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2025-03-28

My mild PTSD caught up with me the night of Tuesday, Mar. 25, on our way from home to Portugal. During the flight I watched the movie AN ACCIDENTAL LIFE about a young noted female rock climber, Quinn Brett, who fell and broke her back on El Capitan. It covered her early climbing experiences and pieces of her love life, her severe frustrations with her new life and her uneven comeback. I compared this with my grandson’s, Nick, life who at age 5 was diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy and at that time the prognosis he will live to age 20 and he is now 18. He has graduated from high school, “walking” for his diploma in his wheelchair. He is currently going to community college and has a good mind on him. I challenged him on knowing biology and he could very quickly tell me which of his chromosomes has the missing piece inherited from his mother. His father, Will my younger son, is sticking by him which is often an issue in families with DMD. There has been counseling for Nick and the family. It seemed that Nick’s story on fortitude and accepting life was stronger than of Quinn Brett. She had something and lost part of it. Nick didn’t have it in the first place AND this past Christmas his parents feelt that the cure for Nick will not come in time as his physical condition continually weakens. Additionally, at the same time I started remembering the feeling/realization of how far down I was during the years of the undiagnosed “living-death” lymphoma, that has left a scar of mild PTSD and PTG. On that same flight I started reading the book #WHATIS POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH?, by Miriam Akhtar. Putting all this feeling together, the tears started flowing. So far the PTG book has given me this one insight: the word hopelessness. During my undiagnosed “living-death” lymphoma it seemed as the only thing that kept me going was to put one foot in front of the other, slowly, carefully, unevenly, with the ongoing fear of falling, breaking a bone, and/or simply not having the strength to get back up. No wonder I feel so “flip-flop” being that low for years and now outdancing almost anyone of any age when the contra dance gets going! People are tired of hearing of my two cancers, I’m tired of sharing it, but the emotional scar is still there. I don’t want all of it to go away, it is a reminder of what I have been through and know that there are many people who also go through significant life “bumps”. It helps to remind me to push forward with telling my story that others may benefit, if they choose to do so, that no matter what happens, no matter what life’s “bumps” gives you that a rich, flourishing life contains down “bumps” without which one cannot see the UP and there are choices in life that when I have a half full glass I have the option and ability to add moore….opps more.

I had another significant “life bump”, well a couple and should put those in BACKSTORY and BUMPS Summary.

We are staying in an unusual to me house, open with a view and free of clutter.

2025-03-22

Last night I was asking people to try their smart phone on the QR code on the sign for the blank “I CONTRA DANCE for HEALTH & FUN” name buttons. With one fellow I commented on the craziness going on in Washington, DC, to which he responded, “Hold On”, “I voted the other way”. This led to my describing some of my background, always being the outsider, being picked on, a dozen schools before college and some other life “bumps”. I also stated that I’m sharing my story, and it is my story, and the reader is responsible to see if any of it helps them as they are the one responsible for their being, that I am not trying to impose on them my life. The discussion ended with us remaining friends, looking at issues, not differences from different viewpoints. It is rewarding to take the chance to express and see there is more commonality than differences, even knowing there are different ways to approach life. It is so nice to break down those “assumed” barriers and see the common goodness that comes forth.

I have also continued to donate to various causes which support various aspects of health/wellbeing, communication of knowledge, data-based understanding of the world. Contra dance is one of those health/wellbeing activities. In this effort to “get the word out” I have started seeing it should go beyond the contra dance community. With that in mind, I am mentioning it to people where I go and seems to have gotten favorable reception. I’m slowing working on public speaking/storytelling and/or podcast type of videos to share that our basic nature in this modern world can work against our wellbeing. I NEARLY WORRIED MYSELF TO DEATH could be the title with a sub-title of THE GIFT OF MY TWO CANCERS. I have continued to build on data-based information/knowledge as shown in References so what is presented is the specialized work of many people. I have been exceptionally fortunate in having a partner in life that is also knowledgeable in the area of well-being, my wife Cynthia L Moore, who has helped identify substantive information sources. There are a number of caring friends who directly or indirectly give support to what I’m trying to do here, when we share knowledge openly, we all win. May the reader gain by taking what applies to them in fulfilling their own “BE ALL YOU WERE MEANT TO BE”.

2025-02-24

Talked with three principals at Country Dance and Song Society about donating over and above my planned donation. The idea was directed to get the word out about the positive health effects of contra dance and other dances on wellbeing in this day of additional stressors. However, what I was thinking did not fit the 5 year CDSS Strategic Plan. What I realized shortly after is that I didn’t get what I thought I wanted but took the time to see there is a better way to utilize my time and money and it opened up more possibilities than I had envisioned earlier. And, I can utilize the good material and programs from CDSS around here and beyond the dance community.

At both the Friday night contra, Greenwood, and Saturday night contra, Richmond, I was given the microphone to tell the dancers why I was providing the blank name tag buttons. It is because at 81 years young, with part of my left foot missing the contra dance helped me through two cancers and that along with the band, the caller and the volunteers, their presence was part of my healing process. The buttons were a “thank you” for being a part of my healing. But because I was nervous, I forgot to tell them to see the rest of the story accessed via the QR code next to where the buttons were available.

As a result of not having the buttons at George Marshall’s Tropical Dance Vacation earlier this month, I posted a note near the food line. That note said essentially “WHY DO I DANCE…for FUN and my oncologist stated I was in remission….KEEP DANCING”

This past week I contacted the homeowner’s association to set up a room to tell my story. The title might be “HOW CONTRA DANCE HELPED ME THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT CANCERS TO REMISSION”, or something to that effect. This is a practice run for taking my story on the road outside of the contra dance community to share the healing effects of contra dance on me.

Joan’s LMOA presentation on this past Saturday on MINDFUL MOVEMENT reminded me I need to follow up on Anna’s REST, RESTORE, REJUVINATE presentation about the different parts of the nervous system [sympathetic vs parasympathetic] last month courtesy of https://www.hygeiawellnesspark.com/.

2025-01-18 I have been working on what best way to support what I have experienced in the positive effects on physical and mental health via this website and activities in contra dance. One part of this is QCD donations to a few local dance groups and some to Country Dance and Song Society https://cdss.org/. The other part is how to more effectively make use of my resources of time and dollars.

During the Winter Contradancers Delight Holiday I danced ~25 hours between Dec. 26-30, 2024, and spent moore time telling people the story of the “CCC” on the blank name buttons. Hits on the website went way up. I wonder how many will come back and see this blog posting? How can I better “market” what I’ve learned about lifestyle change for a healthier and flourishing life? There is some much moore to discover/write/document. How can I better “get the word out”?

The other activity is how to best conserve my financial resources in support of this work? Should it be a non-profit private foundation? or simply a non-profit or a for-profit organization? What I have been doing so far is seems to be a hobby that is incurring expenses that go beyond being just for fun and that there should be some sort of tax advantage even if the overall $$ are going out. I don’t want this endeavor to cost me which will take away from the $$ could be going to QCDs or take away from my retirement savings.

This past week was great in relation to interacting with CDSS and the dance last night. Details at Jan 11-18, 2025.

2024-12-27 – night – A brake in the dancing for Warren to share feelings about people who have been to the dance and are no longer with us and I again get pretty teary eyed as I AM so fortunate to be here.

2024-12-27 – afternoon – Added to LYMPHOMA CHEMO TREATMENTLYMPHOMA CHEMO TREATMENT 2024-12-27 I’m at Contradancers Delight Holiday near Morgantown, WV. Dancing to get a “fix” of good/great medicine by dancing with energy. Resting in the afternoon I’m reading FB posts on the Cancer Survivors and Supporters page dealing with individuals’ neuropathy from the chemo. I tell Cynthia about it and she says “I have seen it”. I had a pretty significant cry because I am SO fortunate that I never had any significant amount of it. Could this be a part of dance before, during, and after my chemo treatments?

Added to TWO CANCERS TWO STORIES and WELL-BEING & FLOURISHING and LYMPHOMA CHEMO TREATMENT

2024, December 25-26

Added Celebrate Crushing Cancer

Changed BACKSTORY and BUMPS into BACKSTORY and BUMPS Summary and BACKSTORY and BUMPS Details, added TIMELINE and PERSONAL BELIEFS and OBSERVATIONS, and REVISIONS.

2024, December 14

Added “drafts”/ beginnings for BACKSTORY and BUMPS, WELL-BEING and FLOURISHING

2024, December 13

Re-worded last paragraphs to Study and Story of Well-Being

2024, December, 11

Yesterday got my one year scan

2024, November 27

Occasionally going back and thinking about where I was a year ago compared to where I am now. Here are some recent thoughts since I’m hitting one year anniversaries to various aspects of the last cancer.

Two years ago I sometimes was scared to go up and down the stairs even holding the handrail or take a walk for fear of falling and not being able to get up. I was also taking PT for walking and balance. But I knew I had to move, to put one foot in front of the other. Anything like a pushup was totally out of the question. Last year I could do one push up. For the past several weeks I can do 2 sets of 10 each if I get at least a day in-between.

November 01, 2024, is the first anniversary of the oncologist telling me there is no detected cancer. However, in the middle of December, 2023, began the mild PTSD which I talk about later, including how it has been positive.

Recently I talked to a person I’ve known for a long time but not much until recently. That person said they had just started radiation treatment for their cancer, similar to the cancer I had many years ago. Their partner said I was the first person outside the family that knew. This reminded me of how it was when I first learned of my new cancer. So unsure of what to do and what to say to other people as if I had lost control of my life since I wasn’t settled on how serious it was, what my treatment should be and in general not having specific answers for myself, much less to tell others.

It’s been my experience that some people want to talk about their cancer experience and others don’t. I can understand both viewpoints. For some people it is healing to talk about their fears and find out that they are not alone, that there might be other ways to view their situation and learn and grow physically and/or emotionally. For others, they may have seen or been aware of some very significant situations and don’t want to have it rehashed, too painful or in denial or simply it is behind them and they are focusing on the present and future. I’ve also seen where a person wanted to talk to others but only in certain limited instances. About a year ago I was quite unsure about bringing up my cancer story, especially to people I had not seen in a long time or were new to me. I didn’t want a “pity party”. I took a risk and was complimented on speaking up at a group breakfast one day for bringing up the subject. Later that person would not talk about it in the presence of their partner. I later learned that partner was adamant about not talking on any aspect of cancer. Without assurance of positive outcomes it certainly is a “no man’s land” out there.  But for me it is healing AND I continue to learn and grow and thrive through sharing the experience.

I was talking to a cancer survivor who, like me, had had chemo treatment. In some ways I thought I was pretty special since my first cancer I had radiation treatment and my second cancer had chemo so here I am having both types of treatment depending on the cancer. In this particular conversation I learned that the other person who had chemo was also having radiation at the same time. And in addition it wasn’t external beam radiation, it was Brachy radiation. It seems as though there are just so many different types of cancers and so many approaches for treatment. And once you get the treatment will there be a relapse?

Facebook is most interesting in the sense that you go scrolling through and so often something will pop up related to cancer. I have looked at a couple cancer Facebook groups. Some seem to be better at filtering out ads for magical solutions and such. One thing I gain from reading them is how fortunate I have been, it’s simply reinforcing the gratitude of what I’ve had so far. For whatever the traditional medical treatments, I come away feeling that the lifestyle change that I made by being really scared in my first cancer and reading the book radical remission has really helped my body with regard to not only cancer but just overall physical and mental health. It reinforces the connection of the mind and the body. This results in my feeling to try and keep down my stress, especially my emotional stress, to enhance my immune system.

My wife Cynthia [https://www.hygeiawellnesspark.com/] has pointed out recently we need movement. We have the heart to move the blood and lungs to move the air but there is no organ for movement of the lymph in our bodies. Moving our bodies as what moves the lymph through our bodies. We were made to move both mind and body.

I am anxious to talk about stress, internal and external, good and bad, emotional and physical as well as the mild PTSD soon.

Check back to see additions.