us on this journey and we don't have to do it alone. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I am pleased to see the quick response many states and regulatory agencies made to help support and streamline procedures for telehealth. If you can't walk into the office of a Licensed Mental Health Provider, you can contact your insurance provider and often be connected with someone who can meet with you online for professional assistance in addition to any other tips you can benefit from for emotional well-being. This is great for personal self-care. When healing from cancer, I reached out to benefit from a survivor support group in addition to other modalities to help with my healing. As human beings we have needs for physical wellness and spiritual wellness of some kind, but we also have needs for emotional/mental wellness and sometimes this is difficult for some individuals to admit to, but there is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of when working on ways to manage such.

How can someone access mental health services? The first place might be to inquire with your insurance company. At this point in time, many states as I mentioned are working with mental health professionals to institute online counseling services. If you don't have insurance reach out to a local support hot-line for your town or community to inquire about mental health services should you be in need. It also does not hurt to share resources with others who may benefit from such supports that you might be aware of in your community. Some companies may also offer services and programs for individual or family counseling aside from benefits available with your insurance company. If comfortable, look into your benefits with your employer in regard to Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) which are often free and confidential if made available as part of your employee benefits. Some Cancer Support Communities may also be programming online as well as some of the cancer centers with local hospitals so reach out and inquire about services that might be a good fit for your needs and schedule.

During this time, meditation, yoga and individual or group counseling can all be positive supports for mental well-being. Supportive resources may benefit you, but may also be available for family members or caregivers who also may be in need of support.

As a word of caution if you or anyone you know of is feeling down as related to Covid-19 or a recent or ongoing cancer diagnosis that can be normal, but it can be beneficial to process feelings about your experiences with a peer support group or in an individual session. Other symptoms or changes in daily functioning may need to be taken more seriously however and warrant more immediate attention and screening. Some red flags may include but are not limited to changes to energy levels which would not normally be attributed to a physical illness, changes to mental well-being which begins to impact an individual's ability to care for themselves or others, and if losing interest in living or looking forward to the future then it definitely is important to reach out and screen symptoms further with a mental health professional along with anything you think might be a sign of needing support and help. As a community, let's support ourselves or others who may benefit from mental health services.

May marks Mental Health Awareness month, a crucial part of the healing required for patients on their cancer journey. 

Mental Health Awareness is a Part of Healing

Thriving in times of uncertainty is something those of us who have had cancer can relate to. The diagnosis and conditions might not seem fair, but we get to control how we cope. This might be a good reminder under current circumstances. There are stages many of us will experience that include shock, anger, fear, bargaining, and potential feelings of despair but hopefully, when we experience a setback, we let all of that in to reach a stage of acceptance. In today's terms, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, thrivership and resilience are what we can gain from adversity.

Cancer and current stay at home orders may have many grieving not only a diagnosis but a loss of identity, sense of purpose and routine. I have been impressed with individuals who are thriving and tapping into their resilience in light of uncertainty.

I had to personally explore my ability to tap into resilience and ability to cope with setbacks when I experienced an infection shortly after my double mastectomy. It took me back to healing all over again and my exchange surgery was delayed for 6 months while coping with an infection. In the process of healing, I tapped into skills I was practicing by becoming a registered yoga teacher, but also tips I had shared and processed for several years with clients I saw working as a Licensed Mental Health Professional. I am presently at home healing my lungs from exposure to mold before being allowed to return to my normal duties as a first responder and likely future exposure to COVID-19. I have drawn upon my past experiences with setbacks to guide me during this time of healing.

Things I am doing to promote a sense of resiliency or thrivership include what might be some helpful tips for you.

 I realized my first day of staying home I wanted to keep some sense of routine and feelings of productivity so I made an effort to get up around the same time I would for work and spread out activities to help fill my day.

. Using patience has been key to helping maintain a sense of happiness. I am presently not allowed to leave my home to shop, so I depend on other family members to go to the store or I wait on deliveries to arrive to include needed medications. I switched to using telemedicine a couple of weeks ago and I have begun only filling any needed prescriptions by mail order. I don't control the speed at which things will happen these days, but I focus on what I have and gratitude that basic needs are being managed.

. I have found ways to help others to include being a guest wellness professional on podcasts to Facebook Live and other media outlets. It has been a good feeling to be called upon to discuss with others ways to enhance mental and physical well-being during this time. I have called to check on individuals I know are alone and are simply in need of social contact.

. I was reminded of having songs that motivate me and music can influence our mood so I am careful to watch movies, news, or to listen to music which is of good quality and that will nourish my mind. I consider the quality of my self-talk and what I feed my mind to be similar to any foods I select to nourish my body.

 I schedule social meetings with peers via Zoom or other social networking. I have scheduled fun meetings such as gathering peers to sing happy birthday to those who would normally be celebrating in person or just to create a sense of community with groups I would normally socialize with or be teaching yoga to. I normally offer a free Yoga 4 Cancer class in Miami and with the help of Zoom, I am able to offer free live programming and I have been contacted by Susan G Komen of South Florida to explore programming I can offer with their support to reach more individuals who may be in need of social support at this time.

. I have taken time to reflect and recall what I was often thinking when I said "If I only had more time" and I am working on some of those goals. For me, this includes fitting in training I can do online at my own pace to maintain certifications, and licensure, and playing simple games with my daughter or sitting down with a puzzle that allows us to slow down and bond.

 I enjoy chocolate, but I am eating fruits and mostly non-processed food to avoiding using foods for emotional comfort. This helps me in maintaining my immune system. I am also drinking fluids on a regular basis and mix in decaffeinated tea with extra ingredients to include turmeric and honey.

. I am attempting to exercise or walk daily, sometimes I have time for both. This has included walking in limited areas around my home to enjoying various forms of yoga and mindful meditation to maintain a sense of calm.

. Sleep has gotten to be a luxury with our typical busy schedules. I now have time to take a short afternoon nap if needed rather than reaching for a cup of coffee. If needed, I nap but for only 20 to 25 minutes to avoid entering into a deep sleep. I wake feeling refreshed and it is a way to give my mind and body a break if working on a computer.

 I have been connecting with a sense of mindfulness by having pleasant smells around me and taking in the views of my orchids which are blooming to fruit trees or the developing pineapples I grow. Sunsets and sunrises are also a favorite and if I miss the sound of the ocean, I play recordings I have made of the sounds of the water. Birds sound louder and there is generally less noise in my community but rather a quiet sense of calm.

In general, I have taken a step back to nurture my own well-being and realize at this time in life — I am only in control of how I cope.

Thrivership and resilience are what we can gain from adversity and help us cope with change.

Author | Tamera Anderson-Hanna

CURE Community Vlogs: Staying Active At Home Through Virtual Yoga

Donating Blood has Benefits for Patients With Cancer

Mental Health Awareness is a Part of Healing

Nurturing Resiliency and Thrivership Amid COVID-19 and Cancer Adversity