In February 1994, Seattle Police Officer Gene McClanahan was ambushed by a serial bank robber. Out of 21 rounds, six hit their mark.

"I've been shot, stabbed, run over by a car, broken legs," said McClanahan.

But that was nothing compared to what he was about to face when he moved to Arizona.

"I started getting headaches, pounding headaches," he said.

Doctors diagnosed everything from pneumonia to a heart attack.

"The doctor says 'sorry sir, it appears you have lymphoma' and I'm thinking cancer," said McClanahan.

Wrong again.

"He told me it's Valley Fever, and I said, thank God, you guys had my scared. I thought I had cancer," said McClanahan. "And he said by the time you're done, you're gonna wish you had cancer."

"They call it the great mimicker," said pulmonologist, Dr. Andrew Sulit, who is an expert on Valley Fever.

"Valley Fever is a fungal infection that's in the soil. When you inhale it, that's when you get the infection," he said.

He knows first-hand how painful it can be.

"My experience was pretty horrible," he said. "It literally feels like taking a knife and stabbing you in the chest every time you take a breath."

The doctor's case lasted six months. McClanahan was out of commission for three long years.

"I was in a lot of pain, you know, my joints ached almost 24/7, I had difficulty breathing, I was still suffering from the migraine headaches," he said.

"Once you inhale it you have it for life," said Sharon Filip of Woodinville, who contracted Valley Fever on a trip to Arizona in 2001. It left her lungs permanently scarred.

"In the evening I'm totally wrecked. I can't do anything," she said.

Sharon and her son David have a Web site to help survivors and to warn others.

"This is throughout the desert Southwest and people need to know about this," said David, who is writing a book to clear up some of the misconceptions about Valley Fever. His mother lives with the fear of another relapse.

"Ticking time bomb in your body just waiting to go off at any time and you never know when that clock is set or how often it might be set," she said.

This spring the governor of Arizona is asking the legislature to allocate nearly $2 million for Valley Fever research. Although most cases occur in Arizona, the fungus can be found throughout the Southwest.

Because of the way Valley Fever mimics other diseases, statistics are hard to come by, but certain population groups are at higher risk to develop severe symptoms, including African Americans, Philippinos, pregnant women and the elderly.