2264 Breast Mystery

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I called the doctor first thing this morning, and talked to one of the women at the desk. She said the mammo results were back, and it was "within normal limits". She didn't say anything about the ultrasound, or the discharge culture/microexam, but I'll be picking up the reports and the CD later today, so I'll read it myself then.

However,
Nurse: Dr. D. wants you to see Dr. W.
Me: Dr. W? Who's Dr. W?
Nurse: He's a surgeon. He specializes in the breast.
Me: Why do I need to see him?
Nurse: Well, you had another issue, with the nipple, right?
Me: Oh.

I still think that was just an infection in the duct. Since it discharged, there has been no further swelling or tenderness. It's perfectly normal now. But I guess I have to see the surgeon, because if I don't, well, that's just the way things work.

As far as I'm concerned, the scare is over.

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Later -
I just looked over previous posts, and I guess I didn't describe what made me take my nipple to the doctor.

Here's the story.

I normally wear a sleep bra, because I sleep on my stomach or left side, and I can pinch myself easily (usually on the left), and that will hurt for days. But when I'm with The Man, I don't wear it. And he knows not to pinch. Gently gently.

When I was with him in mid-January, I figured I must have hurt me, because the left nipple was tender off and on for about three weeks. Then Wednesday of last week it got extremely tender and sore even when nothing was touching it. The nub was swollen and red. The swelling and tenderness was just in the nipple. There was no problem around or under it. I lifted it to look, and it spurted a thick milky fluid, followed by a drop of blood from a single duct. Looked like an infection to me, and I didn't want it to go deeper, so I called the doctor, and they got me in the next day.

Of course, by the time I got to the doctor, it looked a lot better. The redness and tenderness was gone, there was only a tiny difference in size, and we had a heck of a time getting a bit of discharge for the microscope. Which discharge, by the way, was clear, except for the last little bit, which was blood-tinged.

Dr. D. did a manual exam, of course, and she said the left breast was a bit "ropy" on the outer side. I'm very familiar with my breasts, and I can't feel ANY difference between the left and right, so I don't know what she's talking about.

She scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound for the next day, last Friday.

I don't think the ropiness is anything. Too much coffee will cause that. It's probably just ducts toughening up. And I think the nipple thing was just an infection.

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I've never had any pain with mammograms. Squishing doesn't seem to hurt, and before menopause my breasts were unusually dense, so they squished them hard.

Friday, the first two (horizontal and 45 degree angle) didn't hurt. But then she did a straight up-and-down one that I'd never seen before - and that one had me gritting my teeth.

Then the woman with the ultrasound went to town on me. She pushed that thing up and down my breasts like she was trying to bulldoze a hill flat.

Both the girls are now really sore. They ache all the way from under the arms to the breastbone, even when nothing's touching them.

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Later update -
Appointment with surgeon is February 27. They put me on a cancellation wait list, so maybe sooner.
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