Tuesday, September 14, 2010

My Experience With Nipple Piercings

Welcome to my blog! Hopefully this blog will help someone out there who is going through a similar experience. Or maybe this will help someone make an informed decision on getting their nipples pierced.
On March 24 of this year I decided that I was going to quit smoking cold turkey and that I would treat myself with getting my nipples pierced. This was something that I have always wanted to get done.  The piercings themselves  went pretty well.  I went to a very well known piercer and the place was very clean. There was little pain and very little bleeding.  I cleaned the piercings just as I was instructed with liquid dial soap a few times a day.   I had thought that they were healing pretty good and was very proud of them.  On May 27 of this year I had a routine physical.  Upon doing a breast exam my doctor was concerned because she felt a pea sized lump on my right breast. I am 35 years old and have never had any abnormal bumps or lumps in my breast.  My doctor was very concerned and sent me right over to the hospital to get a mammogram.  For the mammogram I was instructed to remove my nipple rings.  Upon completion of the mammogram I was told I would have to have an ultrasound.  The radiologist had  come in during the ultrasound and told me that the bump was solid and that if it should change shape or size I was to call my doctor right away.  He wanted to take the wait and see approach.  Well I left that appointment not feeling any better about the whole situation.  At this point I was scared.   By June 9 the bump had turned into the size of a golf ball.  I called my doctors office and told the receptionist that I needed to see my doctor. The receptionist passed my call over to a nurse and I explained that I was told by the radiologist to call if the bump got bigger.  The nurse said to me "If you think you need to be seen then I will have  you come in later today!" So off I went to see my doctor. Who upon looking at me said "Oh you have mastitis"  Gave me an prescription for 10 days of Cipro and said if it's not any better come back in to see her.  I took the medication as prescribed but by the 9th day on the cipro I was in so much pain and my breast was so large that it felt like it was going to burst.  Ended up going to the local ER because it was after hours and the pain was unbareable.  The ER doctor said it was an abscess and that if I didn't get it treated soon that it could turn bad real fast.  They gave me 10 days of clindamycin to take and told me that I needed to call my doctor in the morning and tell the doctor that I need a referral to see a breast surgeon.  So the next morning I called the doctors office and they passed me over to the nurse once again.  I told her what was going on and she says "Why would they tell you that you need to see a breast surgeon?"  Well I have had it will that nurse by now and the doctors office. So I didn't make an appointment with them. I instead went back to the ER and said I need something done here.  They ended up aspirating the abscess and extending my antibiotic even longer.  They also made me an appointment with the breast care center.

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