In my 30's I found that my left breast was dipping in, and went to have a mammogram. It turned out that I had a suspicious growth, and I had a lumpdectomy performed the next day. Drainage tubes and all, I went back to work, feeling very happy that all was well (not cancer). Over the next few years, growths kept on reappearing, breast tissue kept on dipping in, lumpectomies were performed over and over again. The growth in my breast that were removed were described as "hard gristle", and with the last removal, it was 5 cm in length. During this time, as noone seemed to know what it was, I came upon the discovery of it being diabetic mastopathy. The breast surgeon had never heard of this, so I loaded his desk up with various information I had gathered. The lumpdectomies that were performed over the years should have not been repeated, sad to say, but left untouched, as like in many women (nonD and D) - once menopause hits, these growths are supposed to stop. I did not have much healthy breast tissue left at this point in time (I was now wearing a prothesis to look "normal") at this point in time and growths were continuing (and very painful - a good sign that this was not cancer - as most cancers are a silent killer), it was decided amongst all the surgeons involved, to perform a subcutaneous mastectomy. This is where the breast is left intact, all the stuff inside is removed. Because of what I considered a rare case they felt it best to avoid further problems down the line and possible cancer (I am supposed to be in medical reports as to the amount of lumps that were removed from my breast <lol>).

I had the mastectomy performed about 5 years ago, it has taken time to adjust to having a "breast" again. I wish the doctors/surgeons had known right from the beginning what I had, but alas, they didn't until I discovered on my own what I had, but at least I have hopefully saved other diabetic women from facing this unnecessary surgery. Now, core samples can be perfomed in the doctors office, without unnecessary slice 'n dice rather then invasive surgery which I had to incur.

I often will tell people that I did suffer from cancer, as I felt all the emotions that they perhaps would go thru', unfortunately I had to deal with the emotions on my own, as no support was available for me, sad to say. I did go thru' some pretty tough emotional times with this, but the main thing is, it was not cancer, and I'm still alive and kicking with my new Dolly Parton (I wrote a blog about it here at Diabetes1.org - http://www.diabetes1.org/blogs/Annas_Blog/The_story_of_my_Dolly_Partons_as_I_fondly_like_to_call_them