Commence the heavy drinking

So, over the weekend, I started having symptoms indicative of a UTI.  I know you’re on the edge of your seat, wanting to hear more, but first, a bit of background.

My last doctor visit for a UTI occurred a bit over three years ago, just before a girls’ weekend trip to Kansas City with my mom and sisters.  After making sure that I didn’t get the antibiotic associated with tendon ruptures, I filled the prescription and dutifully started the course, taking it as prescribed with plenty of water.

Later that day, I hopped on the bus to Kansas City, looking forward to quality time with my family, which would include some fun Kansas City restaurants.  By the time our much anticipated Saturday lunch at Eden Alley rolled around, I was feeling a little off — not sick, exactly, but just uncomfortable.

As the day progressed, I realized the problem — constipation, an effect of whatever antibiotic I was taking.  By the time my mom dropped me off for the five hour return bus ride on Sunday morning, I hadn’t pooped in over twenty-four hours (NOT normal for me), and I felt completely disgusting.

Given my tendency toward motion sickness, buses are an iffy proposition for me at the best of times.  Bus ride plus constipation?  REALLY bad combination.  I had no interest whatsoever in eating the nice wrap I bought at a deli, and I barely held it together as we made our way east on I-70.  Still, I thought I would make it, but then we left the interstate and started making our way through downtown St. Louis.  The stop-and-start was just too much for me — the bus stop was so close, yet so far away.

As we sat at a stoplight within two walking blocks of Union Station,  I knew the bus would go around the block, making it more like five interminable blocks until we arrived.  Things were about to get ugly, so I grabbed my purse, abandoning the rest of my stuff in the seat, went to the front, and begged the driver to let me get off and walk the rest of the way.

The fresh, cool air and lack of bus movement nausea arrived just in time to prevent vomiting, thought I may have felt better, sooner, if  I hadn’t fought it.

Within a few days, I finished the course of antibiotics and returned to my usual, very regularly pooping self, but with a heightened wariness of antibiotics.  In the following weeks, I had a couple more [undiagnosed] UTIs (usually a rare occurrence for me, thankfully) that cleared with my home treatment of flushing things out by drinking lots and lots of water, and maybe some tea, but you really don’t need to drink anything special.

So, when the frequent, painful urination started this time around, I turned to the tap.  In the past few days, I’ve gulped gallons of water, with a bit of green tea here and there.  I found a few cranberry extract pills from three years ago (you know, only two years expired), so I’ve tossed those into the mix as well, though I’m not sure that they really do much.

Every treatment has its unwanted effects, and the downside to drinking lots of water is frequent bathroom visits, but that’s kind of the point.  While not a big deal during the day, it’s not so great for sleeping.  In any case, I think my heavy drinking is doing the trick, though I don’t think I’m in the clear yet.  I’ll give it a few more days, but I may be headed to the doctor after all.  If that happens, please remind me to avoid any bus trips.