One Trinidadian Woman’s Story of Breast Cancer Survivorship Through Baking
photos courtesy of Anjuli Webster
written by Tiara Jade
For Anjuli Webster, the past few years have been a journey of survivorship and healing.
In 2016, at just 36 years old, Anjuli was diagnosed with breast cancer. After stepping out of the shower, her then 4-year-old daughter said to her, “mom your boob is bleeding.” This is where her journey with cancer began. Anjuli had her first procedure in August of 2016 to remove what the surgeon thought was a tumor. It was later discovered after an MRI, biopsy, and ultrasound that she had DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), a form of cancer that is located in the milk ducts. Luckily for Anjuli, cancer did not spread into the healthy breast tissue.
Her next five months were spent meeting the specialists that would be helping her as well as getting a second and third opinion. Feeling more informed on her condition, Anjuli proceeded with her mastectomy in January of 2019, but things weren’t over yet. In her post-op, it was discovered that she had a 14 centimeter tumor and required a second surgery. She was recommended radiation therapy afterward— her last day of treatment was when she was able to celebrate being cancer-free.
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Anjuli is the mother of two children, an 11-year-old son, and a 6-year-old daughter. Her love of baking began 10 years ago when her son was a year old. Anjuli wanted to make his 1st birthday cake and from there the ball was rolling. She casually made cakes for friends and family. Encouraged by the positive response, she continued to practice her hobby, getting better each year.
When Anjuli’s daughter started kindergarten, she found herself with more time to experiment with baking. She started her Instagram page @almas_buttercream_dream to keep track of her progress and connect with others in the baking community. Anjuli quickly began making friends and participating in collaborations with other bakers. This included everyone deciding on a theme and creating baked goods that matched the chosen theme. The first collab she participated in happened to be breast cancer awareness.
“It was such an amazing experience because it was so freeing. When I found myself alone without the kids in the house and having the extra time, your mind goes everywhere.”
After Anjuli completed radiation therapy, she found herself wondering what was next for her, and if everything would be okay. For her, baking became a post-cancer therapy. A way to focus her mind elsewhere and be in an overall more positive place. She was ready to put cancer behind her. With the support of her fellow bakers, Anjuli has been able to learn more and more techniques to improve her work. She advertises her cakes for locals interested in her creations.
“I have met the most supportive women on here and they’ve become some of my really great friends—like modern-day pen pals. The support that we give each other has been amazing and encouraging…Finding the thing that helps you escape is really healthy.”
Anjuli is currently 13 months cancer-free and a month away from her final reconstructive surgery. With one last surgery coming up, she is taking a break from baking but is excited to get back to it. Anjuli hopes to have her own cake business one day when she’s ready to take the step into baking full time.
I asked Anjuli what advice she would give other women who are facing cancer.
“Be an advocate for yourself and have a system of support. In my own experience, learning to speak up and ask questions when things didn’t feel right helped me get to a proper diagnosis. Online support groups were a great way to find others who were currently going through the same experience or had faced it already. I brought my cousin to appointments to help with the overload of information.”
Anjuli’s ability to heal and find a positive place after hardship shows her resilience and bravery. Finding her community was an important part of her recovery and her passion for baking will continue to keep her strong in the years to come.
