In response to the letter that Dr. Gordon received from a mother with
bleeding and burning in her breast.  I do hope that the surgeon or other
physician that she sees will do further work-up to find the reason for
this pain and breast bleeding.  The description is unusual for the
common complaints that mothers have about their breast infections or
pumping problems.  This is when I say to the mother, "you should go to
the physician and/or surgeon and ask for a mammogram or ultrasound, go
now because these symptoms are unusual and I don't want you to miss
something."  

 

Unfortunately, within the Community Outreach program I work in, an
underprivileged uninsured, 29y/o breastfeeding woman was referred to us
with a diagnosis of cancer.  The story is sad, she was found to be
riddled with metastatic cancer.  She is in the end stages of her life,
at home on hospice care with her family of a husband and 3 young
children.  Thankfully, because of our outreach programs she is now
getting what she needs in these last weeks of her life, but its too
late.  While this is really unusual, I now won't ever listen to a mother
c/o burning and bleeding with no specific origin with out sending her as
soon as she can get there to a physician for a work-up.  

 

If this mother's doctor is working this up to find a reason for the
burning and bleeding, I'm glad.  If not and it is being treated as a
lactation issue only, she should tell the physician that the lactation
community doesn't see this as a "normal" sign of breastfeeding issues
and the mother should ask for a mammogram etc. to diagnose the problem. 

 

I certainly hope this is a 'no-biggy' problem, but I am worried.

 

Betsy Wells-Gephart, RN, BSN, IBCLC 

Lactation Consultant, Charge Nurse 

Chandler Regional Medical Center 

480.728.3161 phone 

602.656.1594 pager 

 

 


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