Hi. Please forgive me for this long message but I have no idea how to give so many details in such a short message.. I am so confused and do not know where to turn!!!
Here goes! About two years ago I noticed that my nipples had started to invert. I was 33 then so it was not something that had been with me through childhood. Well at the first sight of this, I went and had a mammogram and ultra sound taken. After reviewing the results, I was set up to have a needle guided biopsy on my right breast, they found a lump. Three nights before this surgery, my right breast started to engorge (became a size bigger then the left) well I went to the doctor the next morning and he put me in for emergency surgery the next day. He cut me open right under my right nipple and took out some tissue to biopsy. By the way, he did not do the needle guided biopsy that I was schedule to receive at this point. He figured this was more important. As did I seeing that my breast looked like it was about to explode!!!!!!!!!!!! This doctor did not know why this has happened or what was happening. I have never been pregnant or breast feed. After lots of research, through the internet, I realized that I had mastitis of the breast. Ok there is allot more. About two months later I was going in for my "previous scheduled biopsy". The doctor wanted me to heal before proceeding. Coincidently enough, the night before this surgery, my left breast began to engorge and get very swollen. When I went in to the hospital that next morning, the doctor performed the needle biopsy of the right breast and cut me open in the same area on the left nipple as the first surgery with the right breast, to remove tissue and biopsy that as well. But in this surgery, unlike the first, the doctor tried to push the nipple outwards to correct the inversion, the result was the top was out and the bottom of the nipple was still inverted. I still have not gotten an explanation of why the same doctor did not do this to the right side as he performed the same procedure. This will make more sense as I go along. Just so I tell you all of the facts, the first time when I went into the office and "obviously" had a "severe infection" I was not given any type of antibiotics, of course after the initial surgery I was. Over the next 6 months, I had chronic infections in the right breast where I had the first surgery to remove the infection of the nipple. At the six month point I went and saw a breast specialist and was informed that I had a fistula right below the right nipple. I was given antibiotics to take for two weeks until the surgery. Ok so now here we are at the third surgery. The specialist goes in and removes the fistula tract. After two months I started to again get "chronic infections" in the same area of incisions. It occurres in the right breast about every three weeks and in the left breast about once every couple of months. Now here is my argument. I started doing research on inverted nipples and found out that there are three types of inversions. The most serious one being inversion that never retracts, even with stimulation. Well in the left nipple where the doctor tried to push the nipple out and half of it is in deed erect, this is the nipple that only gets infection every couple of months. The nipple that he did not try to erect and is serverley inverted get these infections every couple of weeks. I have now taken it upon myself. I know when this is coming on so I will immediately start to take antibiotics and then after the infection has "broke through the incision" I clean this area with hydrogen peroxide and bandage it for several days. I can not mentally or physically deal with this anymore. If there is anyone out there that knows about this, please let me know. I can not afford to have the inversion surgery done without my insurance paying for it. Insurance companies do not pay for reconstructive surgery. This is why I need every bit of help in letting my insurance company know that if I do not get the inversion surgery then I will continue to get these infections and have to have surgery after surgery to remove the fistula tracts that these infections are causing. After allot of research I have found out that serious nipple inversion can cause these infections, including mastitis of the breast. I have gone to two more specialists trying to let them know of my research and no one seems to agree with me. I believe and I know my body and see it everyday, that these infections are being caused be my inversion. It is said that bacteria can get into the nipple and cause this. Well I just want to know if someone out there has gone through this. These doctors say that nipple inversion surgery is not the answer but I have now had three surgeries due to infections and the infections are still here!!! I am so ashamed of how I look. My breast use to be my best feature and now after three surgeries within one a half years I feel so embarrassed to show them. My two year relationship is on the rocks and I know that this has a lot to do with it. I really just need some answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and by the way, every biopsy came back benign. Thank you for taking the time to read this!!!