Drink Your Water
Thu, February 19, 2015 
I have a pretty serious urinary tract infection. If you have never experienced one of these, I advise that you take all the steps to avoid one at all costs.
It involves frequent trips to the bathroom, and when there the best you can manage is a slight dribble, with a pain that I can only describe as “Pissing Razor Blades.” To be repeated every twenty or thirty minutes.
This all started quite suddenly and without warning in the early hours of Monday morning. I didn’t go to a doctor until I was pissing blood on Tuesday.
It is caused by bacteria in the pee tube, and is easily treatable with antibiotics, which I am now on. I am improving. The pain now is now at a level where I mutter the word “Fuck” under my breath, instead of screaming it out in agony.
I am not looking for sympathy, in fact I need my arse kicking for allowing this to happen. The doctor said it is usually caused by not drinking enough water. I am not opposed to drinking water, or even dislike it. It is just that I am not good at keeping account of how much, or rather how little water I take in on any given day.
I get busy doing other things and simply forget to drink water. This has been a painful lesson and I will do better in the future. Apparently I should drink 60 oz. of water every day. I have a large, 20 oz. drinking glass, which is a British pint. I need to drink at least three of these a day. I drink one straight off the moment I get out of bed. Another mid-day, and one in the evening. Sipping water all day long will not work for me, because I can’t keep track.
Originally the last thing I wanted to do was to go public with this. But then I thought if it means someone else can avoid going through this, it will be a plus. Please, drink your water, don’t go through the agony I am experiencing right now. Before this happened, I was priding myself that I could go the whole night with only one trip to the bathroom. So this was completely unexpected.
I am exhausted because I have not slept properly since Monday, but it is improving. My urine is clear now, still frequent but less painful. So I can’t really leave the house. I should be all better by this time next week when the antibiotics have run their course.
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Reader Comments (12)
And all you older guys out there should have their prostate checked ! Any painless pee problems off to the doc at once.
You have my 100 percent sympathy. Been there, done that. Pain? Yup, to the max. Best of luck getting through the tough stretch. Fortunately MOST antibiotics work quickly and, combined with drinking a lot of liquids (beer mostly) it does tend to move on pretty quickly.
I am reminded of a bout of kidney stones from which I suffered about 30 years ago. My Doctor recommended that I drink 8 pints of fluid a day to help alleviate the problem. Fortunately, he deemed beer to be a suitable liquid. This was particularly welcome news given that it was the Christmas season.
Wishing you a speedy recovery Dave.
Hi Dave, I know a gal who had a bladder infection and was advised to drink cranberry juice. Apparently this helps relieve / prevent the infections and it's good for you. If the taste is too strong dilute it bit with water. Good Luck !
I got to spend a morning in the emergency room last week because I just didn't drink enough water! Dehydration can sneak up on us. I work in my bike shop all day and drink, maybe, three cups of coffee for the day. I forget about water...it's winter and I'm not riding much and sweating less. I felt kinda silly getting hydrated thru a tube in my arm! I'm better now...and drinking my water.
There are many health conditions linked to fluid intake, and more is almost always better.
As someone with only one kidney this is always on my mind.
You hit on a key point Dave, most of us (all?) need a trick to keep our intake on track. It isn't part of our natural routine to drink enough.
I drink hot tea at my desk, and my electric kettle is in the next room. If lunch time rolls around and I haven't emptied it twice I know that I need to pick up the pace for the afternoon.
I served during the first Gulf War but not the second when ground pounders spent hours and hours in unbelievable heat, dressed to the max in protective gear. Speaking with a medic I learned a few things.
When the troops came back in from a four hour shift the first question they'd be asked is: "When did you last pee and what color was it?"
If they had gone in the last hour and it was yellow - preferably light yellow - all was well. But sometimes they'd have a soldier sort of mutter, "Ah dunno, a few days ago. It was brown, nearly black."
The immediately plugged the soldier in an IV saline bag. Thirty minutes later all was well with the world but a lot of people ended up at risk because they just could not drink ENOUGH to deal with the scorching temperatures found in such delightful posts as Baghdad in July.
Drink up - anything fluid - and hopefully the pain of the urinary tract infection has passed (literally).
Get well soon Dave!
And thanks for reminding us of drinking enough water. I'm like you, when I exercise I drink plenty, but at home I often forget to. Will try to drink more from now on.
Dave, kudos to you for going public about something that you'd rather have not shared with your readers. Being a person who doesn't drink much water through the day, it is good to be reminded that it is necessary. Like you, I just forget. When I drink water, it always tastes so great - I wonder why I don't do it more. Probably all that tea I drink. :)
A fresh twist on Taking The Piss :)
As bikies we usually have a good idea of what to do regarding nutrition and hydration, but I'm as guilty as anyone of not drinking enough. It caught me out after spending a week fishing on a river in the heat of late summer, sweating out enough minerals and electrolytes that resulted in an overnight in hospital being pumped full of fluids.
Just another example not drinking enough and adding some replacement salts etc.
Many thanks for sharing Dave and reminding us all to drink more. Hope by now your on the up and up.
Not to argue but I'm a bit tired of all the "drink more water" propaganda. You need to *consume* enough liquid to remain hydrated based on your activity level and environment.
My wife calls me "the camel". I rarely drink water. I don't care for it. But I drink juices, coffee, soup, and lots of beer (sometimes low/no alcohol). Some say coffee and beer "dehydrate" you. They are wrong. No doubt caffeine and alcohol both stimulate urination, but you are at the same time drinking mostly... water.
I watch my urine colour and "as any fule no" when drinking more than a few beers it has no colour. That's not dehydration.
I do take water with me when cycling and on average I drink about one-half what my wife drinks on the same circuit. She weighs about 30 kgs less than me. I'm pushing 60 and have had no urinary problems at all, ever. I do find it helpful to start out well-hydrated to begin with.
I'm also blessed in that much of my cycling is done in rural England, where there is a pub in every village. You say "drink water" - I say "stay hydrated" :-)