I didn’t know how to spell “abscess” before I got one in my boob. Something like 40% of women breastfeed for at least three months. 10-20% of women get mastitis. 3% of those get an abscess. So, overall, I figure there was less than a 1% chance I would have one, and, yet, here I am. It is very painful.
I’ve struggled with blocked/clogged ducts the whole time I’ve been breastfeeding, and I’ve learned a trick or two about how to best clear them (for myself, anyway). I consume 2 tbsp. of sunflower lecithin mixed in to (Greek) yogurt every morning (because the lecithin, while it looks like yummy crushed graham cracker, tastes bad). When I get a clog, I take a hot shower and then gravity/dangle nurse the baby. I have even used a heated, wet (with water) disposable diaper and gravity pumped once. Other things I tried that were not as successful were massage, hand expression (I’m not very good at it despite all the YouTube videos I’ve watched), vibrating for hours (with an electric toothbrush and a s ex toy (that hasn’t gotten any use, story for another time)), and cabbage leaves in my bra.
Several weeks ago, I got a particularly painful clog, called the advice line, got a phone appointment with a Lactation Consultant (LC), and she told me it was just a clog and to work it out. It didn’t feel like just a clog. I tried working it out and eventually decided to just let it be, as it wasn’t too sore anymore, and felt to be the size of a grape (the normal ones, not the steroidal ones sold in the grocery store now). Fast forward to Veteran’s Day, where the lump started to get larger and more painful. I called the advice line on Thursday (not wanting to bother with holiday support), and they said they’d message someone for me (they messaged the pediatrician who had already told me to call the advice line when I emailed him a couple weeks prior). I called on Friday, and they said they’d message someone for me (they messaged my PCP, who obviously ignored it, because he doesn’t do boobs). I waited all weekend and called the advice line on Monday and finally got someone who knew what they were doing that scheduled a phone LC appointment. Not ideal, but progress. The LC asked me if I’d been doing all the things I already tried and told me I needed to see my OB/GYN. (Ugh! Had I known that in the first place, I could have saved days of suffering.) So, I scheduled myself an urgent OB/GYN appointment for that afternoon.
The OB/GYN looked at and measured my 5.5 cm red swollen lump, had a colleague look at it, prescribed oral antibiotics and ordered an antibiotic injection (in the upper buttocks), and referred me to radiology. They made me wait 30 minutes after the injection, during which time I missed my radiology appointment, which was rescheduled for the following day.
Tuesday – Radiology was gentle and did a quick scan, after which I waited for about an hour to see the special breast doctor, who measured my lump at 6.25 cm, ordered another antibiotic injection, and scheduled me to have radiology attempt to aspirate what was almost certainly an abscess. I waited hours in a blue gown in a little waiting room where other blue gowned women cycled through. The aspiration was painful. They were surprised at the amount of pus collected from the abscess, 30 ccs, and felt compelled to describe it to me as two syringes of chocolate brown pus and one syringe of brown pus mixed with blood. (And now I’ve shared it with you. You’re welcome.) They (women) also tried to tell me I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed, because I clearly had an infection. Thankfully, the breast specialist was still in the building and told them (who told me) it was actually fine. (I expected more breastfeeding knowledge from my fellow females, but maybe they’ve never had to know about it before.)
Wednesday – I went back to the breast specialist, who poked my breast, said it was swollen and bruised, and ordered a third antibiotic injection.
Friday – Follow up with the breast specialist. She said that she’s hoping it will either get absorbed by my body or come to the surface and drain on its own. And to come back Monday.
Monday – The abscess is about 3 cm and still hard under the bruised area. Oral antibiotics are discontinued, and another appointment is made for the following Monday. It’s still sore and the skin over the area feels very dry. Later that evening, I develop a clog in the same breast, due to missing a pumping session (while I was at the doctor) and a feeding session (hubby was giving the baby a bottle when I got home from work (WTF!?).
To be updated as the experience continues…