I have had a breast abscess for 8 weeks now. I am breastfeeding my 20 week old baby and I have barely been able to enjoy it for all the issues we have had which I won’t go into detail about now!
Anyway I have had mastitis 3 times, and after I stopped taking antibiotics for the 3rd bout of mastitis I noticed another large lump appear (baby was 11/12 weeks old). I did the usual protocol: ice/ibuprofen etc but the lump was still there after a week so I went to the GP. Got sent away being told it was a blocked duct. It wasn’t particularly painful but very large (lemon sized) and above my nipple. 4 weeks later it was still there but I didn’t have any other symptoms such as fever etc, although it was tender to touch. Went back to GP and got sent straight to the surgical emergency unit at the hospital. They said they didn’t know (?!) what it was so was referred to the breast clinic. Over a week later I had my appointment there, and an ultrasound was inconclusive so I had to have a biopsy. Spent the following 8 days thinking I had breast cancer. It came back as an abscess but that it was too solid to aspirate. I’ve now been on antibiotics (co-amoxiclav) for 2.5 weeks and the lump still feels pretty much the same, if not more painful. I’m now having to take daily ibuprofen to manage the sharp stabbing pain where the abscess is, with no idea how long I’m going to have to endure this hell for.
I guess I’m just looking for success stories of this happening to anyone else (mainly where the abscess couldn’t be aspirated!) and how long it took to improve/get better. I’m so sick of it now and gutted that my breastfeeding journey has been so hard.
If you’ve got this far thank you for reading 🙏