This woman's rash turned out to be a rare form of breast cancer
When Jennifer Cordts noticed some redness on the side of one of her breasts, she was told it was because her bra was too small.
The light discolouration looked almost like sunburn. Although there were no lumps or tumours present, she contacted her primary care doctor to have it checked out — two years after first noticing the redness.
“I went and got a mammogram and it came back normal. Everything looked fine,” the 46-year-old mother of two told WFAA ABC News. Her blood work also came back normal, so Jennifer simply bought new bras and took an antibiotic — but the discolouration didn’t go away.
After searching the Internet for her symptoms, she discovered something called Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).
“It was the first thing that popped up. And it was late at night. Everybody was asleep. And I was terrified. I just had a bad feeling.”
A biopsy officially confirmed that Jennifer had IBC, and all Jennifer could remember was what she Googled this type of cancer — that “everybody dies. That nobody survives.”
“I knew my fate right then,” she said.
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Cancer cells that block lymph vessels in the skin contribute toward IBC symptoms. Common symptoms can include inflammation (i.e. swelling and redness), discolouration (i.e. part of the breast may have a bruised or sunburned appearance), visible enlargement, dimpling, unusual warmth or tenderness and enlarged lymph nodes (i.e. under the arm).
IBC doesn’t look like a common type of breast cancer as there are no lumps present and it might not show up on a mammogram. This not only makes it more difficult to diagnose, but it also it spreads faster — so by the time it’s diagnosed, the cancer cells may have grown into the skin and spread to other parts of the body.
It’s been a year since Jennifer’s diagnoses and doctors have given her between three to five years to live.
“We’re hoping for five,” Jennifer’s husband Rob admitted. “You’re trying to stay positive for the kids and the wife, but I cry every day.”
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Every three months Jennifer shows up at the hospital for a scan to see if the cancer is spreading while Rob waits for her in the waiting room. It takes another week to receive the results.
“I wouldn’t be truthful to you or anybody else if I didn’t say I was sad,” Jennifer said. “And maybe a little mad. But mostly sad.”
Still, she’s living what could be her final days to the best of her ability, enjoying time with her family and creating memorable moments. She’s also warning other women to get further testing if they notice anything off.
“I’m not necessarily afraid to die, but I’m very afraid to say goodbye,” she said.
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