I have had three fibroadenomas removed from my breast at different times.
 The first was when my first born was 2 months old (she is now 24years)  This
was before I found LLL and had any breastfeeding knowledge.  I weaned her two
weeks prior to surgery, not knowing I had other choices. When my son was
10months old (now 21years) I had another fibroabenoma.  Thanks to all I
learned with LLL, I knew what questions to ask and how to be assertive in my
rights to continue breastfeeding.  I had the surgery under a local as an
outpatient.  I had an incision of about 1 1/4 inch about 2 1/2 inches from
the areola on the underside of my right breast.  A drain was placed in the
incision.  I had slowly cut back on the nursing on the right breast over the
period of about one week. I ordered a Loyd-B pump to have on hand after the
surgery as the surgeon did not want me to nurse on it for a week.  (Didn't
have a lot of choices when it came to pumps 20 years ago. The Loyd-B was my
best choice at that time.)  I was only away from my son four hours, he didn't
miss a feeding.  I tried to comply with the surgeon and not nurse on the
right side and pump it.  After about the third nursing and having milk pour
out the incision and drain (and I do mean pour), I decided to put my son to
that breast.  If I started the nursing out on the breast with the surgery,
the leaking from the incision was minimum.  But, if I started him on the left
breast or had a MER between nursing. the milk would pour out the incision.  I
was fortunate that the incision was far enough away from the areola that my
son could latch and not have his mouth on the incision.  He did do a double
take at the rubber tubing used as a drain, but settled into nurse fine.  It
took about three weeks for the incision to completely stop any leaking.
   This made the surgeon real nervous.  I had to plead with him to do the
surgery without my weaning as it was his first experience with a lactating
breast.  I kept reminding myself "it's healing from the inside out."  It was
a pretty deep incision and it healed beautifully, it just took awhile.  I
continued to nurse my son till he was 24 months and never had a problem with
plug ducts, pain or milk supply.  Out of the three surgeries, that scar is
the nicest looking one.  I think all those milk baths with all those
antibodies, and maybe the epidermal growth factors, was beneficial in the
healing process.

Twenty years ago, I made it through my experience mostly with "mothering gut
faith"  and determinination as there was little  to be found about breast
surgery while nursing. I did have great support from my LLL Leaders and LLL
friends who gave lots of encouragement.

I've only been signed on to LACTNET for a couple of weeks and am very much
enjoying the sharing.  I'm a new IBCLC though not new to breastfeeding
counseling.  I've been a LLL Leader for 19 years and have also worked with
WIC of Seminole Co., FL to implement their Peer Counselor Program.  I'm
presently working in private practice with Debby Kearney, IBCLC after
interning with her for 20 months before my certification.

I would like to  thank Barbara Wilson-Clay for her recent post about the
value of LCs.  To her post, I can only add "AMEN."

I want to also thank Dr. Newman for responding to my two post last week, one
about neonatal grave's disease and one about a mom who was taking Zithromax.
 Thank you for making time to share your breastfeeding knowledge with us and
for great words of wisdom such as "sacificing breastfeeding on the altar of
ignorance."

And a big thanks to Kathleen for all she does to keep LACTNET going.

Warmly,
Pat Lindsey, IBCLC, LLL Leader, in Oviedo which is near Orlando, FL