The title says it all.
I am in a dark mood now but I plan to write about my experiences of how mastitis turned my life upside down for the past week.
Among all the outcomes of lactational mastitis, having a 4cm by 1.5cm hole in the breast is not the worst outcome but does stand on the ‘bad’ end of the spectrum of all possible outcomes. From a very quick recovery and resuming breastfeeding, to a series of needle aspiration and eventual recovery without scars, to an emergent incision and drainage with a gaping wound on the breast. But anyway, I didn’t develop bacteremia/septic shock/death and still alive so thank goddess for that.
But this is the true reality of healthcare. A mixture of bad luck, rapidly progressing disease and subsequent clinical decision making behind the disease progression curve, you will find yourself end up in some place you never imagine would be.
Even now, I am still waiting to see where it goes since the wound is not healed.
I think it started on last Saturday when I found some area near my right nipple painful and bulging – thought it was some milk pouch since it was clogged duct there with hardened clots and it was difficult to see the redness as it was near areola. But I kept pumping – the next day pumping was so painful I even went to the hospital to borrow another hospital grade pump and the lactation consultant pointed out to me – isn’t that more red than usual?
Actually no, I think it all started when I was still staying in the hospital and son didn’t learn how to properly latch. Because he did not learn how to properly latch so I had to pump and nurse at the same time to increase my milk production (which never exceeded 3-5oz per day), and I had developed lots of clogged ducts which never went away and eventually developed into mastitis?
Chain of events.
Inside a hospital 