This is the second time in six months I've had this problem. I use strong passwords; i don't click on suspicious links; i don't use my email password for anything else. I have a macbook pro with OSX 10.8.5 and run all updates as they come out. (also have an iphone 4S and use email from there, too; not sure which might be the source of the problem). I use the generic apple email on the macbook pro/iphone, sending email through a comcast account. I could still access my email after it was compromised and i immediately changed the password when I became aware spam was going out. I have checked my email preferences to make sure nothing's being forwarded; it wasn't. I would appreciate guidance in what else i should do, because i'm annoying the heck out of my contacts and really want to make sure this is resolved permanently.
(*please use small words: i'm entirely tech illiterate, as I expect is probably obvious from what I already wrote. Telling me that i just have to snarfnigle my 3-bit gizziwigit is not going to help me at all. "go to your *** menu and select ***" is something i can do.)
Added (1). thank you for the help. I learned about it because it went to at least some of my contacts, not sure if it went to all of them as it seems to be dribbling into people's inboxes slowly over a couple days. Hopefully the changed password has taken care of it but i'm just anxious to do whatever else i can.