Veteran finds healing through dance therapy at VA Tampa after breast cancer battle

TAMPA, Fla. - From the moment U.S. Army veteran Traci Davis walks into a dance therapy session at VA Tampa, dance movement therapist Brittni Cleland is getting a vibe of a lot of factors. 

"We use movement as an intervention tool, but also as an assessment tool, so I'm assessing her from the moment that she walks into the room," Cleland said. 

The backstory:

Davis, who served during Operation Desert Storm from 1989 to 1993, was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer in October 2019. She needed aggressive treatment, with 12 weeks of chemotherapy followed by seven weeks of radiation. 

"Physically, the toll is that I have zero feeling in my hands and feet. My tongue is still numb. Food still tastes different," Davis said. "That was the physical side, the mental side of it. It was so overwhelming."

An uphill battle

The therapy sessions are tailored to each individual veteran's needs. 

"Relief, I was hoping to just offload a lot of frustration, a lot of anger, a lot of anxiety, just a way of escape," Davis said. "It takes time when you implement these different types of therapies. They don't work necessarily right away, and you're reshaping who you're becoming. You're not the person who you were prior to cancer."

Many of the sessions begin with mirroring exercises, designed to create [a] connection between doctor and patient. Many exercises are the building blocks to strengthening everyday movements, like bending down and getting up without pain. 

"She [Davis] wants to live a long, healthy life, right? She wants to get down on the ground and back up," Cleland said. "When we can put it in the element of dance as well, it brings in a deeper connection to how she moves about in her daily life."

Dig deeper:

At the root of these sessions, building confidence is key. 

"This is the thing, Brittni has helped me with my confidence," Davis said. "Even though I can't feel the ground, I know the ground is there. It's not going anywhere. Even though I can't feel things, I look at it. I know it's in my hand. I know that my muscles work fine. It's just the nerves."

Davis has gained enough confidence to create a routine that she recently performed in front of fellow breast cancer survivors. She called the experience a "total release."

What they're saying:

For Davis, a lifelong dancer, she just wants the ability to perform. 

"I just want to get out here and move and be free and just fly and just enjoy life. I love to dance. I love to move my body," Davis said. "Any type of song, I can just create body movements that will help me to just release some things."