I have a rare bladder condition that keeps me tethered to the toilet. And yes, I have to pee right now, at this very moment.
Most women have had a UTI at least once in their lives, and I'm no exception. In fact, that's what I thought was wrong when I woke up that morning over seven years ago. That familiar feeling of a bladder that wouldn't empty, that slight sting and burn that sometimes, if caught early enough, can be flushed out with water and cranberry juice before it goes into a full-blown UTI that needs antibiotics. That method had worked for me before, so that's what I set out to do.
I don't remember much about that day besides that, but the evening is seared into my memory. My husband, our older kids, and I were meeting friends at the movies to watch The Conjuring. I was a little upset because he always wanted to go out with a group anymore. Why can't we just go out ourselves, or with the kids, I asked. I'm naturally introverted, so all of the interaction lately was wearing me out, and a bladder that was becoming more irritated as the evening wore on wasn't helping.
As the movie played I got up frequently to go to the bathroom, only to feel the urge again almost immediately. I just wanted to go home, but as most nights out with friends go, the movie was followed by dinner. And here is the pivotal moment in my life that sparked the end of my marriage and the beginning of an illness that quickly overtook my…
