#chronicuti

This last month it feels like time has stopped. So slow... But my bladder has been ok. The good part: I am able to eat oranges and the occasional glass of wine, and I feel nothing in my bladder. Yay! The not so good part: I took one single probiotic (random mixes of lactobacillus) weeks ago, and my bladder instantly reacted - urgency and frequency. Weeing a few drops but feeling bladder fullness. Lingering irritation. Lasted 48h total...Just like before fulguration. Still haven’t tried sex and I still won’t do it for the next month, it’s a huge trigger and I’m in no condition whatsoever of having to take a single post coital antibiotic let alone risk an infection. I wish I felt confident I could do it and risk it, but I’m not there yet. I kept talking my teas and avoiding stress as much as possible (last post). And I’ve returned to my yoga practice. My gut was a disaster during Christmas and NYE, and not because I changed my diet but because I was still dealing with the consequences of the last antibiotic course I took back when I had an acute enterococcus UTI at week 5-6 post-fulguration. Blood in stools again, mucus, yellow greasy stools, and ofc, diarrhea. I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was to sleep. I’ve been better these last couple of weeks and so is my gut but I still have a long way to go. As I’ve tried to update in the Ig stories I’ve also been having consults, from internal medicine (with extensive stool tests and lab work) but I’m still waiting for results as some labs take weeks to process. The integrative gyno consult was amazing, and my vaginal flora was also tested extensively (also waiting for results). I went to my first TCM consult ever, and had the weirdest reaction to the first couple of needles that he put somewhere in my belly: my kidneys instantly hurt! So, so weird. Got this sharp pain and then a dull pain that lasted a couple of hours after the acupuncture session. Brought further bespoke herbals to take (gut+bladder). I’ll continue with the sessions and phytotherapy for 2 months. I have a gut-focused nutritionist next week. All of this combined is expensive, plus the supplements and herbs, etc. Maybe one day I’ll do a separate post on what I took/am taking and what I think worked or not. I’m keeping my mind open and I am very much willing to do everything in my power to help my bladder, gut, and reproductive health. I believe I have to tackle all 3 at the same time, because they’re all connected. Wish I could do a more in depth post about results etc., but this is all taking forever. I have to be patient. But I am however celebrating this post with an orange for desert, and I can’t tell you how much I missed oranges. So, “an orange to that”🥂.

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So, it’s been 3 months. Bladder wise, I am UTI free, only noticing before my period slight vaginal flora changes that give me some bladder discomfort - just like before fulguration. And that’s something I’ve been dealing with for a while, not new. I haven’t tried any of my previous bladder triggers: sex, alcohol, generic lactobacillus probiotic mixes, orange juice/vit C, wine, some B vitamins, iron & other minerals. So, the only UTI I had was at week 6, and after a diarrhea (something that would also give me a UTI in the past).

What has been considerably worse since my last UTI, is my gut. It’s a mess and I’m on the process of figuring out how to deal with it. I’ve been refused stool testing (including testing for C. Diff,). Random lactobacillus probiotic mixes are out of the question as they give me UTIs, besides horrible SIBO (which I never ever have otherwise), terrible brain fog (lactic acidosis), bloating, and even more gut problems. I’ve been taking spore based probiotics that I’ve been fine with and S.Boulardii, but that’s just been avoiding the diarrhea - my stools are still visibly mess. But I won’t go into detail about this because it might be TMI for some. Point being: it hasn’t been easy to tackle the gut and book specialist appointments (the ones that deal with this are so overbooked I’m being forced to wait for months). Gastroenterologists have been useless, did 2 colonoscopies (inconclusive) but still refuse stool tests and give me zero advice besides “do yoga” (which coincidently I already do), eat "healthy" (duh!) and take the probiotics I can’t take. I'll be testing for C.Diff soon, out of pocket. Yes, it’s maddening. Don’t understand why I have UTIs on random mixes of lactobacillus/bifidum bacteria probiotics - no doctor does. But apparently (except for those with SIBO/lactobacillus overgrowth) everyone is able to take them in this community. So don’t worry about probiotics making your bladder worse, it seems to be something very particular to my situation. Spore based ones are 100% ok for me and do their job. Just haven’t been enough. Diet hasn’t been enough. Miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, etc., bone broth, collagen.. I'll keep at them. Any ideas? Shoot, I've been researching alone for a long time, but I'm all ears. My hair is falling for 7months now. Iron is low. Can’t risk taking it because in the past I’ve always had (raging!) bladder (fungal) infections on them*. (*If you didn’t know: Iron feeds bacteria, if you have them even embedded, etc. They compete with the host for iron).

Next steps: 4th January - new internist (and insist on comprehensive stool tests, if not, will pay out of pocket) 19th January - Integrative gyno (See how my HPV is, tackle vaginal flora, periods, discuss pregnancy options/prices if I still can’t have sex - I’m 36); 10th February - Gut focused nutritionist, that works with stool tests. After March: as soon as an opening comes (THAT overbooked), functional medicine doctor.

So.. bladder wise I’m ok - but so have I been in the past if I had no sex and kept avoiding all bladder irritants, and drank my teas. And I’ll have to keep doing that (and living like a nun) because I’m in no condition whatsoever of risking a UTI and having to take more antibiotics.

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So, 8 weeks have passed since fulguration. As I was warned, and as I wrote in the previous post, I could have a couple of UTIs during the healing period - not to freak out about them. However, having an acute UTI for me is precisely the sort of thing that will always freak me out, they’re my problem after all, and not only the infection itself, but the cascade of side effects I get from antibiotics now, and the exhaustion I feel for a couple weeks after them (at least). For more details, see post 02. I’ll mention my “expectations” regarding fulguration at the end of the post!

I had an acute UTI during week 6 (1,5months). So, instead of a huge text post, I prefer visuals - hopefully it will give you a more concise picture of how things went. I’ll let you be the judge of what might have triggered the acute UTI I ended up having:

Bam. Post diarrhea UTIs are now a staple for me (hello IBS induced by too many antibiotics). I felt so so stupid for not having taken S.Boulardii more rigorously for the previous weeks...Was it the sugar that led to a vaginal change, again, as in the past? (Haven’t eaten any sugar in almost 6months). Was it the stressful day on top of the sugar intake previously? Was it the sugar that rushed the dysbiosis and ended up in a diarrhea 6 days later? The perfect storm: stress, sugar and diarrhea, on top of apainful bladder after the scab came off? What I do know is: I tend to have UTIs after diarrhea. So I should have known better, and try to prevent them more actively.

It was a mess: couldn’t culture, was out of town (precisely! they always choose the perfect days to come!) although I did my best to try and get a culture before starting antibiotics. Felt horrible, on top of a recently fulgurated bladder. Cried. I cried afraid fulguration didn’t help at all, despite me trying to keep my expectations neutral so far and not think about it too much; I cried because I was already bloating by the hour again on antibiotics, my energy was going down, fatigue settled, and the symptoms didn’t improve much even on antibiotics - until I managed to switch antibiotics - I very very probably had enterococcus faecalis as I always do after diarrhea. My gut was a mess, had blood in the stools again after the last few months being ok; had it continued and I would have been to the ER, although I know it’s not C.Diff, but inflamed gut mucosa. Ate plain boiled rice for days. Started, obviously, max dose of S. Boulardii and even now I'm still taking 1 every day. Then period came and this time my cramps were super painful - I didn’t find it odd at all considering everything. But because of my gut I don’t take any ibuprofen or similar, so I had to endure them. By the 5th day, last day of my period I was so dizzy. Honestly the entire week and a half was a nightmare and I was home alone precisely that week - which ended up being the best thing because this way no one saw how I looked. BUT with the same emphasis, I can now say I am very happy it all subsided. And my bladder for the first time since the procedure feels like nothing happened in there. Zero soreness near the 8th week mark/2 months! *fingers crossed*

Went to another urologist and gastro doc, to no real benefit at all. Have a functional nutritionist booked and an Integrative Gyno (both only in January) and still on the waiting list to a funcional medicine doc late April next year. Every other doctor so far, (conventional) didn’t help at all when it comes to my gut and honestly urologists didn’t either. I still rely on my internist doctor who is the one who does prescribe me 8day courses of the abx I respond best to, and actually believes what I say I feel. Which is a rarity when it comes to being heard about anything down there (sorry if any doctor reads this, but it is my experience). So, I’m keeping up with my usual care, now doubled when it comes to gut - no diarrhea, that’s “guaranteed”. And added a few more things to my “regimen”. Hope I can say next month: no UTIs!

Finally, I feel I need to write this. It’s about Expectations: For many with an embedded/chronic infection and 24/7 symptoms, talking about “success” with fulguration means : the stopping of the constant symptoms. In conjunction or not with continuous antibiotic therapy. And then managing to avoid UTIs by continuing to take post coital antibiotics (for example) for some time at least, or Hiprex for those who tolerate it ; Or nothing! And although I’ve been there, with symptoms 24/7 (post 02.), I can’t do antibiotics like that anymore. I can’t do any of that, hence fulguration (Post 03). My gut is very damaged, plus I do have permanent side effects - It’s been 11years after all. For me, success with fulguration will have to mean less acute/recurrent UTIs, so I can avoid antibiotics as if they’re the plague (because they are to me now) especially after intercourse, but not only. Already 10 years of intimate life were ruined. I’ll maybe write a post about that one day even - the perverse side of rUTIs.

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Fastest post ever: I'm doing OK!

Continuing to take the best care possible on a daily basis, and trying (to my best ability) to avoid an acute UTI. Looking back now the worst/more sore period was definitely the 1st week post op; although very much still sensitive during the 2nd week; bladder soreness and occasional pinching went down significantly during the 3rd week, but basically uti-symptoms free. I did not have the shedding or discomfort that is normal to occur during weeks 3 or 4. I was also told this was a possibility - to feel normal. It was my case. However I know I’ve got a long long period of recovery still ahead, and things can change at any month - Although I’m really hoping I remain stable.

My gut only started to calm down week 3 after the procedure (antibiotics) and with a lot of work on my part. Tinnitus is pretty much the same (not great) and the odd bump below one knee I mentioned last post, that came out of nowhere the next day after the procedure, is still here and hurting. Bladder wise, I am 100% symptoms free, like nothing happened - clear urine. Ok, occasionally I’ll see this ridiculous little white bits of skin but really small and I feel nothing. But for example, I don’t use tampons anymore (they’re not uti-friendly) but I do use vaginal probiotics, and when inserting those (sorry TMI), I can clearly feel the bladder: it gets physically uncomfortable/sore. Even the urethra! So, many months of recovery for sure. I’ll do an update by the end of the 2nd month!

❦ Here I am, 2 weeks later :) If you’re not in the mood to read a long post but still want to get an idea, literally read the highlighted parts only!

I'll advise anyone to see the fulguration video to get a better picture of what was found - not sure I can post it here, it's a bit graphic, so I uploaded to Ig @ "the_uti_archives". But overall, I had leukoplakia, calcifications, a weird looking 'pocket' of some sort of infected tissue, and glomerulations. It’s been 2 weeks since I had fulguration, and overall, so far so good.

But here's a more detailed version of how things went: • First 2 nights my bladder physically hurt. Nothing unbearable, but enough not to let me fall asleep easily or I'd wake up when changing position; • For the first 5 days, I had strong kidney pains. Nothing new to me, so I wasn’t “scared”. During the day they were manageable, but at night were much worse, and the main culprit for not letting me fall sleep/sleep well. They gradually subsided, and I was back to normal after. • I had and still have increased frequency, that got a little worse, specially during the first week. I do drink 2L/day and of course that justifies some of it. I have Frequency, but not Urgency. Before fulguration I’d usually go about 15x/day to the toilet (for the past few years). I slowly got used to it, even without active flares. Now it’s just a few times more. I don’t usually wake up at night though, and the first week I had several nights waking up at least once to go to the toilet - by the 2nd week I was ok at night. But I feel confident that it will slowly subside too, in fact I think I am already better.

• Things are sore down there, bladder wise, so it's only natural to feel uncomfortable if I try to walk normally and move around much. I practice yoga, for example, but I'm not getting near the mat anytime soon, as I can feel that the bladder doesn't like to be "shaken around" now. In fact, for the first week I'd walk really slowly, avoiding "hitting" the floor with my feet (hard to articulate in a second language!). It's normal, and I know this will pass, and in fact, by day 10 after the procedure, I was less sore and able to do groceries (like an old lady though!) • Peeing was more uncomfortable in the first week than the second, as things felt more "raw". Although there are definitely times when things feel stingy/raw even now! But for me, as I didn't go with an active infection, it's way more manageable than a UTI. And as soon as I finish, the bladder is 100% comfortable. No lingering symptoms whatsoever (ok, just the overall soreness, but that's nothing). • I rested, A LOT. Took a week off work after coming from Turkey and I'm very glad I did it (these 2 weeks were literally all the vacation time I had this year, yay!). These were the main things I felt during the first 2 weeks that are directly related to the bladder/urinary system alone. No need to read more if anyone with recurrent UTI's sees this in the future and is looking for examples of progression of weekly symptoms (note this is my personal experience and things can be wildly different for everyone, especially for those who undergo fulguration with active symptoms).

However, I come with a heavy baggage when it comes to antibiotics and gut issues - and not only (post 02). And of course a week's worth of them after the procedure left my gut in a very messy state. Besides the gut, my tinnitus skyrocketed (as expected) and then I had a few more odd symptoms, that so far I don't know anyone else who had them post-op: what it looked like sore glands or lymph nodes in particular points in my jaw that lasted for a few days (gone, I'm Ok), lungs/rib cage hurting around day 5 for a few hours (probably anesthesia? Gone, I'm Ok), and the weirdest: some sort of structural change in a bone below my knee! Looks like the bone grew a "pea" - a painful hard bump. Inflammation is real people, the body always finds a way to unload some of it somewhere and get you even more problems. I'm tired of doctors, so I'm just giving myself time to see if this subsides or if it is weirdly connected to some very specific hip joint pain I've had for almost a year now, that curiously also gets way worse around infections (=inflammatory states). You do learn to be suspicious and on the lookout after a few years with any chronic problem.

Anyway... Bloated to the moon and back and unable to take probiotic supplements (the "why" is on post 03.) was definitively the worst collateral damage. Going to the toilet hasn't been pleasant, especially the first week. But I was mentally prepared for this, and I think all the right food and all the preparation I did months before fulguration paid off, because I've had much worse IBS crisis in the past. And my gut didn't bleed this time, yay! The only probiotic supplements I can tolerate now are Optibac for Women with just those 2 (very important) strains. And also, my dear good yeast-friend, Saccharomyces Boulardii (no diarrhea, and helps e.coli numbers down in the gut). No yogurt with added probiotics or Kefir either. Only naturally fermented foods like pickles, miso, etc. Which is good, but very little in comparison to what I needed. I'll have to give it a few good months to see if I can try to incorporate them slowly, and iron too, that I am so desperately needing, and see if they don't cause me neither a bacterial or a fungal infection anymore (post 03).

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I won’t focus much about my personal experience although some parts are inevitable - I think that deserves a separate post, where I’ll be also stressing how important it is to keep in mind that everyone’s experience is different. For now I’ll just leave information that might be of use, and 2 topics that I got most asked about, besides Schedule aspects: Costs and Accommodation.

SCHEDULE:

3 Oct 2021: Arrival at 18:00h. Hotel.

4 Oct 2021: Pre op exams day and meeting with Dr. Sevinç - Liv Hospital, Istanbul.

8:30am @ Hospital Liv to do a PCR test, take blood samples, quick chest x-ray (anesthesia purposes) and consult with Dr. Sevinç; Did a bladder ultrasound with him. Results were ok, he found nothing abnormal (as I expected from my previous ultrasounds). A translator was with me the entire time except when I was having the consult with the doctor. Also, payment is done upfront and I filled some forms and signed the hospital papers. Your medical history is collected, naturally, and you’re asked about any medication you’re currently taking, allergies, etc. I left the hospital around 10:00am. Did some sightseeing in the afternoon. Made sure to get to bed very early and get solid hours of sleep before the procedure day. I’ll actually advice anyone to do the same, if you manage to, of course, because sleeping well before a procedure is beneficial. I was also not allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight.

5 Oct 2021: Procedure day.

Woke up at 4:30am and was at the hospital by 6:00am. No food/drinks. The translator was missing but they have others permanently at the hospital and google translator was enough until the another translator stepped in, later in the day. Was taken into my room, given the most fashionable anti embolism socks and clothes (not) :) My blood pressure was taken several times, answered more questions, and followed other completely normal pre op protocols.

By 8:00am I was taken to the operation room and the next thing I remember is waking up - about 40 minutes later - in my room and feeling very cold (normal). As the anesthesia grogginess disappeared I was feeling ok, already had the catheter but felt no discomfort whatsoever; nurses frequently visited and I started IV medication (3 big bags of fluids, a painkiller, and what I think 2 rounds of IV antibiotic that day). Don’t ask me which because it’s an IV one they give you post-op only and then you’re done with it. I was able to eat lunch, and Dr. Sevinç came around to check how I was feeling and explain what he saw and did. Again, I will leave that information for later, as I want this post to be just about potentially useful information to others. Your results will naturally be different than mine and there’s actually a lot to say about that.

I spent the rest of the day resting, ordered extra bottles of water on top of IV fluids and the urine quickly turned from bloody/orange to clear. Water is mostly alkaline in Istanbul so this was great for me. Dr. Sevinç came a second time, later in the day; I got a bag full of medicine to bring home. Whoever you decide to bring with you will be able to sleep in the same room and the hospital stay covers meals for both. No sugar (of course) for who had the procedure. Nurses would come regularly to check my IV, empty the urine bag and see if I’m ok. Amazing staff and hospital accommodations.

6 Oct 2021:

Didn’t sleep more than 5hours; Early breakfasts. Dr. Sevinç came and explained everything about the medicine I’d be bringing home though you’ll have that written too. Any adjustments to your particular case, for example specific antibiotics you are used to and/or respond best will be taken into account and given to you. It was time to remove the catheter and see how I was doing. I’ll just say at this point, that I was feeling ok, and that people who come to the procedure without horrible active symptoms/infections tend to stay that way, he said - and I am one of them.

[On a more personal note, I’ve seen some saying that people who don’t have 24/7 symptoms are “lucky”. I did a separate post about my history and not only I’ve already been there, but the last 11 years of my life have been everything but lucky when it comes to my bladder health and the impact it had in so many aspects of my life (post03). I wouldn’t be here if I got it easy, and please, downplaying other peoples symptoms is of no use nor beneficial for anyone. In fact, that’s what urologists did with me, and overall look where the continuous disregard brought us].

You’re advised to not go immediately to the toilet once the catheter is removed, because you’re empty once they remove it - it’s a false alarm. To wait around 30 to 45 minutes and then go. Not to push or make any effort, have patience, relax and take my time. I was still very much under painkiller effect and in my case it went smoothly, but that’s not how it goes for everyone. Of course there is pain and soreness and a “weight” feeling but nothing compared to an active UTI - again, this was my experience, I feel the need to stress this part.

I was asked to send a picture of my urine to Dr. Sevinç :) In my case, after many fluids and water bottles in 24h, urine was clear and he actually laughed at my “water game” and said it was his best toilet photo so far. I got discharged around 15:00pm, walking slowly and carefully and feeling a “numb soreness” despite the painkillers, but it’s to be expected. Went back to the hotel and decided to rest as much as possible.

7 Oct 2021: Spent the morning resting at the hotel, had lunch there and went to meet Dr.Sevinç @ hospital around 15:00pm. Post op consult went well, he is lovely and we came back to the hotel again.

8 Oct 2021: Flight back home. Toughest day on the bladder.

COSTS / ACCOMMODATION:

This will be highly personal and it really depends where you’re coming from (flights) and how much you’re willing to pay for accommodation - the main cost besides the procedure and flights.

Procedure: In October 2021, 3000€ with everything covered (hospital stay, exams,meals for me and who came with me, PCR test, etc).

Flights: Do your online search and do a simulation; I flew from Europe, with Turkish airlines. This will be a big factor on your budget in addition to accommodation.

Accommodation: Again, do your online search for hotels in Istanbul. Can’t say prices as these constantly change, like flights, but this will give you an idea. It’s important not to be outside a 15-20minute-by-car radius. Spot Liv Hospital Ulus in Istanbul on google maps. Set your destination to these 2 examples I’ll give (“Vital Hotel Fulya” 4 stars ; “Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus” 5 stars). See how these are distanced to the hospital by car, and don’t go beyond them on the map while looking for hotels. Memorize that “visual radius” and always simulate a car trip between your chosen hotel and Liv Hospital. Have in mind that Istanbul traffic is chaotic and slow, inside the city alone there are 15,5million people, let alone the ones who come to work every day. Hence it’s important to stay near and expect some delays according to traffic hours or accidents. Another aspect I’ll point out is to have in mind that Istanbul is a much cheaper city than most in Europe, and you want to be in a safe and decent/clean environment when you come back to the hospital. But, of course, adapt to your budget. You might be able to find cheaper hotels than those I gave as an example, although these 2 were already used by many who did the procedure in Istanbul. Do a simulation in the 4 star one I mentioned above for 5 nights and you’ll get a fair idea.

Other costs: For a 15-20 minute drive from the hotel to the hospital costs were 2 to 3 euros, by taxi. Meal prices will vary a lot depending where you go like anywhere in the world but I ate a complete, very good &healthy meal, while sightseeing the first day in a totally normal street restaurant, for 10 euros. You can go cheaper and still eat well, and of course go higher too. To give you an idea I saw diesel prices of 0,6cents/liter (do your math).

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I'm not sure if I'll do a more in-depth post, this is the very quick version of almost 11 years of Recurrent Utis:

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first UTI around 18years old

Out of nowhere. I wasn’t sexually active yet; Not on the pill;

2011-2015 (24-29 years old)

I entered a long term relationship; with regular intercourse, within the first month I had a UTI. They quickly escalated and after 4 years and 10-14 infections a year, it got to a point everything became physically and mentally unbearable. It ended.

2015-2017 (29-31 years old)

I was traumatized by sex. The relationship ended, I avoided intercourse, and the infections stopped for 1 year and 8 months;

2017-2019 (31-33 years old)

‎‎An UTI came out of nowhere in the summer of 2017; I had non-stop infections until January 2019; I did a 6 month prophylactic course of antibiotics; a vaccine; physical exams; dealt with a raging fungal infection that gave me uti symptoms 24/7, that went undiagnosed by the urologist; I was told it was psychological; Couldn’t sleep, took anxiety medication, got underweight, exhausted, hair thinned and started falling, my career suffered; In that time I was saved by my Gyno and all the symptoms went away in 48h with antifungals; After the 6months on abx, the UTIs continued; my kidneys started to hurt in 2018; overall exhaustion settled 24/7; started to have gut problems, with occasional bleeding. Raging UTIs by December 2018, with red dense blood coming out and what looked like blood drenched pieces of skin. Drove myself to the ER.

2019 January > October (33years old)

After the last UTI that took me to the ER I abandoned urologists and consulted a recommended Internist; She immediately switched my antibiotics, the infections stopped. I enjoyed a 9month Uti free period; Small kidney stones detected, 2-4mm, no treatment; Gut issues (some blood) would come and go, colonoscopy came clean but with small hemorrhoids (never had constipation nor pain).

2019 October + November (33years)

2 UTIs, one each month, simple multivitamin triggered

2020 April + May (34 years old)

One time intercourse = Uti. Alcohol = another UTI.

2020 June > December (34 years)

Entered a relationship, UTIs returned non stop; managed to be 60 days without a UTI; Pap smear came back with HPV; Chronic cervicitis; I developed IBS, with my gut bleeding around infections and after antibiotics; growing abdominal discomfort; SIBO problems when taking probiotics; developed a skin problem that got me on oral corticosteroids for 5 months; 9 infections in 8 months, with no-sex-after-infection intervals of 4 weeks. Exhaustion 24/7. Ended the year giving up on intercourse. Body began to collapse overall.

2021 (35 years old)

My body was still very much collapsing in the beginning of this year; still on oral corticosteroids that we’re giving me UTIs even without intercourse; developed persistent Tinnitus, 24/7; can’t tolerate post coital abx (disrupted gut +diarrhea +another UTI); Another colonoscopy: Gastro told me to avoid antibiotics at all costs, my gut continued to bleed after abx. Very changed stools; I managed to get rid of the oral corticosteroids myself, continued to do everything on my power to keep UTIs at bay, but I still had a some more. Last one was about 2 months ago.

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I’m giving my body the best rest and preparation in my power before undergoing Fulguration this October in Turkey, under Dr. Sevinç, Liv Hospital.

Please keep in mind this is a summarized version of 10+y of recurrent UTIs /chronic UTI, and there is a LOT of information I had to skip!

(as an European non-English native please feel free to correct me)

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Probably, a somewhat messy first post. I'm not a massive fan of editing, nor a native english speaker (a recipe for disaster). Having that said, feel free to correct wrong or poor grammar/vocabulary, I truly appreciate it. I'm also far from being 100% sure about what to write, the direction I want this to take and for how long or how in depth I want to talk about any topic I might mention. But I do know that after 10+ years of suffering with recurrent urinary tract infections, the last few have been eye opening, with me searching for more answers than ever. The turning point was last year - 2020 - which lead me to take a major decision this year to do a (not new but also new) procedure that will have me flying to another country in exactly 30 days. And I'm here to share it with whomever finds it useful, because if it weren't for all the amazing people, pages and websites I've come across, I would have lost all hope by now.