Mastitis

I'm a nursing mother. This is really important to me. First, because it's the best nutrition I can provide. Second, because studies have shown a high correlation between babies that were exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and a decrease in food allergies. I want to do everything I can do help Timothy be the healthy baby, child, and adult he can be.
Mastitis is a painful bacterial breast infection that leads to a red, swollen breast with hard lumps where the infection is. There are lots of ways to contract mastitis but you are at increased risk if you've had mastitis before. Symptoms, besides the redness, swelling, and pain, can include fever, flu-like symptoms (chills), and lack of energy.
I had a bout or two of mastitis with David. I remember one night in particular when I feverish and not sure if I would make it to the morning, but I did and the infection cleared on its own.
About a week and half ago now I started to feel a small lump and knew it meant that I was developing mastitis, so I did all the things that I had done when I had the infection with David ... lots of warm compresses, having Timmy feeding off of that side first every time (even if it's painful and it sure has been painful!), rubbing at the lump during and after each feeding. The lump would be bad some days (and I'd get a fever) and other days it would be gone.
On late Friday morning though I knew something was different. The lump felt heavier and I felt sicker. We are fortunate to have a medical professional in the extended family who was able to help me get a prescription for an antibiotic that day.
I was ill all day Saturday. A friend called to see how I was doing and I described myself as a nursing blob. It's really best way I can describe it. Besides nursing I wasn't able to do much else. Chris is my hero. He took care of the house, David, and all of Timmy's other needs by himself.
I woke up on Sunday morning, after 5 doses of antibiotic, to something I had never imagined possible. The lump, which I thought was huge, being about a quarter of my breast, was now enormous, taking up the space on three sides of my breast.
We are fortunate to have a family friend who lives on base who works in family practice at the clinic on this base. We were able to reach him early Sunday morning. He came over, examined the infected area and prescribed a stronger antibiotic.
This antibiotic seems to be working, over the past 48 hours I had less fevers and flu-like symptoms and less pain in the breast, but last night I developed a new symptom that is worrying me, especially this morning. This is a little on the gross side, but I think I've developed pus. Yup, totally gross. I'm afraid that means that they will have to surgically drain my breast to remove the infection.
We are handling all of this pretty well I think. But it means that I haven't posted anything here, I'm not answering emails, I'm not returning phone calls in a timely manner. Right now I just want to hunker down and feel better.