Tami Lysher is a cancer survivor and thriver. It’s been 15 years since the Grand Blanc, Michigan business owner learned of her breast cancer diagnosis. Through her journey, and with the help of Comprehensive Breast Care Surgeon Linsey Gold, DO, FACOS, FACS, Tami has plenty of advice to share with other breast cancer patients – those newly-diagnosed, those undergoing treatment, and those who are trying to resume a normal life again. During The Breast of Everything podcast, she talks about the value of a second opinion – which changed her life drastically, the importance of yoga in maintaining physical and emotional health, and how a traumatic event such as a cancer diagnosis can affect a person’s entire wellbeing.

At the time of her diagnosis, Tami was a divorced mother of two teenagers, a full-time early childhood educator and the owner of a yoga and pilates studio. She found exercise kept her grounded through her cancer ordeal, and practicing yoga regularly really helped her through some tough days. Keep moving; the recovery process will be faster and easier, she recommends.

Through her experience, she also learned a great deal about trauma, which can be an overlooked and very critical part of a cancer journey. That’s why she started “Trauma-Informed Movement,” a program designed to help people successfully manage the affects of a traumatic event on their life.  

People tend to compartmentalize their feelings, but they have to take the lid off before it blows off. Don’t bury your feelings; eventually they will resurface and in ways that can be harmful emotionally and physically.