That is it! I'm FINISHED!

Those were the words I was saying to my self as I sat on the couch in pain and shaking from having a fever of 101. My goal for pumping until he was six months was thrown out the window when I got Mastitis this last Sunday. Yes, that's an infection in my milk ducts (my left to be precise). It meant terrible pain, chills, pain, nausea, pain, exhasion, achiness, and more pain. I'm done pumping!

It started Saturday morning. Well I guess I hhave to say for background info that about two weeks ago I stopped pumping at night. I reasoned to my milk suppy that it would be as if he was sleeping through the night, but I would have to make sure that I was draining it totally in the morning. But for some reason I guess it didn't totally Saturday morning. I noticed that my left was sore (more than usual) but I pumped again and drained it and thought noting of it. But of course Saturday was the 4th, so I went way too long without pumping that night. When I finally did pump I notice that I didn't get much from my left. This should have been my tip off (the milk dust were clogged), but I still continued with my schedule (not pumping at night).

Then while I was leading the music in Sacrament Meeting Sunday morning, it really started to hurt, and I mean really hurt. I could feel it swelling and it hurt so much I couldn't fold my arms. I was on the brink of tears which means alot since I hate to cry in a public place. After Sacrament meeting I had a thought it could be Mastitis but I didn't have the symptoms of a fever that comes with it. Then halfway into Sunday School, I started to get the chills. I was cold and shaking like crazy -even though it was in the 70s. The crazy thing was that I couldn't go home because I had to teach in Relief Society. Oh man, did I pray that I could get through my lesson and that my hand writing would be legiable since I was shaking so much.
Finally I got home and tried to get a hold of someone to tell me what I needed to do. I was told to drain it which could take 24 hours because the duct were clogged and to start taking anitbiotics.

Well, I was suck to that terrible mechine for the next 5 hours with a fever of 101.6 shaking, achy, sweating, and in the most pain that I've been in since I had Valin. Yes, it hurt, but I could easily take it, but dealing with this fever was terrible. I also got a whole lip full of cold sores from that sinking fever.

But finally I got it drained. The milk was a sickly gray color and it had this dark green dregs toward the bottom and then when we washed the container there was a sick mucus residue. Oh, it was disgusting. I thought about taking a picture but thought that you might not want to lose your lunch. Here is a picture of what it looked like almost 24 hours after I got the infection.
The bottle on the left is there to show was normal breastmilk looks like.

Anyway, my fever broke around 6 Sunday evening after I got it drained, took a nap, and started taking antibiotics. I was ten times better after that. The soriness slowly stopped by Thursday which was also when my milk started to run white again. But I have an appointment next Tuesady to bring my pump back to WIC. So I'm finally going to be free from that machine! That calls for a celebration dance!