Never Losing Her Spirit
- Former Britney Spears backup dancer Criscilla Anderson, who performed with Dolly Parton in May — has publicly battled stage 4 colon cancer since 2018 and continues to propel forward as she kicks off a new year of dedication to God, her family, career, and her health.
- Like Criscilla, it’s important to make time for things that bring you joy when living with cancer. For many, it is still possible to live a full life, and acceptance over living with the disease is one of the first steps to living more freely.
- An easy tip shared with SurvivorNet on how to find purpose each day: Make a list of 10 things that make you happy, which can be as simple as a walk in the park, and try to do at least half of that list every day.
“Happy New Year! I love y’all! Let’s bring on 2024!” the mom of four wrote on Instagram. “Cheers to family, friendship and health! ?.”
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Criscilla, who is married to country artist Coffey Anderson, 46, has had an army of fans following the behind the scenes of her inspiring story since her advanced stage diagnosis nearly six years ago. And no matter how many times the disease has tried to deflate her and take her health down since, Criscilla has always jumped up and kept on swinging.
A Dedicated Wife and Mother
The Dallas native’s adoration for her family is palpable in social media posts, and in many ways her relationship with Coffey and what they’ve created together is the ultimate love story.
In a birthday tribute last month, Criscilla expressed her appreciation and affection for her supportive partner — and also her devotion to God through this journey.
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“Happy Birthday @coffeyanderson – ya know….we’ve been through a lot together,” she began. “Sooo many highs and so many lows….but the beauty in all of it…is Gods plan for us. I’ve watched him work through it all for him. For HIS purpose and HIS glory. We’ve suffered through so many losses and wins too…but we still find the beauty in it all. This is life.”
“And I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” Criscilla continued. “We are a testimony babe. I love you. I’m proud of you. I’m with you. The hardest working man I’ve ever met in my life. And the best dad. Wow! I pray today you feel SO much love. Happy Birthday! Today is yours!”
In the comments of the sweet video montage of memories (set to Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, of course), Coffee replied, “Thank you, honey for making me feel so special with my party and this post . ♥️ love you so much! ??.”
The couple has three children together, Ethan, 12, Emmarie, 10, and Everleigh, 7. Criscilla is also step-mom to Coffey’s firstborn, Savannah Jean, 21.
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Living with Cancer
A few years after Criscilla’s stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis in 2018, doctors determined there was no evidence of disease in the summer of 2021. Unfortunately, her team found active cancer again in early 2022 and she’s been undergoing treatment ever since.
It’s important to make time for things that bring you joy when living with cancer. For Criscilla Anderson, that means dancing and doing choreography for the famed Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, making memories with her family, throwing parties and living in the moment.
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, emphasizes the importance of working on your emotional health during a cancer journey.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Chase told SurvivorNet.
Having the unwavering support of a partner is monumental during cancer
“So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival.”
Finding Joy Every Day
Dr. Chase recommends jotting down ten things that make you happy and making the time to do those activities throughout the day. “Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy. And trying to do those ten things to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day.”
Even if you’re working hard to prioritize your mental health by doing activities you love, it can still be quite overwhelming to think of the things you can’t control during a cancer battle.
Dr. William Breitbart, chair of the department of psychology and behavioral sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says acceptance is an important part of living with cancer.
Learn to Accept Yourself — A Huge Part of Living With Cancer
“What the task becomes is having the courage to live in the face of uncertainty, realizing that you cannot necessarily control the uncertainty in life, the suffering that occurs, limitations, challenges both good and bad,” Dr. Breitbart said. “You may not be able to control those but you have control over how you choose to respond to them and the attitudes you take towards them.”
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