It was July 2002, a month past my 39th birthday, when I looked down at the white top I was wearing and saw blood and quickly realized it was coming from the nipple of my left breast.
I had my baseline mammogram done at the age of 35, because my great-grandmother died of breast cancer when I was very young, so I knew the importance of keeping a close watch on myself.
I made an appointment to see a doctor and he then sent me for a diagnostic mammogram. The report came back "no evidence of malignancy". But I was still bleeding, so my doctor did a smear of the fluid from the nipple, and sent me for an ultrasound...and there they were, three little tumors that were trying their best to hide from the view of my prior mammogram.
After my biopsy, my doctor sat, grabbed my hand and said, in words I will never forget, "There was a malignancy". Diagnosis: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and Pagets Disease of the nipple.
The plan was a single mastectomy and I chose to have immediate reconstruction. I was told that I would have the results of the sentinal node biopsy back in 7-10 days. My tumors together totalled only approximately 1 cm and my doctor told me I was borderline for needing chemo. The results of the sentinal node biopsy would give me this answer. I agonized over these results....fearing chemo and losing my long hair SO much more than fearing surgery and losing my breast.
I caught a break, there was no spread of the disease so I did Tamoxifen and Lupron for 2 years, which along with the surgery, was all I needed.
This was 11 years ago, and I am still healthy, and just turned 50 this past year. I also want everyone to be aware that bleeding from the nipple IS a sign of breast cancer and should never be ignored. It's often a symptom left off the list and it's one that saved my life.
Yardville, NJ