# UTIs and other crap - August Minirants! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 1, 2011, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020 "2011-08-01T09:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/61 "2011-08-02T19:11:39Z")
Bloody cat. Vet feels him up and down. No blockage in the bladder or colon, 'cause both are clear. No blood on the thermometer when he checks the temperature, so nothing (obviously) wrong in the colon. Temperature normal. Reaction to being at the vet’s, normal. Vet suggests finding some stinky food to see if that will tempt Shiva to eat and to give it a day or two. They’ll run blood tests if he’s still not eating (and he can stand to lose about 2 pounds, anyway, the little tubster). So I bring him home and, just to see, put his food bowl in front of him. The nomming is DEAFENING. Bloody cat. Don’t you scare me like that ever again! \ ETA: maybe I spoke too soon. He only ate about half of what was there. I swear, if this is a sudden “I’m tired of this flavour” hunger strike I’ll turn him into MITTENS. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/62 "2011-08-02T19:18:26Z")
Aww… Shiva just wanted to go for a ride! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/63 "2011-08-02T19:20:50Z")
Both of my cats tend to reduce their eating when the house is very hot in summer (they’ve always been like this) - could that be a factor here? ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/64 "2011-08-02T19:26:08Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#): > > Re: UTIs. I used to get them often. _If_ you’re the kind of person who notices them really really early, taking about 1000mg of Vitamin C can kill it within a few hours. (It’ll still hurt to pee for a little while - although not as bad - but the other symptoms will go away). I got that advice from a medical friend of mine. > > (I usually did that, ate a can of pineapple - because it has something that helps kill bugs - and a thing of blueberries - which work almost as well as cranberries, but taste better). And avoid sugar until you know it’s dead. I think after I learned that I’ve only had to get a prescription once. Obviously, if you’re not better within a day, go to a doctor. Yup, OD on the Vitamin C for a day - I learned this living in western Africa for awhile. Chronically dehydrated, and never drinking enough water because it was hard to find non-sketchy stuff and you never know when you’re going to see another bathroom, and finding it hard to resist the lure of ice cold beer even though that only exacerbated the dehydration - UTIs were a constant problem. I had anticipated it but it only took me two months to go through the make-your-pee-orange pills I had brought along. But I could grab a pack of vitamin C pretty easily, and pop 'em all, and be fine quickly, as long as I avoided bread and things with sugar and oh, pretty much all the food that all the people around me were eating all the time. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/65 "2011-08-02T19:39:11Z")
Too late to edit. The pain of UTIs never bothered me, I can deal with that. It’s that squirmy thigh-clenching uncomfortableness that is so totally pit-worthy. I average about one a year now, which is incredible to me considering I used to consider myself lucky to only get one a month. Then I’d go get antibiotics. Then - even while consuming fucktons of natural yogurt - I’d get a yeast infection, thanks antibiotics. So anyways, the vitamin C trick saved my sanity. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/66 "2011-08-02T20:05:12Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > ETA: maybe I spoke too soon. He only ate about half of what was there. I swear, if this is a sudden “I’m tired of this flavour” hunger strike I’ll turn him into MITTENS. A muff would be easier to sew. I’m ready to turn my fuzzy \*little darling \*into a fashion accessory. She’s pooping outside of the box for no discernible reason. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/67 "2011-08-02T20:21:18Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I guess it’s good that he saw it, and he can get out the caulking and take care of it before the next rainstorm (hopefully - it might rain today). Better than NOT seeing it and NOT fixing it. My grandfather had an [economics professor](http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10582) who figured (tongue in cheek) that his roof leak could not be fixed if it were raining, but did not need to be fixed if it were not raining. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/68 "2011-08-02T20:47:24Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > My grandfather had an [economics professor](http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10582) who figured (tongue in cheek) that his roof leak could not be fixed if it were raining, but did not need to be fixed if it were not raining. Your grandfather’s professor was my previous landlord? How did that time-space warp happen? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/69 "2011-08-03T02:00:25Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > My grandfather had an [economics professor](http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10582) who figured (tongue in cheek) that his roof leak could not be fixed if it were raining, but did not need to be fixed if it were not raining. I am pleased to say that I knew right away it had to be Leacock. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/70 "2011-08-03T03:11:14Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > My grandfather had an [economics professor](http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10582) who figured (tongue in cheek) that his roof leak could not be fixed if it were raining, but did not need to be fixed if it were not raining. Kind of like nuclear plant… just substitute rain with explode ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/71 "2011-08-03T03:34:36Z")
> [@Oukile](#): > > [Spatial neglect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemispatial_neglect) That sounds exactly like what is going on! Quote: In an extreme case, a patient with neglect might fail to eat the food on the left half of their plate, even though they complain of being hungry. That’s our poor baby. ☹ Very sad, and yet kinda neat at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/72 "2011-08-03T06:37:02Z")
Hmmm, what can I rant about? I like my new work schedule… making slightly more money… beating the heat okay with our fabulous air conditioning… oh, I know. Trash! Curbside trash! In this godforsaken city, they make you put prepaid stickers on every single bag of trash you put out, and refuse to pick up/fine you for the ones you don’t. Fuck the trash collection in this city. Learn to bundle trash pickup with property taxes like a NORMAL town, you pigfucking soulsuckers. Since my roommate refuses to pay for trash pickup even though my rent is inclusive of “all utilities,” now I have to foul up my sedan to transport it to her father’s business’s dumpster. fml And fuck the first hemorrhoid I’ve ever had in my life! You were small and short-lived, but now I officially feel that “old and decrepit” is just around the corner ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sealemon2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sealemon2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sealemon2.0)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/73 "2011-08-03T07:02:47Z")
> [@SnakesCatLady](#): > > I woke up this morning with a UTI. At first it was just a little uncomfortable, but quickly progressed to the “peeing 3 drops ever 3 minutes” stage. I ended up going to a Doc-in-the-Box when I noticed blood in my urine.:eek: > > $98. Thank goodness Publix fills ciprofloxacin at no charge. I just finished passing my first kidney stone. It lead to me having a UTI. I want to kick a puppy. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/74 "2011-08-03T09:28:42Z")
To my darling husband- sending me a text at 5 am my time (2am Vegas time) saying “I hope this doesnt wake you but omf” and then not answering calls or texts when it does actually wake me means that I’m now still awake and trying to decide if you’re not dying whether I will kill you or not. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/75 "2011-08-03T10:09:04Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I am pleased to say that I knew right away it had to be Leacock. > [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Kind of like nuclear plant… > > just substitute rain with explode |That makes sense, for yes, it was Leacock, and my grandfather (and his sons) designed and built a nuclear reactor. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/76 "2011-08-03T12:00:33Z")
Oh, good, the debt bill passed. And student loan funding was cut. Specifically, subsidies on federal loans are gone. That’s going to cost me another $600/year on a meager grad student stipend. From my perspective, that’s equivalent to a 25% hike in income taxes on the lowest tax brackets. Honestly I wouldn’t mind paying more, if it was distributed evenly. But instead, the US government gets to transfer some of their debt to fucking grad students. Nice to know they managed to avoid any revenue increases. All those corporate tax shelters are intact! The top bracket gets to keep their historically low tax rates! ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/77 "2011-08-03T12:29:40Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > This wouldn’t be the same issue as was posted elsewhere where it turned out the A/C could be turned off remotely by the power company in peak demand periods? Ours keeps offering to give us a free electronic thermostat with all sorts of features which would also allow them to do this. I don’t think so. The A/C isn’t just turning off, the thermostat is saying it has a system malfunction. They came out again yesterday, got it working, then last night before I went to bed, system malfunction again. We’re beginning to think it might be squirrels in our porch roof that are breaking a cable. Critter Control is coming out today to look into that possibility. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/78 "2011-08-03T12:47:05Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > In this godforsaken city, they make you put prepaid stickers on every single bag of trash you put out, and refuse to pick up/fine you for the ones you don’t. Fuck the trash collection in this city. Learn to bundle trash pickup with property taxes like a NORMAL town, you pigfucking soulsuckers. I don’t mind the trash stickers. We generate a full barrel maybe once every 2 weeks or so, and I’m certainly not going to complain about slapping a $3 sticker on the uppermost bag. In other towns around here they have to buy special trash bags at $5 a pop or haul everything to the local transfer facility themselves. Now THAT I could heartily complain about! No, I have plenty to rant about our @#(@^@@ PROPERTY TAX, which just went up another $400. Don’t get me started or I’m liable not to shut up :mad: ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/79 "2011-08-03T13:20:49Z")
All the stupid bullshit nonsense at work means I’m bringing home a ton of nervous tension. I have nowhere to put it (telling my grandboss the honest truth about herself would get my ass shitcanned so fast) so I’m anxious and not sleeping well. Lack of sleep is making it hard for me to cope with all the bullshit nonsense at work. Yay, fun! A tiny little evil vicious cycle, complete with hardcore insomnia for extra bonus points. I haven’t slept more than about 4 or 5 hours a night in a while. I’m reaching the breaking point. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020/80 "2011-08-03T13:53:47Z")
I pit myself for clicking on a link in an E-mail that had no topic, no text. Why did I do it? It was sent by the boss’s direct assistant (and wife!) to him, me, and a few other people who made for a logical grouping who might get something from her. I plugged the link into sites like Norton and McAfee to check the link - no info. I clicked, then saw a redirect starting so I closed the browser and am running a full scan. No odd behavior at least. I opened it on my iPhone browser, and it’s a redirect to a foreign “pharmacy” site. And I pit professionals in my industry who occasionally do dumb-ass things like send attachments or links with no subject line or message, and **I’m** treated like I’m an idiot for thinking those are suspicious. Screw you guys for instilling enough doubt that I didn’t just delete the message. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utis-and-other-crap-august-minirants/591020.md?page=5)