In the Spring of 2012 I was brushing my horse off, he was tossing his head around being silly in one sweeping move he tossed his head right into my left breast. I had a large hematoma develop and the doctors said that scar tissue takes a long time to go away, we'll watch it. By January of 2013 I had a small break out on the same breast, doctors said, the breast is too swollen for a mammogram, we don't see cancer from an injury. In February I had a chronic cough, new doctor took chest x ray, said you have pneumonia sent me home with antibiotics. Got a call the next day, doc says, 'what if' that was cancer?? Sent me for an ultrasound and to an oncologist, she took a biopsy and before it was even out the door she told me I had advanced aggressive inflammatory breast cancer and that there was nothing they could do for me but slow it down. My husband and I went home that Friday afternoon dumb founded and devastated. What the heck was happening? I was extremely healthy, strict diet, exercise, athletic, how could this be? We decided to go to the big city they immediately gave me hope. I got the correct diagnosis, triple positive breast cancer and you have years to live. I had 4 liters of fluid around my left lung, halfway through my first treatment I could not breathe, they stopped the treatment and to the hospital I went. April 24th was my first treatment two weeks later I was back on my horse. My tumor markers dropped record fast, and have been staying in the norm. With my family and incredible friends and my horses, I have survived and will for many years to come!!

Maria
Palisades, WA