Urology Care Foundation - Celebrating Victories and Hope for the Future

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Celebrating Victories and Hope for the Future

Celebrating Victories and Hope for the Future

Posted on: 21 May 2021


Face of chronic UTI survivor

Happily married and living a full life, Marguerite had her first urinary tract infection (UTI), at the age of 35, but it wasn’t her last.

A UTI is an infection of any part of the urinary system, including kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Urinary tract infections don't always cause symptoms, but when they do they may involve:

  • A strong, persistent urge to pass urine
  • A burning sensation when passing urine
  • Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
  • Urine that appears cloudy
  • Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — a sign of blood in the urine
  • Strong-smelling urine
  • Pelvic pain, in women — mainly in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone

When Marguerite was in pain when she urinated and when she had to run to the bathroom because of the sudden urge to void, she knew something was wrong. She went to the doctor to find out what was going on. Upon testing, the doctor found blood in her urine and she tested positive for a UTI. She was given a course of antibiotics and the infection went away. For the next two years, she had no issues. 

The following 10 years, she battled with constant infections after sex with her husband. She was given short courses of an antibiotic, but the infections always came back. Marguerite was confused because she was a healthy, fit woman and didn’t know why her body could not fight this off. She went to various urologists over the years, but her infections, frustration over the disruption in her life and pain continued. With very little research about chronic UTIs, it can be a tough condition to treat. She was eventually prescribed a medication to take after intercourse to fight off any possible infections, and that worked in the short term, but didn’t get rid of the problem.

Her urologist recently prescribed a longer, 6-month course of antibiotics. Marguerite says it feels like a huge victory for her because she has not had a UTI in 2 months! Being pain-free after a decade of infections gives her hope for the future – not only for herself but the millions of women struggling with this condition every day.

For more information on urinary tract infections, visit our Urinary Tract Infections in Adults condition page.


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