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What does it take to keep trusting your body after leukemia, chemotherapy-induced heart failure, autoimmune challenges, and brain surgery?
In this episode of Everyday Ancestral, I sit down with Dr. Lisa Koche, an internal medicine physician, functional medicine practitioner, and founder of Spectra Wellness. Lisa was diagnosed with leukemia at 15, relapsed at 20, developed heart failure after chemotherapy, and recently underwent a nearly nine-hour surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.
Her experiences as both a patient and a doctor taught her that conventional medicine can provide extraordinary, lifesaving care while still leaving important questions unanswered. We talk about bridging modern medicine, integrative tools, ancestral practices, and spiritual connection so you can work with qualified practitioners without surrendering your authority over your own health.
Lisa’s search began with one persistent question: Why? When the doctors treating her could not explain why she had become sick, she went to medical school looking for answers. She later discovered functional medicine, explored mitochondrial health and nervous system regulation, and built a practice designed to help patients better understand the connections between their symptoms, environment, habits, and overall health.
Why This Matters to You
Scared that a diagnosis could take away your sense of control? Lisa explains that the time to build trust in your body is before a crisis arrives. Learning to notice your body, understand your values, and participate in everyday health decisions can help you remain an active partner when difficult choices appear.
Disconnected from what your body is telling you? Constant work, scrolling, stress, poor food, difficult relationships, and nonstop stimulation can make it easier to live outside your body than to feel what is happening within it. Lisa encourages you to slow down, reconnect, and begin noticing the signals you may have learned to ignore.
Overwhelmed by biohacking devices, supplements, apps, and competing health advice? Lisa does not believe healing has to come from one side alone. Her own recovery involved skilled surgeons, medical care, integrative practices, emotional support, spiritual surrender, and allowing other people to help her.
Running on stress and wondering why your body will not respond? Lisa describes the nervous system as constantly receiving information from your environment. She believes calming those inputs, supporting foundational habits, and helping the body experience safety can create a better foundation for working with your healthcare team.
Struggling to start because every health change feels too big? Lisa recommends choosing one manageable action for five to ten minutes. You might step outside, hydrate, journal, breathe, sit quietly, or place your feet on the ground. The goal is not perfection. It is rebuilding connection through small, consistent choices.
Actionable Advice
Start before the crisis. Build your relationship with your body now so fear is not making every decision if an unexpected diagnosis or major life event occurs.
Choose one five-minute practice. Pick a simple action that does not feel overwhelming, such as going outside, drinking water, journaling, breathing slowly, or sitting without your phone.
Reconnect with natural rhythms. Get outside in the morning, notice the changing light throughout the day, hydrate, and spend time connected to the natural environment.
Rewrite your inner dialogue. Notice when self-judgment tells you that you always fail, cannot meditate, or might as well give up. Pause and choose the next realistic step instead.
Practice gratitude and connection. Thank your body for what it is doing, smile at another person, listen to the birds, and create moments where you are fully present rather than constantly plugged in.
Lisa moved from being a teenager searching for an explanation for her leukemia to becoming a physician determined to fill the gaps she saw in conventional care. Her journey continued through heart failure, autoimmune symptoms, motherhood, and an unexpected brain tumor. Today, she uses those experiences to help people combine appropriate medical care with foundational habits, integrative tools, nervous system support, personal agency, and hope.
Links and Resources to Explore
Listen to the Full Episode – Available now on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.
You do not have to master every health practice or find one perfect answer. Begin by giving your body five minutes of attention, asking better questions, and becoming an active partner in your care. Listen to the full episode and choose one small action that helps you reconnect with your body, your environment, and the people around you.
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