Keeping Spirits High During A Cancer Journey
- Criscilla Anderson is currently fighting stage four colon cancer. But a recent one-on-one trip with her son, Ethan, has given her the strength to keep going.
- The term colorectal cancer is used to describe cancers that begin in the colon or the rectum. Colorectal cancer screenings have made a big difference in colorectal cancer prevention. But with colorectal cancer cases in younger people on the rise, the recommended age for beginning screening has been moved from 50 to 45.
- A cancer battle, or any struggle for that matter, can lead to a whole host of complex emotions and it's okay to allow yourself to feel the negative ones too. But trying to stay positive, focusing on the 'controllables' of your situation and having things to look forward to can help you live life to the fullest while fighting cancer.
Criscilla has had three children with Coffey: Ethan, Emmarie and Everleigh. But she’s also served as a “bonus mom” to Coffey’s older daughter, Savannah Jean, from a previous marriage.
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“We had our first trip together just the two of us,” she wrote under a video of the two goofing around together. “I got to see one of my best friends and so did he. It was so Refreshing. Made me realize how much our children need that. It was so special. Here's to more!”
She then went on to explain how her one-on-one time with Ethan was exactly what she’d been needing.
“I love you Ethan. To the Sun!” she wrote. “You heal me. You strengthen me. You give me reason. You'll understand that someday.”
Criscilla Anderson's Cancer Battle
Criscilla was originally diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2018. But last summer was a high point for the couple. Coffey exploded onto the charts with his anthem "Mr. Red White & Blue," and Criscilla received an incredible update on her cancer battle.
"I walked in and Criscilla was crying, and after four summers of going through this, you just never expect good news," Coffey told PEOPLE. "She told me that the doctor had said that she had reached NED [no evidence of disease]. It took me about 15 minutes to grasp. My phone dropped out of my hand and my shoulders dropped and I just felt my body starting to realize the gravity of it."
"It was almost as if my body realized what she was telling me before my mind did," Coffey said. "I was leaning against the wall and then Criscilla came in and just hugged me. We both lost it at that moment."
Her victory over the disease last summer was a major milestone, but she knew she could not completely relax.
"The thing with cancer is that the chances of it returning are very, very high," she said. "That's why it's always been important for me to not only celebrate all the victories, but prepare my mind for a bad scan, which takes us right back to the drawing board. It's almost like I have to treat the cancer like a chronic disease."
Now, Criscilla is preparing for another fight, as cancer has been detected in her lymph nodes. Still, her spirit is unshakable.
"I'm always going to be preparing my heart and my mind for results that I don't want and just praying for the best," she said. "Do I want this diagnosis? Of course not…Who would want this? There are times when I get mad and I get angry and I get sad and then, I get hopeful again. The fight is still on, but I have a lot of fight in me."
Understanding Colorectal Cancer
The term colorectal cancer is used to describe cancers that begin in the colon or the rectum so some people just use the term colon cancer if that's where the disease began. The cancer develops when abnormal lumps called polyps grow in the colon or rectum. It takes up to 10 years for a colon polyp to actually become cancer, according to SurvivorNet experts.
Colorectal cancer, like all cancers, presents its own unique challenges for patients on the road to recovery. But Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, wants to remind people how far the treatment of this disease has come.
"One of the most exciting things about my job is that we've made a lot of progress on treatment options," Dr. Yeo says in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "However, patients are still while they're living longer, they are still living with colon cancer, and so I think it's really important that we talk about how some of the things in your life affect you."
Screening for Colorectal Cancer
Dr. Yeo also emphasizes the importance of colorectal cancer screenings such as colonoscopies because most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
"You Shouldn't Die From Embarrassment": Colon Cancer Can Be Prevented
"In the United States, on a national level, colorectal cancer has been decreasing for the last 20 years," Dr. Yeo says. "And much of that is thought to be directly due to screening for colon cancer."
Even still, colorectal cancer cases are rising among younger people. And in the United States alone, rates have increased every year from 2011 to 2016 by 2 percent among people younger than 50. Because of this increase, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has recently updated its colorectal cancer screening recommendations to begin at age 45 instead of 50.
"We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early," Dr. Yeo said. "Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this. But access to care is a real problem."
RELATED: Why Do So Few Black Men Get Colon Cancer Screenings?
And increasing access is crucial to making sure that we don't see racial disparities within the world of colorectal cancer. Whites and Asians are significantly more likely to be up to date with their colonoscopies than African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans.
Research suggests that tailoring colon cancer screenings to each person's individual risk may be beneficial. If you are not yet 45 but have concerns about your risk, talk to your doctor. Ask about your individual risk based on your lifestyle and family history and find out when screenings would be right for you.
Symptoms of Colon Cancer
Colon cancer might not immediately cause symptoms, but there are signs to look out for.
Below are possible symptoms:
- A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool that lasts for more than a few days
- A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that's not relieved by having one
- Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
- Blood in the stool, which might make the stool look dark brown or black
- Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
It is important to note, however, that displaying some of these symptoms does not mean you have colon cancer. You could also have colon cancer and not display any of these symptoms. Regardless, it is important to bring up any symptoms to your doctor should they arise.
How to Stay Positive during a Cancer Journey Like Criscilla Anderson
It's very normal to have negative feelings throughout your cancer journey and it's okay to express them too! Anger, shame, fear and anxiety are all to be expected. But doctors will tell you that people who find a way to work through the emotions and stay positive like we’ve seen Criscilla Anderson do tend to have better outcomes.
"A positive attitude is really important," Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, previously told SurvivorNet. "I'm pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life."
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Mona Robbins, a licensed psychologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, shared that mindset can play a huge role in helping you throughout your cancer journey. She says it's important to understand that there are some things you can control and some things you just can't.
"There's this connection with the mind and the body that if we adjust the way that we think, we can really help our bodies to heal," Dr. Robbins said. "For areas where you can control, how can you either advocate for yourself, ask more questions, clarify the needs? Or even, then, where areas where you can't, how can you take things one day at a time? Recognizing some of the good that may be present in the day, as opposed to all of the bad you may think is there."
And one way to stay positive and focus on the 'controllables' is to make plans for the future.
"Have something to look forward to either in a couple months, if not at the end of the week so that that brings up your spirit and your energy so that you feel a little bit more hopeful about what's happening," she said.
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