How Breastfeeding May Have Saved My Life
Terri G.
CA USA
From NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 18 No. 2, March-April 2001, pp. 56-57
I don't remember exactly
why or how I decided to breastfeed my daughter, Sophia, long-term. I
only know that my life may have depended on this decision. I'd been
a vegetarian for over twenty years and I'd always leaned toward herbal
medicines and natural treatments, so breastfeeding seemed to be the
natural decision when I got pregnant a couple of years ago. I took a
breastfeeding class with my husband, read books, and even hired a doula
who was knowledgeable about breastfeeding for our birth. When my daughter
was born she took to my breasts quickly and naturally, loving to suck
while meeting her needs through this wonderfully satisfying experience.
She thrived physically, mentally, and emotionally and I'm certain the
breastfeeding experience was at least in part responsible for this.
Because I too loved our breastfeeding and the incredible bonding and
closeness it brought, my original goal of weaning by six months easily
turned into a year and then two years.
One day when my daughter
was 20 months old, she started playing, moving her chin back and forth
over something in my breast as she was breastfeeding. When I felt the
area myself I could discern a marble-sized lump that moved around when
touched. I knew from my reading that breastfeeding could cause certain
kinds of lumps and irregularities, so I wasn't too concerned. I waited
a month or so and then called my doctor, who checked out the lump and
also thought it breastfeeding-related, probably a milk-filled cyst.
When it hadn't disappeared after a month, I had a mammogram, ultrasound,
and fine needle breast biopsy. I continued to nurse uninterrupted. The
biopsy showed suspicious cells so I was scheduled for a lump removal.
They still thought it was nothing serious. I recovered quickly from
the minor surgery, breastfeeding my daughter on the opposite breast
while I gave the operated-on breast a day or two to recover. However,
a week later, I didn't recover so quickly from the news that the lump
they had removed was invasive intraductal carcinoma-breast cancer.
I was scheduled for a lumpectomy
and lymph node removal a week or so later and was told I should wean
my daughter from the affected breast by then. I told her my one breast
had a "boo-boo." She respected this and fed only from the
other one. Fortunately, in the second surgery, the surgeon found clear
margins (no cancer cells in the area surrounding the lump) and there
was no lymph node involvement, strongly indicating no spread beyond
the one breast. The surgeon stressed how lucky I was that this cancer
was caught early and that because of this my prognosis was very good
and the chance of recurrence was relatively small. I felt so grateful
that I'd continued to breastfeed so long. I hadn't been doing monthly
breast exams, so I fear I wouldn't have found the cancer as early if
Sophia hadn't drawn my attention to it. I hate to imagine the outcome.
I was told that if I only
needed radiation therapy I could continue nursing on the unaffected
breast, so I breathed a sigh of relief. However, my oncologist strongly
recommends chemotherapy for younger women with breast cancer. After
weighing my options, I decided to have the treatment. I knew I would
have to stop breastfeeding entirely, but I had to do what was best in
the long run. I gradually, and a bit sadly, weaned my Sophia from the
one breast she still nursed from, knowing this would probably be one
of my many sacrifices for the greater good in her lifetime.
My breast cancer experience
has taught me to create my own happiness despite my sometimes challenging
circumstances. I've learned that worrying is mostly useless and unproductive.
I've learned that pessimists may be more accurate, but that optimists
live longer and have a better time in life. Finally, I've gained a much
greater appreciation for the blessings, big and small, in my life. I
am very grateful for the chance to breastfeed my child. Not only was
it a potentially life-saving event for me, it was undoubtedly one of
my life's most special and enduring gifts.
Last updated November 13 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:29:27 UTC 2007.
