Renewed Nurse Coaching Program

You can start living, now.

I was buried alive and staring in the eyes of a life limiting disease. 

It was March, 2020, early on in the Caronavirus outbreak  in King, County WA in our first lockdown. I was  working on the frontlines as a Hospice Nurse PRactitioner, and had 2 children under the age of 5 at home, without childcare. I had just barely returned to work, after a 3 month journey of debilitating back pain.  With many of my identities stripped away, I was beginning to understand who I was and what I valued most. I was given, another opportunity to slow down and evaluate my priorities. At age 40, I was now, staring in the eyes of a life limiting disease. During this really dark time, I learned the healing power of finding joy in the present, being vs doing, self-nurture, and the mind-body connection.

I received that phone call from my doctor. My heart skipped a beat, when he said, “Do you have a minute? Are you sitting down?” .

In shock I immediately thought the worst. I couldn’t breathe at first…I had nots in the pit of my stomach.  I felt numb, and like all my dreams were slipping through my fingers. 

“We’ve found a solid, grapefruit sized mass in your ovary.” As a Hospice Nurse Practitioner, I had seen plenty of women in their 40’s dying. Ovarian cancer is called the silent killer.

Over the next 8 weeks, I awaited answers, test after test, 2nd opinions, doctor visits. I had moments of spinning in fear, anxiety, despair. I even experienced my first ever panic attack. 

I was scattered, and in so much pain. I was searching for a way to feel better and cope. In a crisis, I was usually the type of person who researched solutions through countless hours of research to fix what was broken. ButI knew this time had to be different. That’s how I found the practice of self-compassion.

When my doctor delivered the news and requested, “I rush back to the clinic because this could  be an emergency.” I had Tunnel vision of how I wanted to spend my final days on this earth…. It was in that moment I practiced self-compassion and checked in with myself. If i was truly dying, where and what would I want to be doing? How could I nourish myself.  IT was right there with my family, on this mountain.  

Over those next 8 weeks, amidst the pain and unknowns, I lived each moment like it was  my last while teetering on the bliss of the present. Instead of  running away from the painful emotions and thoughts… I sunk in a bit deeper and  embraced them.  I looked at my life with a different lense. It was not longer about the DOING and Achieving.  it was all about the BEING and self nurture

During this re-awakening...I realized,  if all I can control is my thoughts, my heart and my actions, I was going to do a damn good job of that. I went deeper into my mindfulness and self-compasison practices, and energy healing.

These were mini moments interwoven into my busy day as a mom. Barefeet breaths in the grass, engaging my 5 senses over coffee, daily gratitude practices, 5 min yoga sessions, & envisioning healing and how I wanted to feel.

I embraced the laughter, snuggles, and tantrums alongside my kiddos.  I spent an hour each week in deep conversation with my oldest childhood in deep conversation.  was learning a new way of being, and through this pain and struggle, I was actually Waking up and finding my true self.

. As you might have guessed I found out it wasn’t cancer. And in fact when they went in for surgery 8 weeks later, the solid mass had disappeared with no sign of its existence.  My back pain also disappeared. Just like the mind-body connection can take us down, I was learning how a positive mindset, self-nurture and a deep community connection could build us back up.

I’m Lisa, a Resilience Coach and Integrative Nurse Practitioner. I can help you move from a place of feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, exhausted, stuck to a reigniting your passion, joy, energy, confidence. Together we’ll restore your mental, physical, and emotional health.