Bo, age 29 and currently fighting triple negative inflammatory breast cancer.
Barbara’s letter started others sharing. Share your story today to Vice President Joe Biden’s US Moonshot cancer program, and tell us so we can share with the world.
My IBC Story
I was 29 when I received the news that knocked me on my behind.
I have cancer.
Triple Negative, Inflammatory Breast Cancer, stage IIIC.
I was newly engaged to my boyfriend of three years at the time. I had every intention of planning a wedding, but instead, I was planning how to live to make it to my wedding. I was terrified. At a young age, my dreams of becoming a mother, getting married, growing old, it all was ripped from me. I was given a 40% chance of living to five years. I don’t think I truly understood how bad IBC is, until my oncologist held my hand and said, “I’m so sorry. And DO NOT look this up online” that usually means there’s not a lot of good news about it.
I am proud to say I am NED (no evidence of disease), but I live in a constant fear every day that it could come back. The thought of “will I be so lucky next time?” comes to my mind almost daily.
I just want to live. We need more research funding for IBC. Too many lives are being lost to a cancer that no one talks about because it is too “rare”. It isn’t rare when it is you or someone you love going through it.
