Get Into the Groove
- Criscilla Anderson, choreographer and wife of country star Coffey Anderson, has never lost her groove despite battling stage 4 colon cancer as a mom of three.
- The former music video star, 41, for artists like Rihanna and Britney Spears has been choreographing for the famed Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, along with teaching other hip hop dance classes.
- A change in bowel habits is a common indicator of colon cancer; other symptoms like unintentional weight loss can be more difficult to identify.
The Dallas mom of three has been fighting since 2018 and has not taken time off from doing what she loves to do: dance.
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In April, Anderson received positive results from her first scan since starting chemotherapy in January. She was initially diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018, then it unfortunately had advanced to stage 4 in 2019
"Great scan results!" she wrote on her Instagram stories on top of a photo giving a thumbs up, clearly smiling behind her surgical mask. "All tumors shrunk to normal lymph node size."
The dedicated dancer also reported that her blood work was within the normal range. "I'm taking it in," she expressed of her big news. "My Dr. reminded me this chemo doesn't eradicate cancer but this is the best I could have asked for. My God is bigger than chemo."
So are her dance moves apparently, as they never seem to slow down!
Anderson recently shared footage from teaching class and choreographing for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders’ Making the Team television show on CMT.
“Wow what an honor that was,” she shared. “I love working with these amazing women!”
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The family woman also shared footage from her “Moms with Moves” class in Dallas.
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Not only does Criscilla maintain her livelihood with her dance moves, but she also makes it abundantly clear the amazing support she gets from her husband. The two artists have collaborated in the past and are just about finished building their dream home for their children in Texas: son Ethan, and two daughters Emmarie Grace-Gloria and Everleigh. Coffey also has a daughter, Savannah Jean Anderson, from his previous marriage.
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Keeping Your Mojo Going During Cancer
You don’t have to be a pro dancer like Criscilla to dance your doldrums away.
A survivor we spoke with, Joel Naftelberg, has had a pretty cool life. He has raised a great family and is friends with some remarkable musicians. Music was a lifeline after his first cancer diagnosis. "It doesn't necessarily solve anything, but it does let us dance on our problems for at least an hour or two," Joel said in a previous interview with SurvivorNet.
"The worst thing is when people say I look good for someone with cancer, " says Naftelberg. "I may not wear it on my face, but inside there is a disease that's living and growing."
Joel has undergone treatment for both liver and pancreatic cancer. He compares his cancer to a monster, saying it has affected every aspect of his life. But he hasn't allowed his disease to take over his life, just like Criscilla.
Joel handles cancer by taking it one day at a timeand of course, by making time to feed his love of music.
Cancer Survivor Joel Naftelberg Learned to Dance on His Problems
Symptoms of Colon Cancer
A change in bowel habits is a common indicator of colon cancer; other symptoms like unintentional weight loss can be more difficult to identify.
Other symptoms range from constipation to diarrhea. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor that lies deep in the colon. Finally, some tumors bleed a small amount over a long period of time, resulting in anemia (low red blood cell count) that is picked up on blood work.
If any of these symptoms arise or something just seems off and not the norm, it’s always a good idea to go to the doctor just to be on the safe side. Always be sure to share your family history of cancer to discuss whether it is time to start getting colonoscopies to screen for colon cancer.
Identifying Signs of Colon Cancer
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
