BOISE- Debbie Holmes calls herself a breast cancer “pre-vivor.”

Her battle was a little different than most.

“My grandmother died of breast cancer, two of three of her sisters died of breast cancer," Holmes said.

With that family history Holmes, 47, was urged to be tested for a gene mutation that causes breast and ovarian cancer. She did, and it came out positive for a mutation in what’s called the BRCA 1 gene.

Her genetic counselor, Patricia Doc, says that significantly increased her chance of developing the potentially deadly disease.

“A person who has a BRCA mutation can have up to an 85% chance for developing breast cancer,” Doc said.

So, Holmes chose to do something some people consider drastic.

"I knew I would have my breasts removed,” Holmes said. “I wasn't going to deal with what had destroyed the women in my family."

Holmes had her uterus, ovaries and breasts removed. When they took her breasts, doctors found a pre-cancerous growth.

"I think I avoided by about two or three years the cancers that had killed the women in my family," Holmes said.

This all happened in 2008 while she was running against Mike Simpson for Congress.

While she may have lost the election, she considers herself a winner in the game of life.

"I get to see my children grow up, I get to see my grandchildren, I’m happy,” Holmes said.