Goodbye, Abscess

After several trips to the doctors and many bits of conflicting advice, it seems that my abscess is clearing on its own.  I've seen approximately 10 different medical professionals about it, and the advice has been all over the map.  One advocated surgery; another drainage with a needle; still another suggested that nature would take care of it.  One scowled at my continued breastfeeding and insisted that I stop immediately; the others lauded my perseverance.  One said I should not stop taking antibiotics, no matter what; another mandated that I stop taking antibiotics, no matter what. 

I have learned one thing from all of this:  the breast is a much more complex piece of machinery than I had ever guessed.  I will never see this organ as a sexual object again.  To me, it is simply a functional device.  When I head to a doctor's office about this problem, I now automatically lift my shirt while discussing the problem, to the occasional embarassment of the medical professionals present. The male doctors assume I will feel violated and sometimes request a female nurse to attend.  I now scoff at such protective precautions.

In my case, aspiration with ultrasound, antibiotics, and continued breastfeeding did the trick.  But were I not so intent on breastfeeding, I doubt I would have made it through all the treatment. 

This all points to the most important lesson of breastfeeding:  if you have a lump, massage it out before it turns into mastitis.  If you have mastitis, by all means treat it with antibiotics, feeding, and massaging before it turns into an abscess.  And if you have an abscess, try everything.