Julia Chesser
“People deal with cancer differently, but unless you’ve experienced it yourself, you don’t know what its like.”
Julia Chesser was only 36 years old and a newly wed when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. Now 40, and a survivor of a recurrence of breast cancer in 2005, she attributes her strength to her positive attitude and her supportive family, friends and The Wellness Community-Delaware.
A native of Chicago, Julia moved to Wilmington in the winter of 2001 to marry Steve Chesser and become stepmother to Margaret and Charlie. When she was diagnosed with cancer that fall, her family and friends rallied around her, especially her co-workers at Deloitte Consulting. She continued to work during her treatment. Fortunately, the chemo didn’t make her sick, and when her hair fell out, she took it in stride. Instead of moping, she went shopping for great hats, sunglasses and earrings.
That same year, Julia was asked to be part of a book of photographs of women who had lost hair to cancer: Turning Heads: Portraits of Grace, Inspiration and Possibilities. It was compiled by Jackson Hunsicker, a well-known writer who lives in Los Angeles who had also been diagnosed with breast cancer. The women in the book are featured in a variety of artsy, playful and exotic poses. Julia was asked to go to New York City to be photographed by Eddie Adams as a warrior princess.
When the breast cancer recurred in 2005, her job situation had changed. She had left her previous job and was working as project manager from her home. Her friends and family were still there to support her by phone and e-mail, but she still felt isolated. Her go-to coping mechanisms simply weren’t working. So, with encouragement from her husband, her mother, and her mother-in-law, she joined a support group at The Wellness Community-Delaware.
Over the past year, the weekly support group has become very important to her. If she misses a week, she feels like she missed a family gathering. “People deal with cancer differently, but unless you’ve experienced it yourself, you don’t know what its like,” she says. “There is so much tacit knowledge in that room – it’s like a brain trust. You can talk about anything and everything. Everybody understands what you are talking about. There’s no need to give a long explanation – they’ve been there at one point or another. And for those who are just beginning their journey, I hope my experiences will help them to be better prepared for what lies ahead.”
Julia now mentors newcomers in the group and serves as a visible reminder that cancer is survivable – twice. Her straight blonde hair grew back a different color and she’s now a perky, curly brunette who puts in full days at her current employer, Dade Behring, and enjoys her family, gardening and tennis.
She continues to follow the advice that she wrote in TWCD’s copy of Turning Heads: “We are all warriors in our own right. Always remember laughter is the best medicine.”
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