Blog
01 Aug Christine’s Chronic UTI Story
Christine is a British woman whose recurrent UTIs started at the age of 12. Being prescribed the usual treatments, and offered routine UTI prevention tips and homeopathic remedies, her regular infections persisted. After complications brought on from successful breast cancer treatment, her recurring UTIs became worse and began dominating her life. Now out of options, Christine's practitioner referred her to a specialist clinic for recalcitrant UTIs based in London. Here she was diagnosed immediately with a chronic UTI. Her severe embedded UTI has required several changes in antibiotic therapy to bring her symptoms under control. Now that her infection is being properly managed and she's feeling better, she is cautiously optimist about completing treatment in the near future. You can read more about Christine's story here.
02 Jul A chat with research scientist Evann Hilt, LUEREC
Evann Hilt is a young American scientist who has helped change the course of history. Working with an intelligent, tightknit group at the Loyola Urinary Education and Research Collaborative (LUEREC) in Chicago, USA, her work on the human bladder resulted in the 2014 ground-breaking discovery of the bladder microbiome—dubbed the female urinary microbiota (FUM). This discovery not only dispelled decades of incorrect assumptions that urine is sterile, but it also highlights fundamental flaws in urinary tract infection (UTI) diagnostic tests used throughout the world today. The existence of the FUM is forcing scientists, microbiologist and clinicians to re-think everything previously accepted about urinary tract health and disease, including what causes UTIs and how they are best diagnosed and treated. Evann’s important work now opens up life-changing possibilities for those living with UTIs and other urinary disorders. Although it could still be some time off, she anticipates her work will give clinicians new safe and effective non-antibiotic therapy options that will return the resident FUM to a healthy and harmonious state. You can read more about Evann's exciting research in our 2018 interview. (Above image: Dr Alan Wolfe and Evann Hilt analysing culture plates at the LUEREC lab, courtesy of LUEREC.)
02 Jun Linsey’s Chronic UTI Story
Linsey is a nurse living in the United States. Her problems began at the age of 33 after developing a UTI that did not respond to three short-courses of antibiotics. Given no alternative but to live with severe bladder and urethral pain, her search led to a practitioner in her country who was able to order advanced diagnostic tests and finally treat her infection. During her healing she discovered she had other systemic infections, including Lyme disease. Addressing these additional infections was key to her recovery. Linsey has been symptom-free for the past two years, but says it is more important than ever to remain vigilant and take a holistic approach to her body and her health. You can read more about Linsey here.
01 May Lauren’s Chronic UTI Story
**UPDATED NOVEMBER 2020**
When Lauren got her third UTI, she never imagined it would be the beginning of a gruelling 18-month journey taking her from one side of the world to the other, and then back again. What looked to be a straight forward bladder infection, quickly spiralled into the most frightening and miserable experience of her life. As her symptoms rapidly declined, so did her mental health as she was subjected to rounds of tests and medical procedures to explain her symptoms. After a lengthy process of elimination, Lauren was diagnosed in Australia with interstitial cystitis (IC) and started on a course of bladder instils. Refusing to accept this was her future, more research led her back to the United Kingdom. The day after her arrival, she was finally diagnosed correctly with a chronic UTI and prescribed a treatment plan for the infection that had become embedded in her bladder wall. After 22 months of continuous full-dose antibiotic treatment, Lauren completely recovered and is 18 months' symptom and medication free. You can read more about Lauren's chronic UTI journey here.
