okay, about the mammogram

[amystarr]

I am the person that posted on Tuesday about the little lump in my breast that has persisted for 2 1/2 months after plugged duct. I am scheduled for a mammogram Monday, my first ever.

A little background: I am 34 years old and nursing an 8 month old baby who eats almost nothing else. I also have a 7 year old whom I breastfed till the age of 4. On a side note, I have never been able to use a breast pump because it just doesn't work for me for some reason. (So don't assume I know how to do that.)

I think I had a persistent lump with my 7 year old when he was very small, but it's hard to remember. Back then, in my 20s, I wasn't worried about cancer and probably ignored it. Three years passed between weaning my first baby and having my second, and there was no lump during that time. It's hard for me to remember, but I know I had persistent plugged ducts in the same spot on the right side, which is what I'm having now.

Now in my 30s I am worried since (1) I have met women my age who have it, and (2) a cancer gene runs in my family, and I have an aunt and an uncle undergoing chemo at this moment. So I am concerned about any lump.
But I'm also concerned about the possibility that seeking medical intervention when it might not be necessary is going to jeopardize my breastfeeding relationship with my son. With ds #1, it seemed that any time I had any health problem, or any breastfeeding problem, or had to take any med, that it was recommended that I just "go ahead and quit nursing," as if it were pointless and easier to just quit.

So I'm wondering, what reason is someone going to have to tell me to quit breastfeeding this time? If I have a lump do I have to quit? If the lump were to show signs of being cancerous, would I have to quit? I'm so worried about the consequences that I have not wanted to get it checked out. What can I expect from the mammogram? What do you suppose are the chances that it's really more than a plugged duct that keeps plugging?

Thanks in advance for any advice!!

Amy

[madelsmama]

I'm not an IBCLC nor represent the site, but happened to see your post and can relate.

I have had several mammograms while nursing (I'm 35). You'll either need to to pump just before the mammogram or take your child to nurse just before and bring someone along the baby. Empty your breasts the best you can.

Expect some temporarily tight squeezing of the breasts, sometimes 2 views of each one individually, and usually a small amount of expressed milk to be left behind on the plate (I usually tell the the technician in advance that I'm nursing). Don't feel embarrassed about this; they just wipe it down and move on. My mammograms have never been painful, just very tight--and it's very brief.

If an ultrasound is done as well, this just involved some warm gel, with one breast exposed at a time with the same technology used in ultrasounds during pregnancy.

*If* something suspicious and uncertain is determined from the exams, a fine needle biopsy would be performed using ultrasound to guide them to the proper spot. You can probably schedule this for a later date.

Breastfeeding need not be interrupted for one second for any of these procedures. If the lump is malignant and further treatment is needed, there are specific medications involved with that are not compatible with breastfeeding.

I understand being afraid. I really, really do (I happen to be an oncology nurse also). Most breast lumps are benign, statistically speaking. But *if* it's not, ignoring it could turn something small and manageable into something huge that you cannot recover from.

For yourself, for you children, I think you should go through with the mammogram. The peace of mind and relief from finding out *for sure* what you're dealing with here is worth a million bucks!

If you click on my username you can send me a direct message if you'd like to talk to someone who's been there, done that.

[amystarr]

Thank you so much, Cheryl, for the thoughtful and helpful response. I don't think anyone could have written a better one! Reading it, I feel resolved and okay with having the mammogram. I will message you if I have any questions. Thanks again, so much!

[Sassafras]

"bp"

[mirellevvi]

Hi , madelsmama was correct in saying that you don't have to stop nursing to get a mammogram, so I am not going to go in to much more detail than that. Unless you need treatment, which requires medication you should not worry about that at this point. Here is a link to some more information http://www.llli.org/FAQ/mammogram.html

good luck