My story starts just like most women. I was working as a hairdresser at a local beauty shop. I remember I was rolling my clientís hair and sweat kept pouring down my face. I could hardly get finished with the day for trying to dry my face. I told the other hairdressers in the shop that I was going to stop by the corner "doc in the box" after I got off work. I thought I was going through the change of life and needed some hormone therapy.

I went to the clinic after work as I had planned. I was seen by a most caring nurse practitioner, Brandi Boles. I told her I hadnít been to the doctor in almost ten years. I had a hysterectomy when I was 33, so I didnít see any need to see the GYN doctor anymore. She was very easy to talk to. I usually have a hard time discussing things with doctors. Maybe I related to her because she was a  female and it was my first experience with a female. We talked about hormones and general female things. She indicated that I needed some blood test to help her diagnose my problem with the sweating.

I was just about to leave the room and I decided to share with Brandi my worries about my left breast. I told her I noticed a change in my left breast the past 2-3 months. I have never felt a lump so I didnít figure there was anything to worry about.  All my life I was taught to look for a lump. I could tell by the look on her face that something was wrong. She asked me if my last mammogram was OK. I told her that I have never had one. She looked disturbed because since I was 53 I should have had several mammograms by now. She immediately told me I had something going on and needed a diagnostic mammogram to see what was going on. She made me an appointment for that afternoon.

I cried all the way home scared to death...I knew right then I had cancer. Things started going crazy in my head. Mad at myself for not taking care of me. I am the person that always made sure everyone else was ok, but never concerned myself with "me." My husband was home when I got there...I remember telling him...James, I may have breast cancer. The look on his face scared me. We got ready and went for the mammogram.

I waited for 3 days before the results. My mass was cancer, just as I suspected. Brandi made me an appointment with Dr. Thomas Warren, a breast surgeon, which was four weeks later. You canít imagine how hard it is to wait four weeks. I met with Dr. Warren. After he examined me, he said I needed a biopsy. My husband asked him for his opinion; Dr. Warren said he thought I had Inflammatory Breast Cancer (known as IBC). I thought for sure I had gotten a death sentence. I knew of IBC because a lady I worked with had just lost a young daughter-in-law to IBC.

IBC causes symptoms that are often different from those of more common breast cancers. It often does not have a breast lump, and it may not show up on a mammogram. Because it doesn't look like a typical breast cancer, it can be harder to diagnose. IBC tends to occur in younger women IBC also tends to grow more quickly and aggressively than the more common types of breast cancer. It is already considered to be at least stage IIIB (locally advanced) when it is first diagnosed, and may be stage IV if it has spread to distant parts of the body. Because of this, IBC is often harder to treat successfully than other types of breast cancer.

After my biopsy came back positive for IBC, Dr. Warren got me an appointment with Dr. Fred Hardwicke at the Southwest Cancer Center. Three days later I started aggressive chemotherapy. Fourteen days later my hair started falling out. Frances Bilbrey, who owned the beauty shop I worked at, said she would shave my head. With lots of tears and emotions, I let her shave it all off. I had gotten a beautiful wig which I wore when I had to, but I didnít like it at all. I sweated so bad with it, but I was too self conscious to go bald. I also knew if I went out in public bald then everyone would know I was a cancer patient and I didnít want to draw any undue attention to myself.

The chemotherapy reduced the mass in my left breast so Dr. Warren could perform the mastectomy. I elected to have a double mastectomy because of the aggressiveness of IBC and always having to worry about it going to my right breast. I had the surgery Nov. 31, 2005. Losing my breast was really hard but I think losing my hair hurt worse. I know thatís hard to explain because my hair would grow back and the chances of me ever having breasts again were slim to none.

Four weeks later, I had three more rounds of chemotherapy and 42 days of radiation therapy to the chest wall to destroy any remaining cancer cells. My prognosis was slim at the time. I was told if I made it to the five year mark I might survive this very rare, aggressive breast cancer. Well, its three years later and I am doing fine. I am trying to concentrate on living a healthier lifestyle. I have my scheduled three-month checkups with my oncologist and I go to these checkups NOT expecting him to find something awful. I take my medicine as prescribed.  I donít worry if I am going to die, I just want to live. One day, I hopefully will find that IBC is no longer the center of my universe. It is still a significant part of my life, but as least it is possible to not think of it 24/7.

I've been very grateful for the medical care I've received -- good doctors who took every symptom seriously. I have had the good fortune to have the right medical team, the power and convenience of the Internet, many caring friends, an incredibly supportive husband and my children.

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