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 (“A Place of Desert…”).
Although I tried unsuccessfully to put on a Colon Cancer Cruise in 2015 (“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 (“True Blue”).
Eating healthy and nutritious foods is a way of life for me now, not just a passing fad (“My Clean Living Life – Parts I and II”).
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 (“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 (“Ski Date”).
Having good friends to lean on during a major illness (remember that old saying about the fact that you don’t really know who your real friends are until you encounter 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 (“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 (“Easter Sunday Back in the Day”).
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 (“A Desert Place…”). 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 to be now, truly blessed.
