I'm sorry to barge in here without any knowledge of this group.  I heard
you were wonderful and a great source of info, so I am writing you in
semi-desperation.

      I am a La Leche League Leader in So. Seminole County, FL.    I may know
some of you from a brief stint on LLLOL a few months ago.  I have 2 daughters
ages 12 and 3 and 1/2.  The second is still nursing.

     I have a problem no one can figure out.  I have a history of recurring
plugged duct (s?) in my left breast. In November 1995, I had what I figured
was another plugged duct there.  It did not suddenty appear in the a.m. as
most of mine had before.  It was much smaller than the others--size of a
couple of raisins instead of a ping pong ball.  And it hurt differently.
     It did not respond to the usual treatment for plugged duct.   It took 3
weeks or more to go away.  The pain went down considerably but did recur
whenever the breast began to fill up ( and still does).  I have  noticed that
it is always relieved by nursing.
     I figured it was a galactocele.  I went to my doctor.  He said that was
basically no big deal if that was what it was, did a quick breast exam and
said it was nothing.  I got a mammogram anyway.  It showed up on the
mammograms as a  small whitish thing, if I recall correctly.   The
radiologist said he had seen galactoceles before and this wasn't one.  It
wasn't big enough for one thing.  So I'm scheduled to go back in 6 months for
another mammogram.   He thought is was a lymph node.
     My doctor said after seeing the mammogram that it was so small that if
they did surgery the surgeon probably wouldn't find it, and would leave scar
tissue that would block the view if cancer did occur in that place.  He
highly recommended against surgery or fine needle aspiration.
    If this is what it is ( a lymph node), I don't know why it just began
hurting so much.  And if it is a galactocele, and I don't get it out what
will happen to it and to me?  My  3 and 1/2 year old still nurses quite
often, but I'm aiming for her to wean around age 4.  I am considering weaning
her on that one breast only, but am not sure if it would do any good.
    I have asked my PL for help, but she said it can take up to six weeks, so
I'm writing to you now in hopes one of you will know something about this
kind of thing.  Any ideas?
     Thanks in advance.
              Gena  (gk1443 @eworld.com)