Babies/Nursing after Lumpectomy & Radiation?

DLcygnet

There are so few studies on this subject and so many of my doctors simply don't see young patients or care about the functionality of the breast. Is there anybody who still visits these forums who has been through the whole ordeal of Breast cancer... Surgery, Chemo, Radiation... and was able to have another child & breastfeed from the affected breast?

If so, what do you think made it possible or helped optimize your situation? If yes to baby, no to nursing - what do you think killed your chances of the affected breast working? What would you have done differently?

I'm 34 and start whole breast radiation March 8th. They say the technology tries to avoid certain parts of the breast & the nerves are quite resilient; not sure about the milk ducts/glands though. One doctor says there's a 15% chance of no production, another doctor said that all the scar tissue that develops in the year following treatment makes the outlook quite dismal. My lactation consultant Mother says she's seen a couple breast cancer patients and none of them were really producing much the day after delivering.

Is there any hope for me?