The initial reason for this website was to share how sensitive the body can be to stress and emotional trauma and the healing effects of contra dance as well as my traditional, radiation and chemo, experiences. I have gone on to add additional wellbeing by including the studies of stress and sleep.
I learned from the first cancer many lifestyle changes that measurably improved my cancer fight. Looking at the second cancer revealed the pandemic interrupting the contra dance had interfered with some of the positive lifestyle changes. Return of the contra dance has been a joyful way of maintaining both cancers in remission. The lifestyle changes followed the nine factors in the book RADICAL REMISSION and contra dance provides for seven of those factors.
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 beginning with reading the book “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.
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!”