The Deets (But Not Really)

So as per half of my babble yesterday, my urinary tract is yet again unhappy.  Which is not.... fun.

I noticed it (if you've been lucky enough to never have a UTI, you notice it because peeing becomes unpleasant.  People describe it as "burning"... but to me, it's more like "difficult because the place you're supposed to urinate out of is "closing up".... and then you feel like you have to go AGAIN right away... like RIGHT away... and this just keeps happening.  And if it's "only mild" you likely won't have a fever or feel horrible but it can also travel up into your bladder or kidney so you want to deal with this ASAP.) mid morning Friday and thought "uh oh."

Because last time it had been SO long since my last UTI (years) I thought "this is mild, I can beat it myself" and then, well, not so much.  So THIS time, I thought well.... I should maybe just get the antibiotics JUST in case I can't... you know beat it myself.

I contacted my doctor's office but it was closed on Friday.  Thankfully, since Covid (?) they've had an email so I sent an email knowing it likely wouldn't be seen until Monday. (The email might have been a bit panicky... I might have been panicking!)

So.... knowing I didn't have anything on file at the pharmacy I called with hopes they'd help me out anyway.  No dice.  The technician said they couldn't give me any so I said I'd try calling around.  And I did.

I signed up for Brand Name online doctor thing.  NO APPOINTMENTS AT ALL FOR THE NEXT WEEK WHAT?????  I looked on medimaps for a "walk in" clinic... there were a few that weren't booked up but when I called them they were full.  Then my panic really set in...  I had lost the hope that I'd be able to "beat" the infection myself and I really really didn't want to deal with several days of the pain and discomfort and misery knowing I'd not get "in" to my doctor for a prescription until Monday at the earliest.  Swear word, swear word, swear word.

I was... not in a good mood.  Thought I might have a fever (thankfully not), but felt pretty damn miserable and scared and unwell.  Yes, I had cranberry capsules, but no one is entirely sure if cranberry actually helps, but I was trying.  And drinking as much water as I could get into my system... drink drink drink! (Which... to state the obvious... when you're having pain upon going pee, you don't really want to go pee, but you need to go pee and then you drink even more so you need to go even more and well, it's miserable.)

I called back the pharmacy, and politely (I hope) asked again (begged?) for them to help.  I explained that I wasn't able to get into a doctor and that I really hoped they could help.  They put me through to a pharmacist who apologized and said they couldn't put it through.  I was choked.  He offered to "send a note" to my Doctor but I was like "she's closed today." and that was that.

I managed ok for Saturday (Friday was kind of a write off, I was pretty uncomfortable and feeling unwell... I think I had a bath and put my pjs on before 2pm, like "nope, I'm done.") even getting out for a short walk (it's hard to be away from a bathroom because the urge to pee is often intense, even if there's "nothing" there... it sucks.) I know I was off because I had creme eggs to eat and didn't even want any.  (RIGHT???)  Bless her heart... the receptionist/medical assistant at my doctor's office must have been checking her email over the weekend because I got an email reply on Saturday saying the doctor could call me Tuesday but maybe could "do something" sooner.  I was thrilled.  I just had to make it til Tuesday/Wednesday.

I hoped to sleep it off, but when I woke up Sunday things still weren't awesome.  I figured it was worth asking the pharmacy to send off that note they'd mentioned so I gave them a call.  Turns out the pharmacist I know really well was working and when I explained what I needed and could they send a note to my doctor she might read Monday morning he said sure and then he asked if I'd like him to give me a "few days'" supply until the doctor called me.  OMG YES!  YES I WOULD!  

So I am SO SO SO thankful to my pharmacist, the one I've known for years, for putting through an "emergency supply" of this antibiotic for me.  That means I was able to get some help fighting the infection on Sunday, which... what a relief... I'd been quite worried about work on Monday.

Interesting to me.... when I had the runaround in November, things were more painful and uncomfortable than this time (knock on wood no jinxing) and I remember the antibiotic kicking in within an hour.  This time, I didn't notice that same instant effect.  Now, as I type this, I won't have had my call with the doctor yet, nor will I have had more than a day's worth in my system but I'm hoping by the time this is published (Tuesday) I'm feeling a whole lot better.

My plan is to ask my doctor to put in a prescription with maybe a couple of refills and then to just have some on hand.  Because as much as I'd like to think I can just "beat" this stuff on my own... well, an infection is still an infection and it's probably better to have some around than to have to go through the added stress I did this weekend.  And I mean, what if my pharmacist hadn't been able to or willing to put through the emergency supply?  Then I'd have had at least two and a half, maybe three more days of the pain and realistically, the infection could have worsened.  Especially being at work where you have to exert yourself and can't just pee when you want the same way as when you're comfy and cozy at home, you know?

So yeah.  Extreme gratitude for having a family doctor and having a pharmacy and pharmacist willing to help out when I really needed it.  SO SO thankful!