Wife of Country Music Singer Coffey Anderson, 46, Plays ‘Shut-up Prank’ on Famous Husband Which ‘Had Her Rollin’ – Focusing on the Positive Amid Advanced Cancer

Focusing on Family and Positive Moments

• “Country Ever After” star Criscilla Anderson, 44, is living with stage 4 colorectal cancer. Although her six-year cancer journey has been trying at times, she keeps her mind on the positive, more specifically, making fun memories with her family.
• Anderson’s treatment involved chemotherapy and, more recently, a trial treatment in Germany where her white blood cells were remanufactured to help fight cancer cells. When dealing with stage 4 lung cancer, efforts shift from seeking a cure to learning how to live with your disease and managing your symptoms.
• Experts recommend that anyone facing cancer prioritize their overall well-being and do the things they love. This can help fuel a positive attitude.
• Undergoing a colonoscopy allows doctors to remove these polyps before they pose a serious cancer risk.
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends guidelines that state colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years old. This is in response to the increase we see in colon cancer diagnoses in younger adults.

“Country Ever After” star Criscilla Anderson, 44, may be living with stage 4 colon cancer, but amid treatment, she’s focused mostly on her family and making fun memories. Recently, she and her son played a joke on her famous husband, country music star Coffey Anderson, 46, that got many online fans buzzing. “Got Him!” Criscilla captioned her Instagram post. Although not all of it was captured on video, Criscilla and her son played a hilariously fun joke on Coffey at their home in Texas. While Coffey was relaxing on the couch watching television, he overheard Criscilla and their son yelling. In the video, Criscilla tells her son to wash the dishes. The boy responded to his mom’s commands, “Shut up!” What appeared to be blatant disrespect grabbed Coffey's attention, and he went to his son’s room. That’s when he learned the whole thing was a surprising prank. “The way he was laying down all nestled in watching a movie and climbed right over that couch to get to him (not recorded) had me rolling!” Criscilla said in her Instagram post. “Coffey said, ‘u got me in fight or flight right now,’” followed by several laughing emoji icons.

The lighthearted moment captures the joy Criscilla has regularly with her family.

Expert Resources on Colorectal Cancer

• Anxiety Around Colon Cancer Diagnosis
• Alcohol Intake Has a Big Impact on Colon Cancer Surgery
• 5 Possible Signs of Colon Cancer; Don’t Be Afraid to Look in the Toilet!
• Colon Cancer Screening Options And Genetics: Myth Busting With Dr. Heather Yeo

Finding Hope Amid Advanced Cancer

Earlier this year, Anderson invited fans for the latest twist in her six-year cancer journey. She turned to a trial in Germany. In a February Instagram story, she wrote, “They are taking my white blood cells out.” The specific details regarding the type of treatment she sought at the time are unclear. White blood cells help the immune system fight infections and diseases. “In the next 4-6 weeks, they will manufacture them to be able [to] find cancer cells in my body and fight. Hoping these can go back into my body soon. The doctor said 1-5-9 months,” Anderson said. Throughout her journey, Criscilla has remained consistently positive, inspiring fans and her family, especially her husband. WATCH: The Power of Positivity “This is something,” says Dr. Zuri Murrell of Cedars-Sinai. “It helps a cancer patient’s prognosis.” “A positive attitude is really important,” Dr. Murrell previously told SurvivorNet. “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK. Now, doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow,” Dr. Murrell says.

How Criscilla’s Navigated Her Cancer Journey So Far

Criscilla has been open about her stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis, which came in 2018. Stage 4 colon cancer means the cancer has spread beyond the colon and onto other parts of the body. She underwent years of treatment, including chemotherapy, which helped shrink her tumors. She had a brief moment of reprieve in late 2021 when her scans found no evidence of disease. However, a few months later, in early 2022, Criscilla’s cancer had returned to her lymph nodes. She’s still managing her disease with the added support of her country music singer husband, Coffey Anderson. WATCH: Managing Metastatic Colon Cancer. "I applaud you for NOT giving up, never stopping, or throwing in the towel," he said in a social media post. The most common type of chemotherapy for metastatic (stage 4) colon cancer is FOLFOX, and your doctor may add medications like irinotecan (FOLFIRI) or cetuximab depending on how well your tumor shrinks with treatment and other specifics about your particular tumor. For FOLFOX, the medications are given through the vein and require regular doctor visits.

Undergoing Regular Colorectal Cancer Screenings Helps Manage Your Cancer Risk

The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends guidelines that state colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years old. This is in response to the increase we see in colon cancer diagnoses in younger adults. A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your colon. This procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure. Once your colon is cleared out, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present. Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years. WATCH: Understanding a colonoscopy Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet. “When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained. “What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a little flange at the end and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added. The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you are facing a colon cancer diagnosis, here are some questions you may ask your doctor.

• What are my treatment options based on my diagnosis?
• If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me?
• What support services are available to me? To my family?
• Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
• What are the risks and possible side effects of treatment?