Nervous Nelly here

OzWoman

Hi, everyone.

I'm 45 and haven't breastfed for a good 8 years.

On Xmas Eve, I started getting pain in my right breast. My partner and I (and once I could get to the doctor, my doctor) found no lumps. This happened the day after my last day of my period.

A week later, I started getting similar pain in my left breast, but not as intense. I still get it now, but it's hardly noticeable compared to my right.

I've found dried discharge in the crack of the nipple of my right breast. It is creamy white when dry. Out of curiosity, I tried to express from the right breast and got a clear discharge from the central hole in the nipple. Nothing has been coming out of my left breast, expressed or spontaneous.

It's been almost a month now, and the right breast pain is much worse. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound one day after another and my right breast was in excruciating pain after both.

I'm not sure if I have orange peel skin. My eyesight is terrible, but it feels like every day it looks more like it, but also I'm not sure what it really looks like.

I'm getting a lot of purple bruise type colouring under both breasts, but more prominently the right.

Yesterday, my doctor told me my ultrasound results: I have no lumps, minor breast duct ectasia and some skin thickening. She said this was in both breasts. She is sending me to a breast specialist.

Then, I go home and get a phone call from Breast Screen about my mammogram. They'd like me to come back for further testing.

I'm really grateful for how well I'm being treated and how thorough all my health professionals are being. In fact, I'm relieved to go spend a day at Breast Screen for all of the tests, because it brings me much closer to an answer. But of course, I'm scared.

Can ductal ectasia thicken the skin?

Moderators

Hi OzWoman, and welcome to Breastcancer.org,

We're so sorry for the worries that bring you here, but it sounds like you have a good team of doctors ready to explore your concerns until your fears can be alleviated. You may want to check out the main Breastcancer.org site's section on Benign Breast Conditions, specifically, the page on Mammary Duct Ectasia, for more information.

We hope this helps and that you get answers soon!

--The Mods

OzWoman

Thanks

OzWoman

I finally had the breast specialist ring me to make an appointment: February 26th. My Breast Screen appointment is on Valentine’s Day. I’m guessing it won’t be especially romantic!

I can finally admit to myself now that my breast skin is pitted and orange peel like, now. I had absolutely none when I first started getting pain on Xmas Eve. Over the month, it has definitely developed. It was easy to talk myself out of the idea at first, but it’s quite prominent now.

I so badly want this all to be written off as just ectasia