The website is now expanded to bring together evidence-based information of the significant factors involved in my two cancers and their going into remission. In addition to traditional medical treatments is lifestyle. I have pulled together existing knowledge of mind-body interaction to better understand the reason for my cancers and reduce the chance of relapse. Understanding prolonged harmful stress, potential and real, can lead to undetected illnesses. The chapter on WELL-BEING & FLOURISHING will be growing to capture preventive actions.
The initial reason for this website is to share how sensitive the body can be to stress and emotional trauma and the healing effects of contra dance.
The oncologist read my December 10, 2024, test results and said “Everything looks fantastic today no concerns.…PSA remains very stable at 0.03. CT scan shows no signs of cancer…You’re in remission! Keep up the great work and keep dancing!”
When there is a persistent stress on the immune system via the body’s flight-fight threat response, illness can occur which can be undetected until there is significant damage to the body. And enhancing the immune system can aid in healing as well as prevent the illness. My two cancers and the healing factors in contra dance taught me much about this mind-body relationship. This can be applied also to heart disease, diabetes and other lifestyle illnesses.
I have done the utmost to provide myself with data and other information to confirm what is real for me. See References for information sources and LIFE VIEW for my opinion generated from my EDUCATION and EXPERIENCES. This site is to facilitate sharing of information. I don’t know everything by a long shot but will share what is experienced to be true and it is YOUR responsibility to decide what, if anything, applies to you. In fact, the more I learn the more I realize there is more to learn.
Contra dance bolstered my drive to live and live joyfully. It is a direct application of many of my lifestyle changes I made from reading RADICAL REMISSION. The enjoyment of contra dance satisfies many of those factors. The ongoing mild PTSD in December 2023 and post-traumatic growth beginning January 2025, are wonderful drivers for sharing my experience with the desire that all benefit. I am so fortunate and wish to share the good fortune.
For me contra dance is truly healing, as well as fun, and goes a long way in helping my immune system for better outcomes in health and well-being.
Short Version:
I made significant life-style changes to support getting both of my cancers to go into remission. Contra dance is a large part of helping make those life-style changes. I am attempting to raise the awareness of the health aspects learned in this endeavor.
My immune system was substantially improved by lowering physical and mental stress as evidenced in my experience in battling two different cancers and is applicable to others for not only cancer but other maladies including diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, etc., in both preventive and healing modalities.
Longer Synopsis:
I am trying to increase the awareness of mind and body health arising from being a survivor of two different cancers and using both traditional western medicine as well as alternative measures/treatments. In short, my prostate cancer first appeared in mid 2016 and was diagnosed via biopsy early 2017. I was really scared of an early and painful, ugly death. Using the nine factors in the book RADICAL REMISSION, lifestyle changes, many of which contra dance directly satisfies, showed my PSA stopped rising and this was followed by radiation treatments to assist in ensuring healing/recovery.
Beginning about 2020 my vitality slowly began its decline and various tests did not reveal the cause. I lost weight down to at least 131 lbs, slept excessively, was so weak that I was afraid of walking for fear of falling down and not being able to get back up. There was a decline in my cognitive ability. When contra dance returned after the pandemic my physical and mental health began to slowly improve. Finally in May, 2023, the evaluation of a lymph node was finally identified as large B cell lymphoma that I call “living-death” lymphoma. I then received 6 R-CHOP chemo treatments.
In looking back, if I had been doing the life-style changes from 2017, why did I get the “living-death”? The pandemic shut down contra dance in early 2020 so some of the factors in RADICAL REMISSION were not being served. This led to the observation that higher mind and body stress results in reducing the immune system strength. With this in mind for 2024, I metered/monitored my exposure to the news and nourished myself with contra dancing. Contra dance nourishes the mind-body interaction for well-being and the return of contra dance brought back the positive effects. The oncologist read my December 10, 2024, test results and said “Everything looks fantastic today no concerns..PSA remains very stable at 0.03. CT scan shows no signs of cancer…You’re in remission! Keep up the great work and keep dancing!”