Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to me!  On August 5, 2016 I will celebrate 5 years (Colon) Cancer free.  Yay!

 

You see on Friday, August 5, 2011 I had surgery to remove the colon cancer so I count that day in August as my anniversary date as opposed to counting when I actually completed my 12 chemo treatments which, by the way, was in February of 2012.  I’m not going to get into it here as I have already blogged about the actual experience which can be found under Blogs on my site, lajeunehollis.com – Check out my blog post:   A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free

 

Although I tried unsuccessfully to put on a Colon Cancer Cruise in 2015 Check out my blog post:  Colon Cancer Survivors Cruise Info it was still a learning experience that left me much richer for it…

 

The month of March will forever hold a special place in my  heart as it is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and without the colonoscopy I received back in June of 2011, I would not be sharing any of these stories with you today – Check out my blog post:  True Blue

 

Eating healthy and nutritious foods is a way of life for me now, not just a passing fad  Check out any one of my blog post series:  My Clean Living Life – Part V

 

Working out at The Edge in Hamden is a great stress reliever for sure but it also serves the dual purpose of keeping me physically fit – Check out my blog post:  Pit Bull or Poodle?

 

And participating in seasonal sports and/or activities on a regular basis brings me right back to my childhood as my parents were always good about keeping all 7 of us Hollis kids busy in a good way – Check out my blog post:  Ski Date

 

Having good friends to lean on during a major illness (remember that old saying about the fact that you don’t know who your real friends are until you encounter a major illness) rang so true for me.  Also, making new friends as a direct result of my Cancer experience was humbling to say the least Check out my blog post: Friends are like jewels…

 

Family is crucial and I honestly don’t know what I would have done without the love and support of my father and my siblings during this trial – Check out my blog post: Anniversary

 

And finally,  growing up in a religious household made all of the difference in the world in terms of how I viewed my illness and how I responded to it – Again, check out my blog post:  A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free  Having faith and a church home (for me, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hamden, CT) was completely necessary for my sanity and my survival.  I was then and continue now to be truly blessed.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

True Blue

I felt compelled to write this blog today since March is Colon Cancer Awareness month and I am  a Colon Cancer Survivor.   I have to admit that I first started seeing “Blue” on Social Media which reminded me that I too needed to get the word out about the importance of pre-screening for Colon Cancer since a colonoscopy literally saved my life:  Check out this blog post:  Black coffee and lemon Italian Ice…eeech!

 

 

I realize that I have a story that everyday people can relate to which I witnessed firsthand while sharing it through one of the most popular blogs on The View from Lajeune:Check out this blog post:   A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free

 

Also, check out my interview on Nyberg on News 8 television with Ann Nyberg:  http://networkconnecticut.com/2015/07/colon-cancer-was-no-match-for-lajeune-hollis/

 

My podcast on 94.3 WYBC-FM radio with Juan Castillo: My Happy Surprise this week on The Electric Drum?

 

and through speaking about it at my church, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hamden, CT.

 

People I know from all walks of my life watched me go through colon cancer and beat it so I hope they felt encouraged not only for themselves, but for their loved ones who may or may not one day encounter the C word…

 

 

As it turns out, Colon Cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers out there so I felt the urge to create my own fundraising page on the Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation (CCCF) website: http://events.coloncancerchallenge.org/site/TR/Events/TributeDonateYourWay?px=1104261&pg=personal&fr_id=1060

 

My page is on this website because I admire the fact that CCCF “has been working since 2003 to fund screening programs for the uninsured and provide much-needed funds to young investigators who are committed to finding a cure for colorectal cancer.”

 

So my the answer is:  I am “true blue” in a good way, for I am not only a Survivor, but a Believer…

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

 

 

My Happy Surprise this week on Nyberg!

imageAnn Nyberg reads The View from Lajeune and after re-posting ‘My Clean Living Life’  blog on her Twitter page, asked me to appear on her News 8 program aptly titled “Nyberg.”   I respect Ann as a long running top Connecticut News Anchor, co-worker and friend so after some arm twisting, said yes.  Here is the interview we taped last night:

http://networkconnecticut.com/2015/07/colon-cancer-was-no-match-for-lajeune-hollis/