You probably know the name John Vennavally-Rao, a long time CTV reporter who works out of Toronto. What you may not know is why you haven't seen him on screen for a year. 

The sad news is that the veteran TV newsman has been battling not one but two different forms of cancer and has spent months being treated for both. The good news is he believes he's on the rebound and even hopes to return to work sooner than later. 

But getting there hasn't been easy.

"Following a 10-hour operation in late January, I was sent straight to the ICU and spent a month in hospital. My liver began failing and so I turned yellow. Then there were life-threatening blood clots and a serious hospital infection. I lost my sense of taste and dropped nearly 30 pounds. As I left the hospital, I struggled to walk and was too frail for chemotherapy."

We certainly wish him a very speedy recovery and hope to see him back on air soon. 

John Vennavally-Rao on his double cancer diagnosis — and reason for hope