personal and possibly triggering!
In July, I went to City MD because I knew I had a UTI. Was given antibiotics and sent home. Here we are in December. I am still feeling like I have a horribly painful, debilitating UTI. I have been to five doctors now. All of them said my UTI was gone based on their tests. They threw lots of possibilities at me, but the one that came up most was interstitial cystitis. Never heard of it? Neither had I. I researched, finding footnotes on urology journals and many online support groups. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, where women have severe UTI symptoms but no infection. There is no cure, only treatments aimed at reducing symptoms, which the options are ineffective and un-researched. The bladder is essentially on fire, 24/7 . “Exercise” like climbing stairs and standing too long makes it worse. So does stress. There is a strict diet, cutting out caffeine, alcohol, citrus fruits, anything processed, spices, salt, pepper, soy, and more. The pain is piercing, deadening, shock...