29 Dec Jean’s Chronic UTI Update
Reading Time: 4 minutesJean shared her story with us in May 2019. After menopause things had started to go wrong. Among her worries, Jean had developed UTI symptoms but her urine tests kept coming back negative and she was prescribed antidepressants to deal with her increasing anxiety. She refused to accept her problems were psychological and she continued to search for answers. Eventually she was diagnosed and treated for a chronic UTI. Jean found Hiprex and Chinese herbs was the answer for her and she improved in leaps and bounds. Three years after completing her combination treatment, Jean remains happy and well. Read Jean’s updated story.
Updated January 2022
I am just writing to update everyone on my progress to date. Having a chronic urinary tract infection can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless but it is possible to make a full recovery.
My battle with a chronic UTI began in January 2017 and took effort, persistence and lots of trials and tribulations along the way but I finally recovered and have been off all treatment and have been completely pain free for three years now and I am living an entirely normal life.
I tried many treatments and approaches in my road to recovery but the biggest breakthrough for me came with Chinese herbal medicine. This helped both my physical and mental health.
Having a chronic illness can really challenge you both physically and mentally and since my experience I have become a more resilient and stronger person.
In order to maintain my physical fitness, I go to a Pilates class every week (or did until COVID). I now use YouTube to do my Pilates classes. I also walk in the countryside and swim. Swimming was the one thing I thought I would never to be able to do again but now I have no problems at all.
How I managed my mental health
One of the most frightening things throughout my illness was the deterioration in my mental health and the overwhelming feelings of panic. I contacted a charity in the UK which helps people recover from anxiety, panic and phobias. The charity was called No Panic and their office phone number is 01952 680460. Their helpline number is 0300 772 9844 and their email address is info@nopanic.org.uk. The helpline is open from 10 am until 10 pm every day of the week and all their volunteers are people who have struggled themselves with anxiety and have managed to overcome it. They were an amazing help to me and I signed up for six weekly telephone consultations with the same person for more intensive one to one help. This made a big difference to the way I reacted to stress and I started to really make progress with my mental health. I now worked as a volunteer for No Panic and have found it very rewarding and a great privilege to be able to help other people.
Getting better from a chronic UTI is achievable. It is not easy and takes time, hard work and persistence but it is possible and you will get there too.
Recovering from a chronic illness is multi-faceted
Recovering from a chronic illness needs a multi-faceted approach and addressing your mental health, lifting your mood and improving your general fitness are all important in your journey towards being healthy again.
If you are determined and want something badly enough then you can achieve anything you want; you just need to believe it is possible. Getting better from a chronic UTI is achievable. It is not easy and takes time, hard work and persistence but it is possible and you will get there too. At times I thought I would never live a normal life again. I was about to give up work and resign myself to becoming a semi-invalid but I am now back to living a normal active life. I am working as an NHS worker in the UK, I volunteer with No Panic and go to Welsh and German classes. I am able to exercise and swim. I can go to the theatre without worrying about needing to go to the loo. I can meet friends socially and drink alcohol. All this can be yours too; you just need to believe in yourself.
Please start your journey to wellness now and you will get there.
Love Jean
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