Marie, I'm with Linda Pohl:  How do quarter size plugs get expelled from the
nipple?  I would guess that the material is debris of some sort which
coaleses in the milk after pumping.  I have seen breast abscess with no
fever, and the lump is certainly suspicious along with the swelling, etc.
Perhaps there is some pus draining into the milk which clots up.  Just pure
speculation here, but perhaps the live cells in the milk clean it up so it
disappears after a while leaving the "normal" looking milk you describe
after a short period of storage.  With sx like hers, I'd be very tempted to
recommend tx with antibiotics anyway.  If that didn't reduce and clear the
sx, I'd opt for visualization.  Maybe a galactocele has formed.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE, IBCLC
priv. pract Austin, Tx
Owner LACTNEWS On-Line (the Conference Page)
http://moontower.com/bwc/lactnews.html