I love to drink. Vino is my alky of choice. But that, my lovely friends, is not vino.That's cranberry juice.
Last Friday, I woke up around 12.15 having to pee. When I went to the bathroom, it felt strange. It felt like period cramps, but in the front.
After I finished up, I hobbled back to bed. In no less than two minutes, I had to go to pee again. Badly.
I mean - an idiot might have not known what was wrong.
I had a UTI!!!
TMI Warning:
Stop reading now
if you don't want to read about my UTI!!!
TMI Warning:
Stop reading now
if you don't want to read about my UTI!!!
First thing I did? Well I didn't go back to sleep. There's no sleeping on a hardcore UTI. It's too painful. It's too needy.
I crawled downstairs with my blanket and my computer to our family room. It was the only room in the house with a couch close to a bathroom. There I set up my research camp.
Here's what I found out about UTIs.
After some reading, I still couldn't sleep. It was around 2 am and I felt horrible. So I drove to Giant. I had two things on my mind.
Quality cranberry juice
Pamela's cookies
I crawled downstairs with my blanket and my computer to our family room. It was the only room in the house with a couch close to a bathroom. There I set up my research camp.
Here's what I found out about UTIs.
Symptoms of a UTI
Painful and frequent urination
Feeling of urination but no relief
Cloudy smelly urine
Sleepiness
Pain in the back or ribs
Fever, chills, dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Painful and frequent urination
Feeling of urination but no relief
Cloudy smelly urine
Sleepiness
Pain in the back or ribs
Fever, chills, dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Wow! Many of these symptoms I'd had the entire day before. But I'd shrugged them off. It's so often that I don't feel well. Dizziness? That's my sinuses. Nausea? That's my stomach not liking what I ate. Constant peeing? Yeah, it's a family thing.
The pain was what woke me up. Literally and figuratively.
The pain was what woke me up. Literally and figuratively.
After some reading, I still couldn't sleep. It was around 2 am and I felt horrible. So I drove to Giant. I had two things on my mind.
Quality cranberry juice
Pamela's cookies
There was plenty of good cran at Giant. No double chocolate Pam's though. One out of two ain't bad. I also grabbed up some Uva Ursi tea - great for UTIs.
Back at home, I still couldn't sleep. So I continued my research on the UTI. How did I get this? Why did I get this? How could I get rid of it?
Back at home, I still couldn't sleep. So I continued my research on the UTI. How did I get this? Why did I get this? How could I get rid of it?
Treatments for a UTI
Quality cranberry juice (the stuff that costs $7 a bottle)
Uva Ursi
LOTS of water
LOTS of Vitamin C
Antibiotics
Quality cranberry juice (the stuff that costs $7 a bottle)
Uva Ursi
LOTS of water
LOTS of Vitamin C
Antibiotics
Let me tell you. After two glasses of cranberry juice and a mug of uva ursi, my UTI pain vanished. The next morning, I woke up feeling completely better.
Of course I went to the doctor anyway. The chance of getting a kidney infection was just too scary. Also, my momma was threatening to drive me herself.
Of course I went to the doctor anyway. The chance of getting a kidney infection was just too scary. Also, my momma was threatening to drive me herself.
Post docs, I got my antibiotics. Then I hit up Kimberton Whole Foods for some natural reinforcements.
Macro Greens has over 600% of the daily intake of vitamin C. I paired it with Vita Coco and added another 200%. Take that, nasty bacterias!
KWF started carrying bulk maca. So after months and months of pining after maca, I finally bought some!!! It was a present for me - an "I'm sorry you're sick, honey" present.
With it, I made...
...a cacao maca smoothie!
Cacao Maca Almond Smoothie
1 cup almond milk
2 T cacao
1 T maca
5-10 drops stevia
My yoga teacher was talking about self love the other night. She asked us to meditate on the different ways you can love yourself. For me, taking care of myself is the utmost form of self love. But treating myself is definitely a close second!
Third? I focus on the positives. Yes, I have gotten my first UTI. This means I'll probably get more. But now I have an excuse for buying really expensive cranberry juice, which is one of my most favorite things on the planet!
1 cup almond milk
2 T cacao
1 T maca
5-10 drops stevia
My yoga teacher was talking about self love the other night. She asked us to meditate on the different ways you can love yourself. For me, taking care of myself is the utmost form of self love. But treating myself is definitely a close second!
Third? I focus on the positives. Yes, I have gotten my first UTI. This means I'll probably get more. But now I have an excuse for buying really expensive cranberry juice, which is one of my most favorite things on the planet!
Toots
Ever have a UTI? How bad was it? What did you do to deal?
When you are sick, do you use home remedies or meds? Which do you think is better? At what point do you think the home remedies just aren't enough?
What expensive foodie thing would you love to buy, but don't because of the price?
What ways do you show yourself that you love yourself?
Posts
15 comments:
I hope you're feeling better! I've had the kidney infection from an overlooked UTI (my doc said I didn't have one when I insisted I did), and that's SUPER not fun.
Here's some TMI for ya: I went through a time when I got them a lot. I was, er, having a lot of sex and my bladder muscles were not doing a very good job of getting all the urine out. I went through a bunch of things (believe me, you don't want ANYTHING up your urethra), and somehow it resolved itself (or maybe I became single - I can't remember). Anyway, always pee right after s-e-x. :)
Oh, peeing after sex (whether with a partner or on your own) is SO important! A friend told me that years ago and I haven't had a UTI since. Weird, since I always have to pee after anyway, but would hold it in so as not to disturb what little cuddling was available. (Aah, exes... ya jerks.)
So yes, I used to have UTIs on an almost bi-monthly basis and cranberry juice/extract plus vitamin C were the way to go for me. Antibiotics gave me yeast infections, so once I discovered acidophilus it was a whole new world. I have to take upwards of 5000 mg of anti-bios for dentist work due to a heart condition, and the acidophilus nipped the potential yeast in the bud. But I digress!
I don't get sick very often, in the cough-and-cold realm that is, so when I do, I tend to go the natural route for the first 3 days and if I'm not feeling human by then I hit the nyquil and hope for the best. Chamomile tea, homemade soup (which is damn hard to make when sick!), bananas and "soldiers" for comfort food: toast, covered in agave nextar and cut into strips. My mom used to make it when I was wee and it always helps somehow.
Expensive food? Maca! Algae! Those are the big ones. I used to take Happy Camper brand supplements for my depression and it helped tremendously, but it became so expensive I stopped paying attention - and money - to it.
Showing self love for me tends to be one of the following: painting something just for me, reading a book all day, masturbation, watching a shitload of BBC comedies, and cooking something freakin' delicious that I won't share with the hub.
Today is a self-love kinda day, with the rainy weather and my new meds making me goofy-headed, so I'll be watching some Red Dwarf and meditating! Just found this, actually: http://lifehacker.com/5591576/a-guide-to-meditation-for-the-rest-of-us and it looks good!
Enough from me - thanks for the post and hope you feel 100% soon!
Heard great things about cranberry juice before, but you've convinced me! I'm going to try my level best to find some here.
BTW, getting a UTI once doesn't have to mean you'll keep getting them. I had one once, some years ago, drank shitloads of water ever since, and never had another. So load up on the maca smoothies and keep treating yourself to cranberry juice, but no need to be scared!
I used to get mild UTIs constantly. I eventually just started drinking sips of pure cranberry juice on a daily basis, and they stopped. I don't need the cranberry juice anymore either. I loved your description of what it feels like by the way. Period cramps but in the front. Yep...I have another way of describing it, but it might actually be TMI for me.
I'm glad you are feeling better! My life changed when I started drinking 4 oz. of 100% Cranberry Juice (Trader Joe's brand) mixed with 4 oz. of water every morning. Not only do I not have to hit the bathroom constantly, but no UTI's either.
Worst one ever? I bled. Best home remedies? Cranberry juice and an apple cider vinegar "elixir", made of a few tablespoons apple cider vinegar, honey, water, and raw, crushed garlic. Yum! But it works like magic. When to move beyond the natural remedies and seek medical help? If you start bleeding! Of course, in my case, I'm allergic to most antibiotics, so I have to be careful.
Anyway, love the post, and I hope you're good as new very soon! Oh, and that's SO true about peeing after sex (RE: Witchy's comment); peeing and wiping with a wet wipe, ha! A nurse practitioner told me that once and I haven't had a bladder infection since!
dang! feel better soon, girl! ouchers. i can't even imagine. :(
you know i'm a firm believer in letting our food be our medicine and our medicine be our food!
i guess i draw the line when there's an infection that isn't subsiding....i mean antibiotics are made for a reason, no?
as long as they're not abused....it's all good.
Oh lady! I am so sad to hear about your UTI!! What a raging bitch. Cranberry is the bomb. Chug uh lug!
I treated my UTI with 100% cranberry juice. Wow, was it tart but it did the job. I should have gone to the doctor but I let juice work it's magic.
For my recent shoulder injury, I went to an acupuncturist followed my a massage therapist.
Self-care or doing things that I enjoy = self-love: bubble baths, hanging by pool, reading, massages etc. etc.
I got a UTI while staying overnight with an elderly woman. The risk of leaving her alone far outweighed the risk of driving to a grocery/drug store. I found what little resources were at that house and mixed baking soda with hot water. It neutralized the acidity of my urine and granted relief within thirty minutes. Best.Trick.Ever. I've never had an infection since, but I *always* keep baking soda handy just in case it happens again!
Oh no sorry to hear this. I have never had a UTI, but sounds like what you are doing should help.
Hang in there. Sending hugs your way. If we come across anything to help we will let you know.
I find it hard sometimes to make the choice to stop using home remedies and meds. I still have a hard time taking meds.
Pure2raw twins
funny... i am working on a post of my nether regions that contains WAY too much tmi... my great-uncle reads so i'm still editing.
in it i discuss my interstial cystisis symptoms. i used to think i was getting uti's - had the burning and urge - until finally a midwife told me to look up i.c. the other dr's would say we don't see an infection but take these anitibiotics anyway, which kills all our good bacteria and leads to yeast infections.
i've learned that processed sugars cause the flare-ups for me, esp dried cranberiies (which suprised me, though i'm sure they're full of added sugars.) also pastas, bread, and wine sometimes cause me pain down there. i've given up the cranberries and eat dates instead and eat the italian dinners in moderation.
hope you're feeling well now!
and i use home remedies, mostly, unless the pain is unbearable, then i will only take over the counter pain killers. surgeries are an exception - knock me out please! wisdom teeth extraction = serious pain!
i show myself love by allowing myself to be me - no matter how nerdy or weird or awkward i may feel at times. i love my nerdy self!=)
I think I had one in my teens (for the typical reason), but I'm not sure, it wasn't as bad as I thought a UTI should be. Hope you get over it soon! I never pee after sex and have no probs- the risk of infection depends what ya get up to (read= my sex life is vanilla, that's not a complaint btw) but of course has most to do with sensitivity, I'll bet.
there is a product called D-Mannose. It's the type of sugar that's in cranberry. You can buy it on it's own in pill form. You take the pills, and the sugar is so super-sweet that the bacteria giving you the UTI love it so much, they cling onto the sugar. As you drink water and flush your system, they flush right out and you avoid having to drink GALLONS of cranberry. What's in a gallon of cranberry is in 1 D-Mannose pill. Keep them on hand from the health food store :)
Hope youre feeling better!
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