In August of 2004, my aunt went to the doctor's for an irritation that she had on her breast. After further testing, she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. My mom (her sister) and I visited her in the hospital. I clearly remember the words she said: "Make sure you get your mammograms. It is so important." She had skipped her mammograms for the past few years, but with inflammatory breast cancer, getting mammograms may not have made a difference.
What I found out later, you don't always get a lump with inflammatory breast cancer. And rarely does it show up on a mammogram. This is the first I had ever heard of this type of cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare form of breast cancer, with symptoms quite different than stereotypical breast cancer symptoms. Symptoms of IBC can include swelling, itchy skin, dark colored area sometimes with orange-like texture, nipple retraction, nipple discharge, breast is warm to the touch, breast pain (from a constant ache to stabbing pains), and change in color/texture of the areola. Most of us, when thinking of breast cancer, associate it with a lump or mass- not a common symptom here. Another thing about inflammatory breast cancer? It is the most aggressive and most accelerating form of breast cancer.
Nobody deserves cancer, but my aunt was the sweetest, kindest, most generous person. Why do bad things happen to such good people? She would listen to you, always caring, never judging. And she was always positive. In the midst of this horrible disease, she remained optimistic. Anytime I asked her how she was doing, she would always answer, "God will get me through" with a smile on her face. She had incredible, unwavering faith.
I did the first auction (this is the second) back then, as my way of coping with my aunt's diagnosis. It was difficult to see her go through this and not be able to do something for her personally. So I decided to be a part of raising funds and awareness through an auction. It was a small part, but all these 'small parts' add up. Every bit makes a difference.
During the first auction, every time I received another item donation, I would call my aunt and tell her. Sometimes she knew who the celebrity was, but most times she didn't. When I would visit or call, sometimes she was doing well, but often she was too exhausted and drained to carry on a lengthy conversation. When I stopped down around New Year's, she was having one of her better days. I sat and talked with her at her kitchen table for a little over an hour. I thought she was getting better. I was optimistic. So six weeks later, when my uncle said on the phone that he was going to have to take her to the hospital, I was in shock. My mom and I drove down to the hospital, but there was no record of my aunt being there. So we called my uncle and drove over to their house. She didn't want to go to the hospital. In hindsight, I wonder if she knew she was going to die and didn't want to die in the hospital setting. It was a Saturday, my birthday in fact, and I sat with my aunt in the living room, holding her hand. I told her about the latest donation, signed memorabilia from Celine Dion. She groggily asked if that was a man or a woman. She was so weak, so drained. I helped my uncle change her bandage. I had always thought of cancer as something that was an internal disease. That day, I saw a different side of cancer. Two days later, on Valentine's Day, my aunt was in the hospital. Her whole family was there. She took her last breath just moments after my mom and I walked into the room. Just a short six months after her initial diagnosis.
I wish my aunt could've been around to see how the first auction turned out. I kept working on it, and the auction ran in April-May of 2005. Over $3000 was raised for the Komen Foundation and the Pittsburgh Komen Affiliate office. What started in her honor, ended in her memory.
For more information on IBC, you can visit the
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
