ATLANTA -- A walk to the mailbox and back is a real feat for Kim Stiebel.

"I'm starting to get my energy back," said the mother and grandmother.

That's because she's focused all of her energy on staying alive for the past two years. Stiebel had just turned 50 when she noticed a bizarre rash on her chest.

"My left breast was swollen, it was feverish and it was very pink and it had an orange peel effect to the skin," Stiebel said.

What she thought was an infection turned out to be much more serious. After two rounds of antibiotics, Stiebel's doctor ordered a mammogram.

"Half-hour later, they told me I had a rare breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer," Stiebel recalled.

Dr. Sheryl Gabram is Professor of Surgery at Emory Winship Cancer Institute and Director of the AVON Comprehensive Breast Center.

"Inflammatory breast cancer only presents in about one to five percent of all breast cancer patients, but the problem is, it's a deadly cancer," said Gabram.

Gabram says the key to surviving this aggressive cancer is early detection, so it's important for women to know what to look for.

"Not just looking for the lump, but looking for breast changes," Gabram said.

It's called 'inflammatory' because the cancer cells block lymph vessels in the breast, causing redness and swelling. Other symptoms include discharge, inverted nipples and pitting of the skin. There may or may not be a lump, which is why it's often misdiagnosed.

In Stiebel's case, things went from bad to worse.

"We did not find out until my 51st birthday that it had gone into my brain," said Stiebel.

"Patients when they present often have spread to other organs. About 20 percent to 30 percent will have that metastatic disease," Gabram added.

Stiebel had already endured a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. Then came intensive radiation.

"I take the good with the bad. I've lost some weight," Stiebel said.

Doctors also removed more than a dozen lymph nodes from her left side, meaning she now has to spend two hours a day in a compression sleeve to reduce swelling. But so far, she's managed to defy the odds. The five-year survival rate for IBC is 25 to 50 percent. And recently, Stiebel's doctor declared her cancer-free.

"He thinks I'm going to live a good long life," Stiebel said.

It's a second chance at life and a new opportunity to share her story with other women.

"I want them to be aware if there's a change in their breasts, they need to go to their doctor immediately," said Stiebel.

Although it's rare, Gabram says IBC appears to be more common in African American women and patients tend to be about five years younger on average than those diagnosed with non-inflammatory breast cancer. Health experts encourage all women to be aware of their breasts. They should get to know how they normally look and feel so they can spot any changes and notify their doctor right away.