I wanted to come back here and update, and say thank you so much to everyone for your help, advice and hugs. I was reminded of the thread last night when I realised I'd just put DS onto the left breast without even thinking about it, and I had been all day. It doesn't really hurt anymore, just a bit of discomfort sometimes.

It took a long time to get to here though! For me, there was no quick or easy fix. Nothing I could put on that would stop the pain or make it heal faster. There were times we were both crying because he was hungry and I couldn't handle giving him what he wanted. I expressed a couple of times to see if we could give me a break from feeding him, but he just likes to chew on the teat and gets quite shocked when milk comes out

The big wound circled at least 1/3 of the bottom of my nipple, was about 2mm wide and quite deep. So putting anything at all like lansinoh on sometimes actually hurt more than leaving it alone. I spent many days not going out so I could just have my boob out (having it touch anything hurry too much) and kept putting breastmilk on it. The problem was I really couldn't avoid a morning and night feed from that side, he just didn't get enough from the right alone, so that slowed the heading down a lot. I don't think it'll ever really be the same, it looks like I'll always have a 'dent' there.

I am so, so grateful for the support I received, here, the LC OP thankfully put me onto, the oral surgeon, our GP and most definitely DH. He never once suggested formula, and I think if I'd had people in my ear suggesting it I was in a state of mind to give up and go with formula. He rubbed my shoulders while I was feeding to help relax me, brought me anything I needed. He just acknowledged how hard it was for me, and how important it was to me to get through it and keep going.

So thank you, thank you everyone, I'm now looking forward to happily breastfeeding DS for as long as he needs and wants to