Lindsay's Journey #SlayIBC

On the morning of April 18th, 2016 I received my official diagnosis of stage 3 invasive carcinoma. By October 2016, my cancer had metastasized and the disgnosis changed to stage 4. Over those 6 month, after several aggressive treatments and major surgery, the cancer outsmarted us and has spread to my bones, spine, lung, liver, pelvis, and femur. There was no doubt my biopsy showed that I had cancer initially, and it was easy for my doctor to clinically confirm that it was the most aggressive form. High-grade, triple negative, Inflammatory Breast Cancer. My right underarm's lymph node inflammation had proven that the cancer had already spread, at least in that direction. I didn't even notice a difference in my breast until about 6 weeks before I was diagnosed. At first, the obvious reaction was "infection" because I did not have a lump- my breast was just kind of red, seemed swollen... A little warm, and the tissue was firm. Classic signs of IBC (one of the rarest forms of breast cancer, Only accounting for 1-3% of all cases). Doctors assumed it was an abcess that needed to be drained, or an infection that would go away with a strong dose of antibiotics. Four weeks and two different types of antibiotics later, no improvements. Something was up. I had some ultrasounds done, and eventually a core biopsy. And here I am. My family and I were told that I have one of the rarest, most aggressive forms of breast cancer there is. Zero family history, zero past health issues, zero abnormal exams previously. I'm confident that God gave me this battle because He knows I'm strong enough to overcome it. I have a strong support system and am not going to give up without a fight. I asked if this meant I could smoke pot now and I don't think my doctor thought it was funny. But really- can I? There's got to be some silver lining here, right? It's going to be a very tough battle for me... I know that I have a long and rough road ahead of me. I decided to start this page right away, not only as a way for those who have expressed interest in assisting financially to have an outlet to do so, but as a way for me to keep my friends and family updated in one central location. Thank you in advance for all of your love and support! XO