Hi, I'm new and would love some answers

Hi everyone, I'm new at this so please bear with me. I hope I don't ramble too much.

Last August, I had my yearly mamo and a mass the doctors had been watching since 1993 had developed some micro calcifications. A stereotactic breast biopsy was done which showed a high grade, major solid tumor with multiple part breakdown in center infiltering ito breast. In October they did a segmental mastectomy. That biopsy report showed DCIS, Modified Black's Nuclear Grade 2 (Moderately differentiated), Residual, Cribriform Type, present in 3 sections with maximum dimension in single section 1.5mm, reactive changes at previous biopsy site, margins of resection widely free of tumor, Hyalinized fibroadenoma, Fibrocycstic chanes including duct ectasia, aprocrine metaplasia, and ductal epithelial hyperplasia without atypia. Whew! I haven't a clue about half of that but thought I should tell you due to all the problems I seem to be having. Some of you may recognize some of it and be able to put my mind at ease.

I went through 6 weeks of radiation. Had some problems with being tired but towards end, my skin burnt terriably and was very painful, even with ointments they gave me. But, I survived. Those treatments ended mid December, 2002.
The whole time I was having radiation, my breast was very swollen (very painful at times) and always very warm to the touch. My doctor said this was normal. Is that true? Did you have that?

Sometime in February, my breast started swelling again and was very warm. It finally got so painful, I went back to radiation center and they put me on a strong antiobotic (augmentin, I think) for 10 days and told me I had a form of mastitus. Ten days later it was not better and I started bleeding through nipple so I went to see my surgeon who did lumpectomy. He immediately inserted a drain tube and put me in hospital for week to give me some very strong antiobotics thru vein. Some of swelling went down but fever in breast was still there and redness. They sent me home with drain tube which was left in 2 weeks and then removed.

The bleeding continued, at times very heavy and I had sharp pains in my breast also. They had me come back and did ultrasound and said nothing showed up to be abnormal. Bleeding continued.

Two weeks ago, they injected dye into the duct that was bleeding and found it was coming from the area of the surgery. This area you could see on the ultrasound and was quite large but no one seemed concerned about it. They also did my 6 month mamos which also showed nothing unusual. The following day, they did surgery again to "tie off" the duct that was bleeding and removed a large blood clot from the area and biopsy the area because I was concerned about IBC. The biopsy came back negative, thank goodness. They also told me that the blood clots happen but are unusual. Is this true? Have any of you had this problem?

To conclude this long story, my breast is again swelling, has fever in it, is red and getting hard in the area of the surgery (as it did before), so I'm afraid nothing has been "fixed" other than they stopped the bleeding but also stopped the way of escape for the blood that continues to build up in my breast. Bye the way, I had an excessive amount of bleeding when they did the first biopsy also which they told me was not common. I do not take any type of blood thinners or aspirin so that's not it.

Have any of you experienced anything like this or know of anyon that has? At first I was afraid of IBC, because I had a lot of the symptoms but they tell me I don't have it. I'm going to a well known cancer center in Houston and my doctor is suppose to be one of the best. He seems stumpt also but thinks he fixed it with this last surgery. I'm to call them this week and let them know how I'm doing which I will do on Thursday. I'm just hoping to have some possible suggestions or questions from some of you that I can present to them when I call.

I'm sorry I've rambled on so. I'm scared that there is something there that they aren't seeing or something. Something is causing this problem. It isn't normal, is it? Do any of you know of anyone else that has experienced this? It would help to know that I'm not the only one going through this.

Thank you all in advance. I wish you well in your struggle also.

Connie