Georgia breast cancer patient faces chemo in costume to spread joy

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

Diagnosed with DCIS

“What a kick in the head!” she wrote to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I couldn’t believe it. My husband Greg and I were in total shock. I ate a healthy diet, worked out 4 hours a week at the gym and was very active in my community. How could this happen?”

That’s when the Madison resident was referred to an expert out of Georgia’s University Cancer & Blood Center: Athens-based general surgeon Dr. Cody Gunn. Gunn removed her cancer and later spoke with the AJC about her treatment.

According to Gunn, cancer diagnoses and treatments are almost always very emotional moments for patients. Breast cancer, however, is often an especially difficult time.

“And then the actual having chemotherapy is harsh,” he said. “Sometimes it can last six months. In her case, she was getting infusions for a year. So that’s a long year of just fatigue and going through it. (Thinking) ‘is this gonna come back?’ And so you have to worry about that all the time. And then, at the end of chemotherapy, she had to have radiation therapy.”

Strelecki was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ the earliest stage of breast cancer, Gunn explained. According to the American Cancer Society, it represents around 20% of all new breast cancer cases.

Fun Fights Fear

An illustrator, muralist and painter by trade, Strelecki was sorely missing her creative outlets when the cancer struck. Her husband, a professional photographer, took action.

When the treatments began, he simply took photos to capture her progress and help her take attention away from the health challenges. During this time, Strelecki had some low moments — hard days. Her hair was falling out; food was becoming tasteless. Severe fatigue was setting in as pneumonia struck during her third week of treatments. It’s when she was feeling lowest that inspiration struck.

“I said, Greg, let’s come up with some ideas of women in history and pop culture, successful women, tough girls — not mean girls — but tough girls,” she said, remembering how the project all began.

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

From Princess Leia to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Strelecki started dressing in costume for her weekly treatment photos.

“That would give me something to take my mind off of feeling bad at least once a week,” she continued. “And it would kind of give me something to look forward to.”

Initially, the photos were taken at home and shot from a cellphone. The couple eventually moved toward a more professional setup, using photo editing for higher production value.

“I made a list of notable, successful, funny women in history and pop culture and we were off to the races,” she wrote. “No more ‘poor me!’ Every week I’d play dress-up for Greg to do what he does best, make me look better! And THAT made me feel better.”

They would go on to label the project Fun Fights Fear, a collection of inspirational photos from her time fighting cancer. Strelecki would begin visiting the cancer center in costume, much to the surprise of her fellow patients and the UCBC staff.

“Mine and Greg’s efforts were met with big laughs, surprised looks, selfies with some patients and staff and lots of thankful hugs,” she wrote. “It didn’t hurt to bring treats to share with staff and patients. That never failed to draw them into my world.”

It’s an effort Gunn expressed great appreciation for, as hospital morale can be a powerful factor.

“Your attitude is so important, and that helped her get through it,” he said, speaking on her Fun Fights Fear project. “And it helped other people get through it.”

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

The doctor reiterated that enduring chemotherapy is no easy task, and anything that relieves stress from those treatments can be incredibly beneficial.

“I thought it was great,” he continued. “Her husband was on board with all of that, but also helping everybody else there and the staff. The staff is dealing with people going through this treatment every day and trying to be supportive, and it brightens their mood, too.”

Now the couple say they hope to donate the Fun Fights Fear collection to UCBC as part of an inspirational packet for future cancer patients. From writing their own experiences with battling cancer to immortalizing their hopes on paper, Strelecki wants the collection — and her story — to became an aid for others.

“My hope is that people will be able to benefit from our efforts, because it sure did help me,” she said.

Is it time for a mammogram?

Breast cancer will kill an estimated 42,170 women in the United States this year. Strelecki is just one of an estimated 59,080 new DCIS cases expected nationwide in 2025. The country could see 316,950 new invasive breast cancer diagnoses overall by year’s end. So what’s at the front line of defense against this deadly disease? Mammograms.

Mammograms are X-ray screenings and, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the best way to spot breast cancer early.

“The most important thing, and you hear it over and over again, is early detection,” Gunn said. “I cannot stress how important it is for people to have their mammograms.”

The sooner a medical professional can find the potential cancer, the better. According to the UCBC expert, Strelecki’s chemotherapy regimen was essentially cut in half because of how early they discovered her cancer.

“So it affects the treatments you get, how aggressive you have to be with treatment — lots of times you can just take the area out,” Gunn explained. “You don’t have to lose your breasts.

“Our treatment has gotten better and better every year, but the sooner we find it, the better it is.”

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

Credit: John Gregory Strelecki

The American Cancer Society recommends women of average risk (no personal history or strong family history of breast cancer) consider starting annual mammogram screenings at 40 years old. Women at high risk of breast cancer, such as anyone with certain genetic mutations or a family history, should consider getting a screening every year starting at age 30.

If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with cancer, Strelecki hopes her work can help.

“I hope my approach to dealing with a very difficult time in my life will inspire others who are in the same boat to express their bliss and expel the misery,” she wrote.

Strelecki finished her final treatment just days after first speaking with the AJC. But what costume best fits that most momentous of cancer battle moments, the ringing of that iconic brass bell? Tinkerbell, of course.

“Tink went around to all the other patients on the treatment floor and handed out Pixie Stix with which to sweeten tea and little twinkling fairy lights to light each patient’s way to the end of their treatment tunnels,” she wrote to the AJC after receiving her treatment.

There is less than a 0.02% chance of her cancer returning.