Meet Beth
“I've been living with metastatic breast cancer for over 10 years… but here I am, and I'm okay with it.”
Beth developed a rash on her breast and was diagnosed with stage 4 IBC in December 2015, at 36
When Beth developed a rash on her breast, she initially thought she had developed an allergy to her laundry detergent or body lotion. But the rash persisted and her breast began to bruise. Beth reached out to a gynecologist and, after a series of tests, learned she had stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer. “It’s an incredibly aggressive form of breast cancer, and one that not many doctors and nurses are familiar with,” Beth said. “I was very lucky that the doctor I initially saw for my symptoms had done clinical rotations specifically for this type of cancer.”
Stage 4 is metastatic breast cancer, for which there is currently no cure. Beth’s treatment has included chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy and hysterectomy and radiation therapy.
“When I was first diagnosed, I was told I had three months to live. That was 11 years ago,” said Beth. “I want to see my niece and my nephew graduate. That’s my goal.” Beth’s continuing treatment includes chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as regular scans.
My doctor has stopped giving me timelines because she knows that I don't really care what they tell me.
