Tell that woman to mind her own business. I'm sick of people who think the know what's best for EVERYONE!
Sorry if that sounded rude.
On another note have you gone to a urologist? Try taking a good probiotic too. Bladder infections make you feel so miserable I hope you get this under control soon.
The weight thing is hard for me too. So tired of the fatigue and only feeling well enough to exercise on the occasion. Hang in there and keep trying. Exercise really is worth the effort .
Terrilynne

I wouldn't be opening anymore links from that woman.

I have someone in my life, a woman who was married to my father 15 years ago before he died, who knows EVERYTHING, just ask her. Always with the advise, ugh! But she is obligatory.

There are always those asses at work. Once when I was flaring and it was in my hips, knees, ankles a guy hollers out, as we are returning from a meeting, "You're going to take the elevator for one floor?" If I could have lifted my leg I would've kicked him in the ass.

I bet we have all been there with the "advice"of the uninformed. I have coworkers that try to diagnose me. One of them seems to google every medication I am put on and finds my symptoms are a side effect of the medication. I just tell her thank you for the information. I guess she is well intentioned, although sometimes it really seems like she is always trying to find a way to make this disease my fault. I just have to shrug it off and remind myself that no one knows what I am going through who hasn't had this disease. I can't believe she sent you that link. I bet you wanted to slap her. It sounds like she is uncomfortable with her own weight issues to me.

I have been taking a probiotic. I think all the antibiotics just overwhelmed them! Never have figured out how the probiotics get to the vagina anyway! LOL!
I went to a urologist a few years ago. He did a couple of cystos and burned some ulcers out of my bladder. Said I got them from the infections. He is my next step. The big problem came in that the first antibiotic was not recommended by the culture. I saw a PA on the weekend. They never notified me. My Dr was furious. The PA works for him and he said he would talk to her. I think the infection just got too bad due to that. The antibiotic he gave me was shown by the lab test to be what I should have. We will see what the new culture grow. I might have to have IV antibiotics.
As for the bitch at work, she was pregnant, about 5 months, and started showing. I saw her and said, "well, look at you!" Smiled and thought she would be pleased to have a baby bump. But she just said, "Well, look at you, at least I have an excuse!" That was about 2 years ago. Yes, she had issues with her body image. Probably has bulimia too! A great role model.
Thanks for the support.
Mary Ann

You know what, folks? Here's why it's so hard for the healthy people to understand - OUR ILLNESS DOESN'T SHOW!

Now, I've dealt with this for years, being bipolar, ocd, with anxiety and panic attacks. I look normal. Well, now I have this mess going on, too. And I don't even have a firm diagnosis. Its either MCTD or SLE. Now, I have to wait until the symptoms are bad enough again to start treatment.

As for the bladder infections, I have had remarkable success with AZO, available OTC. You do it in 3 day "flights", and wear dark undies, because it will stain your urine dark, dark yellow. And I don't mean the AZO Cranberry - I mean in the box of regular kind.

The antibiotics you're on is what's causing you're vaginitis, too. See if your Dr will give you a prescription for Diflucan. But you can't take it while taking other antibiotics.

GOOD LUCK!! To all of you!
xxxooo

drink fresh squeezed home made lemonade. A urologist told me to do this after the fourth kidney stone blast, he said it is better then cranberry juice. It has cut down on the infections.

I just don't talk about my medicine for my health anymore or as little as possible.

Got the culture back today. Yes,it is an infection! LOL! But it looks like the right antibiotic. I actually slept last night and was only up once to the bathroom. I have hope again! Thanks for the support.
Mary Ann

Hang in there, MT. I know you've had a really rough ride with the bladder infections.

One terrible, terrible thing-- one of the very, very few terrible things but kind of a great thing-- about getting my MA in psychology is that I do know how to completely rip someone to shreds if they start giving pointless, self-serving advice that makes them feel better, momentarily, by making you feel worse.

I learned this advocating for my clients, kind of refined techniques I'd picked up over the years. But I have been known to say things like...

"Isn't it interesting how people give advice about subjects they know nothing about? I mean, do you know the difference between a double-stranded DNA antibody and an anti RNP? Do you know the significance of a high ANA titre? Do you even know what an electromyogram is? No, please... tell me. Explain it to me. Not later, but right now. Because, honestly, it sounds like you have no clue what you are talking about. Any doctor or anyone with a chronic illness is going to have the same impression of what you're saying... it may not seem like I'm doing you a favor right now, but I am. It's okay-- I probably have done the same thing sometimes, before I knew any better.

But now you know, right? Are you understanding me right now, or am I going to have to explain this again to you in two weeks? Actually, it would be great if you gave me a straight, yes-or-no answer."

Of course, it's much easier to deliver all this if you have white male privilege-- which I do-- and you've been a punk rocker for over 30 years, and have seen people be incredibly soft-spoken and assertive, over and over again.

I am so sorry you are going through this.

Do not feel bad about KICKING her ASS (verbally). You can totally do this. I didn't spend much time in Tennessee, but I had a great summer there once, and I've seen you people in bar fights!

--Cat

That woman is a uniformed piece of work. Tell her to mind her own business and maybe some directions to hell may be good too. Just sayin but I really like cats reply. smart man

Wish I could think of this at the time, instead of hours later! LOL! Cat, I could just see her face!
Mary Ann

Sorry to hear you're having such trouble MT. You can also take cranberry in a supplement form......I don't really like cranberry juice myself.

Most people who offer me advice, included a good friend who is in nursing.......I just smile and say thank you and ill look into it. People who do not have a chronic illness have absolutely know idea what it's like. Every illness they've had they have recovered from and can't understand that we won't be getting over this.......you need to treat them like they are stupid, but harmless.

I hope this is your last bout with the UTIs.

Beth

Beth, your advice is much more zen, and balanced, than mine!

And probably more on point.

There is probably a middle road. A way of saying, "Sorry to interrupt you, but I don't feel comfortable discussing with you. This is really between me, my doctors, my family, and my support group. Please don't raise this subject again."

"I'm just trying to help."

"That may be what it feels like to you, but it does not feel like that to me. (Chuckle in a friendly, but confident way.) Actually, I have a great support network for this. There are plenty of things I like to discuss with you-- this just is not one of them."

Man... been working on this problem for 40 years or so, and it's still a tough one, isn't it?

TAWANDA, I'm still laughing and I think I dribbled a little! No, just joking! Ask that woman that sent you the link if she has a volkswagen!

Karma, that's all you have to think about. She'll get hers in the end.

I'm in the same boat with you, hand me an oar. I gained 40 pounds with prednisone and without exercise, its impossible to get back into shape. It's all about eating healthy at this point with me.

I made carmels one year for Christmas and mailed a box of them to my father-in-law. He called to thank us and jokingly we told him they were fat free. We told him to share them with his son and brother and enjoy. Later on in the year he had asked for the recipe of the fat free carmels, said his neighbor tried one and she wants to make some for her family. My husband and I couldn't respond until we could stop laughing, how my gut hurt from laughing. I still get the giggles telling this story. We never thought he would believe us that the carmels were fat free. Not only did he believe us, he didn't "share" them with his son and brother. He gave them a "few" and ate the rest himself. Once we told him that we were joking, he said no wonder he gained 5 pounds!!!! I think they must have upwards of 250 / 300 calories per carmel. We felt bad because he was on a diet and we thought he knew we were being facetious. So, Christmas is coming up and if you want my "fat free" carmel recipe ...... Just saying...... She just might have a penchant for anything sweet and fat free!!!! TAWANDA!!!!