Over a month ago, I asked for help with a mom who was diagnosed w/ breast
cancer a couple weeks before the birth of her first baby.

So far, so good.  A wide excision and removal of some nodes showed no
additional cancer.  It took *weeks* to remove the incision from the drain.
 What finally helped was putting only slight negative pressure on the bulb
- enough that fluids went into the drain and not down her front.  After 4
days w/ less suction, drainage stopped.

A galactocoele formed under the incision and was aspirated twice - surface
was bulgy before and indented after aspiration.  After an acupuncture
treatment to "reduce stagnation", there was a spontaneous rupture, and
breast now feels normal.

She begins radiation next week, for 6 weeks, *perhaps* followed by chemo;
she's still debating.  The couple is considering harvesting eggs before
chemo, on the chance that chemo will leave her infertile.  In the
meantime, she'll be able to continue nursing.  Some women are volunteering
milk if she needs it.

The baby is doing just fine.  Prefers the breast that had the tumor.  Even
if chemo is instituted, they'll have had about 3 months of nursing - much
longer than originally anticipated.  She's also been pumping and storing,
and anticipates using her, donor, and artificial milk if she does chemo.

For having had such bad luck, they're having pretty good luck.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  private practice  Ithaca, NY