On March 10, 2007, Carla Beyerl was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive type of breast cancer. She needed treatment immediately and had no health insurance.

Today, against all odds,

52-year-old Beyerl is a survivor. She believes she was spared so that she could tell other women about inflammatory breast cancer, and she's using the Racine Dream Team 2009 makeover to do it.

Beyerl is this year's winner of the annual makeover, chosen for her desire to make a difference in her own life, as well as the lives of others.

"Carla is really a fighter," said Dr. Kim Kind-Bauer of Kind Dentistry, who founded the makeover program. "She is bound and determined to overcome her cancer completely, not just from a medical standpoint, but from a whole-life standpoint. We feel that the Racine Dream Team Makeover can help her to feel great about herself physically and emotionally."

In addition to spreading the word about inflammatory breast cancer, Beyerl wants to look and feel good again, she said.

She remembers how she looked and felt after her breasts had been removed, her hair had fallen out and she had tubes all over. The medication she was on made her gain weight.

"I'm going to look in the mirror and have a woman looking back at me," she said, not just for herself, but also for her boyfriend, Jerry Mueller. "Part of me is doing it for him," Beyerl said. "He doesn't like needles or hospitals, but he stood by me the whole time."

Before her diagnosis, Beyerl felt like a healthy woman. She kept in shape just by taking care of her historic Caledonia home and the 12 acres that surround it. Then she noticed that her breast tissue had turned pink and was warm to the touch.

"I'm thinking I have an infection," she said.

She made an appointment to see her gynecologist. At the doctor's office they ran some tests. They made an appointment for her to see a surgeon that day.

On the following Friday she had a biopsy done. By Monday they told her she needed to see an oncologist that week.

In a 10-day period she had gone from being a healthy 50-year-old woman to being diagnosed with final stage breast cancer and having her first chemotherapy. Her tumor was so large that she had to have four chemotherapy treatments to shrink it before they would operate.

In May 2007 Beyerl had a double mastectomy and many lymph nodes removed. After the surgery she had several more chemotherapy treatments, followed by radiation.

To make matters worse, Beyerl - an accountant - was a temporary worker at the time she was diagnosed. She had no health insurance.

Beyerl refinanced her rural home to pay for the life-saving medical treatments. Friends also got together to hold a fundraiser for her, and she applied for grants from different organizations.

In total, between the fundraiser and grants, Beyerl received $21,000.

"I was very fortunate," she said. "It helped."

By November of that year, Beyerl appeared to be cancer-free. She's had full body scans every six months since, and the cancer has not returned.

"The cancer I have is terrible," she said. "There was absolutely no guarantee going into this. I can't believe I'm beating the odds."

Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer, and is not usually detected by mammogram or ultrasound. It's often mistaken for a benign breast infection, which delays diagnosis.

"We really need to get the word out," Beyerl said.

The makeover

As for the makeover, Beyerl said she is excited and nervous. She's already started working out at Razor Sharp Fitness, one of the team participants. Two days a week she works out on her own, one day a week she swims and two days a week she works out with Tenille Isome, a personal trainer and assistant general manager at the gym.

Weight is already starting to fall off, Beyerl said. She's hoping to lose all 45 of the pounds she gained on her cancer-fighting medication.

She's also had an initial appointment with Kind-Bauer regarding dental work that will be done during the makeover. That will include some crowns, replacing fillings and teeth whitening.

Other team members and sponsors include Image Management; Dr. Michael Sweet, plastic surgeon; Kim Buisse, a medical aesthetician; Photography by Raylene; The Eye Centers of Racine and Kenosha; Headlines Design Studio and Day Spa; J & N Ultra Tan; Aspire Salon and Spa; Essential Bodywear, and Fisher Chiropractic.

"We are all looking forward to watching her transformation," Kind-Bauer said.

A reveal celebration, when Beyerl will show off her transformation, will be held on Oct. 1 in conjunction with the National Lee Denim Day for breast cancer. The celebration will be held at the Charcoal Grill and Rotisserie, 8300 Washington Ave.

The Racine Dream Team is comprised of several local professionals who began working together as a nonprofit group five years ago on the makeover program. They wanted to change someone's life, and also showcase their services and products.

For more information on the Racine Dream Team makeover program, visit their Web site at:

http://www.racinedreamteam.com

Symptoms to watch for

Typical symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer:

• Rapid, unusual increase in breast size

• Redness, rash, blotchiness of the breast skin

• What appears to be a bug bite or bruise that doesn't go away

• Persistent itching of breast or nipple

• Lump or thickening of breast tissue

• Stabbing pain, soreness, heaviness or aching of the breast

• Feverish breast (increased warmth)

• Swelling of the lymph nodes under the arm or above the collar bone

• Dimpling or ridging of breast

• Flattening or retracting of nipple

• Nipple discharge or change in pigmented area around nipple

Source: Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation