Each year, I sit and write about our upcoming 100 holes endeavor. Each time, trying to find a unique way to express how much this annual event means to me. I can talk about how spending the day with my dad, Eric Gilliland is a treasured occurrence or that many years after his diagnosis, he continues to work tirelessly with the Colon Cancer Prevention Project to spread awareness and make colonoscopies accessible for the Kentucky community.
It’s these and so much more.
Someone recently asked me to recall my favorite memory of my dad. The answer is seeing him walk in the door of my childhood home after weeks in the hospital. It’s hugging him after he beat cancer. I don’t remember much about being five years old, but that moment was impossible to forget. It will always be my favorite, because that was the moment I knew I wasn’t going to lose my dad.
100 Holes day is always incredible, but there’s a much deeper meaning behind what we do. It’s about prevention and community and doing our part to make sure other little girls never have to feel the fear of this cancer taking someone they love.
I talk about my dad as my role model, not just because of the woman he raised me to be or the connection we have through golf. It’s because every day, he puts 100% of himself into his passions and he has taught me to do the same.
On June 22nd, we will embark on our 13th annual 100 holes event joined by Audubon County Club Head Professional Ryan McGinnis and Assistant Professional Addi Croslin.
We’ve been on this journey for nearly 13 years, but the core of what we do started the day my dad was diagnosed. Each year that passes, it amazes me just how many people we have touched with our effort. From past participants, to donors and spectators, this doesn’t just matter to my dad and me. It matters to Audubon, to our friends and family and the entire Colon Cancer Prevention Project community that spans across the state of Kentucky and beyond.
Your donations over the past 12 years have moved Kentucky from one of the worst states for colon cancer fatality to a state that is setting an example of prevention for the whole country.
Our message to you hasn’t wavered since we began this journey. If you get nothing else from this note, please take this one thing: get screened for colon cancer, know your family history, educate yourself on the signs and symptoms, and tell those closest to you to get screened.
I promise we don’t just preach screening; we put our teachings to action. Children of parents who had colon cancer should be screened 10 years prior to age of their parent’s cancer. This year, my brother was screened and as I rapidly approach age 25, I’m planning my own preventative screening.
Each year, I write about what 100 Holes means to me and hope that if you’ve gotten this far, our passion for prevention means a little something to you too.
So, here’s to year 13 and the impact we are actively making in Kentucky, and beyond, by supporting the Colon Cancer Prevention Project. We love and appreciate you, our supporters, so much. We do not take your loyalty to our cause for granted. Thank you for being here on this journey with us, we couldn’t do it without you.
With much love,
Libby Gilliland
Click Here to learn more about The Colon Cancer Prevention Project
Today marks 45 years since my father passed away from colon cancer.
It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. Sometimes, it feels like a lifetime ago — and other times, it feels like I lost him just yesterday. The grief has changed with time, but it has never gone away. And especially now, just after Father’s Day, it settles in again more than ever.
I still miss my dad so very much. I’m an adult now, but there are moments when I would give anything to hear his voice, to feel the safety of his presence, to see his kind, loving smile. I miss the man who made me feel like everything would be okay, even when life got hard.
My father wasn’t just a dad. He was our protector — a quiet force who held our family together with love and a strong work ethic. He carried not just the weight of his own family, but the well-being of his siblings too. He had a quiet strength that made you believe in good things, even when life didn’t feel fair. He taught with his actions and gave more than he ever asked for in return.
He was the kind of man who should have had many more years — years to grow old beside those he loved, to see his children become parents, to be called “Grandpa,” to retire and enjoy all that comes with that. But colon cancer took all of that away. It took him away, and it changed everything.
Losing him so young left a hole in my life — a space that can never be filled. But, in the midst of losing him, he showed me the way. How to take care of others how he would have done. He gave me my life’s purpose.
I’ve dedicated my life to being a nurse, a nurse-midwife, to healing, and now to awareness about colon cancer. I share my personal story of loss, my story of being a Lynch syndrome patient. The importance of prevention, early detection, and the life-saving power of screening. Because the truth is, my father didn’t have to die so young. Today, we know so much more. We have tools, knowledge, and resources he never had access to. And that’s why I speak, why I work, why I fight — because awareness can save lives.
Grief is strange. It weaves its way into your story, sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly. And when you lose someone so foundational, you don’t just grieve who they were — you grieve the life you imagined with them. The birthdays, the graduations, the phone calls, the small moments. I have felt his absence in every major chapter of my life — and still, I carry him with me through it all.
Today, I honor him not just with remembrance, but with purpose. His story didn’t end with his death — it lives on in the work I do, in the lives we’ve helped protect, and in every person who chooses to get screened because of something they heard or read.
So, if you’re reading this, please — take a moment. Talk to your provider. Ask about colon cancer screening. Don’t wait. Don’t assume it can’t happen to you. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for the people who love you. Be your own advocate.
And if you’ve lost someone like I have, please know you’re not alone. Our grief is the echo of love that never had the chance to finish its story. But through action, through advocacy, through compassion — we can carry that love forward.
For my dad — and for all the dads taken too soon — I remember you. I miss you. And I will never stop fighting for you.
Robin Centner, APRN, CNM, MSN, Previvor and Lynch Syndrome Ambassador for the Colon Cancer Prevention Project
ADVOCATING FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE NEEDS:
WHAT PATIENTS NEED TO KNOW
By NIKI BAILEY
Have you ever found yourself wishing you had asked more questions during your doctor’s appointment, grasped more of what was said by the physician, or spoken up to your healthcare provider? Imagine taking control of your healthcare with the right tools.
I’m Niki, a Registered Nurse since 2018, with experience in hospitals across the US as a travel nurse. Working closely with patients, their families, and their healthcare team helps to ensure patients achieve the best possible outcome. Patient advocacy is at the forefront of my nursing practice, and I strive to empower my patients to advocate for their healthcare. This blog post provides an explanation of the concept of healthcare advocacy and offers guidance on how to effectively advocate for your healthcare needs.
What does it mean to advocate for your healthcare?
Advocating for yourself means you ensure that your healthcare concerns and needs are being heard by your healthcare team. Why does advocating for your healthcare matter? Advocating for your healthcare is essential because you understand your needs best,
and communicating these to your healthcare team helps them treat you effectively. How can you advocate for your healthcare? While I constantly advocate for my patients in the hospital setting, I want them to feel empowered and have the tools necessary to advocate for themselves the moment I walk out of their hospital room. There are many ways to advocate for your healthcare, and these are some of the points I teach my patients:
Have questions prepared prior to your physician’s appointment. When we go into appointments, sometimes we are so focused on what the physician is saying that we forget to ask questions. Leading up to the appointment you can do a little research on the topic and have questions prepared for the physician. Some patients will write their questions in a small notebook or on sticky notes, while others utilize the Note feature on their phones.
If you can, keep a symptom diary and have it with you when you go into the physician’s office. Sometimes, we forget the exact order or how often we are experiencing these symptoms. Having a symptom diary already prepared can help the physician gain a better understanding of what is happening and what the treatment options are. This is usually best to do in a small notebook calendar. Regardless of how you choose to keep a symptom diary, ensure you use dates. Many times, physicians will see you in their office and ask that you start a symptom diary so you can review it together during your next visit. Save yourself the extra time and trip to their office by having one already prepared prior to the first visit if possible.
Prior to an appointment, let the scheduler know what topics you would like to speak with the physician about. The more symptoms or issues you need to talk about, the longer the appointment or appointment (s) will need to be. Many times, physicians are behind schedule because the patient says they need to talk about one thing but then come in with multiple ailments the physician wasn’t aware of ahead of time. Letting the scheduler know the general topics you need to discuss will allow them to schedule the physician’s tight schedule accordingly.
If you have a trusted family or friend, bring them with you. During times of stress, it is easy for us to forget all the details. According to an article in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 40-80% of medical information provided by healthcare practitioners is forgotten immediately. The greater the amount of information presented, the lower the proportion correctly recalled; furthermore, almost half of the information that is remembered is incorrect. (Kessels, 2003)
By bringing a family member or friend along while the physician is discussing your healthcare, they may be able to help you remember more of the information given to you.
When speaking with the physician, be clear and direct in what is happening with that specific ailment or concern Is this something new? When did it start? Has it been getting worse over time, or remained the same? What made you decide to schedule this appointment? How is this affecting your daily life? These are some of the questions physicians will ask, so be prepared to answer them.
Do you feel heard by the physician? Do you feel like they understood what you said and are they moving ahead appropriately?
If not, here’s what you can do:
-In the moment, tell the physician you feel they aren’t quite hearing what you say (respectfully).
-Tell the physician you feel like more needs to be done. Maybe there’s a specific lab you would like to be drawn, or a specialist you would like to see. Physicians typically say yes, or they will explain why they are not willing to do those things.
What were you hoping for?
-More testing? Suggest it. Is there a specific test you were hoping for? Why? Tell the physician.
-Medication? Why? Is there a way to take care of this issue without medication? If so, are you able to do this? Do you feel like you have all the tools necessary to achieve this? Talk to your healthcare team to see what your options are.
-Use the patient portal to message your physician. Did you forget to ask a question? Feel like you forgot to include pertinent information? Let them know ASAP.
-Get a second opinion.
We hear this a lot, but most people don’t know how to go about getting a second opinion. One way you can do this is by talking to your current physician. Sometimes, they will suggest a specialist or may recommend another physician. You can also check with your insurance to see what physicians are in your network and then call their office to schedule an appointment.
Advocating for your healthcare enables you and your healthcare team to work together towards an optimal outcome.
Sources:
Kessels RP. Patients' memory for medical information. J R Soc Med. 2003 May;96(5):219-22. doi: 10.1177/014107680309600504. PMD: 12724430; PMCID: PMC539473.
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