OK, so now I have 1200 new messages to read...
A couple of days ago, I had a wierd sore spot on my collarbone. Assuming I had stressed something by A: making beads, B: sitting at my computer so long, or C: hoeing the garden, I basically ignored it and did all the running around I usually do. Hardare store, grocery store, yardwork, kids to the park, etc. Later that same day...
I was so tired I went to bed early. One of my breasts felt full, and I knew I should have woken the baby up to nurse her before I went to bed, but you know the cardinal rule; "Don't Wake a Sleeping Baby".
Later, Moxley brought her up to bed, and I *should* have rolled over to feed her on the "fuller" side, but I was too tired...
I woke up in the morning feeling mighty peculiar. That one breast was painful, and I just felt "off". Before long, I was getting chills. I tried a hot shower, and then a hot bath, but neither helped. Mind you, it was 85 degrees out. I took my temperature and found it was 102.5. Wheee!
I called the doctor's advice line and went to bed, shivering under two heavy wool blankets, performing a complex form of blanket origami so I could nurse the baby without overheating her.
Long story short; I have mastitis, known as milk fever in the dark ages. Women used to die from this, and now I know why! It's nothing more than an infected milk duct, and I never thought it could be such a big deal, but it's one of the most miserable experiences I've ever had. After 24 hours of antibiotics I'm starting to feel better, but my eyes still hurt, I'm headachy and weak, and we won't talk about nursing on the infected side! I practically need Vicodin (I do have some left over from when I gave birth, if it comes to that). I'm pretty sure I was saying some wierd stuff when I was feverish, too.
All I have to say is, YAY for modern medicine! I'm usually shy of antibiotics, but in this case, they were definitely a godsend! (Or a Goddess-send, as the case may be.)