Inflammatory Breast Cancer - I'm still here!!!!

Let me begin by apologizing for not having posted on this site for such a long time. I apologize to anyone who has been searching the Internet looking for hope, looking for anyone who has survived this horrible disease. I remember being that person. That's why I started this website. I am now 7 years away from my diagnosis. I have maintained my vigilance and done all of the required doctor visits and tests. To date I am cancer free. I am guilty however of trying to distance myself from the events of 7 years ago. I know what you are going through. Even while I write this I well up with tears thinking of the arduous journey I went through and that you or someone you love is going through. As I approach the 7th year anniversary of my diagnosis I have to bring myself back to these events if only for an hour or so. I have to give hope to you. I have survived. I have moved on. I am living an awesome life now filled with art, social activities and family. We are expecting our first grandchild any day. I am here to welcome her. Am I the same person that I was before the diagnosis? Absolutely not. I deal with only little things at this point though. I have a bit of a weakened immune system. I can't always run with the big kids. I have to recognize that I need to pull back occasionally to regroup. Such minor inconveniences as compared to how I was living going through treatment.
I was approached recently by a family member whose husband had recently gone through some rather nasty, actually horribly nasty, cancer stuff. She said he was angry about losing the man he once was. I didn't remember that anger until I thought about it for awhile. Everyone who goes through cancer leaves so much of themselves behind. If it isn't parts of their body it's parts of their mind, their very soul. We all mourn for what was. That's our right. We are angry. We are sad. We all handle it differently and we handle it differently each day. But at the end of the day and after 7 years of trying to move away from this horrible disease I have to say, there is no anger there is only a gratefulness for each day. There is a need to not let anything slip by. There is a need to live life large and with a huge smile on my face.
Again I apologize to anyone who has been searching for a positive take on IBC. I just did a quick search to see if there was anything new or different about this on the web. It is still all doom and gloom. The prognosis data has improved by only single digits. So, please take my story and make it yours. Know that there is hope out there. Know that real people do survive and live a wonderful life. If you want to get a real kick check out the Clearwater Dolphin Project facebook page. I just completed a 6 foot tall dolphin with my very pregnant daughter. He will soon be on display on Clearwater Beach, Florida. How's that for living large?