★★★★★
This week I had to travel 800 miles by car on Monday with some of my family. I was feeling fine when we left but started feeling poorly within the first hour. I had stomach cramps and diarrhea, which I at first thought was from taking too much magnesium the night before. But the cramping and diarrhea did not stop and I felt worse and worse. I was not driving, at least. As the day wore on I realized I had a fever. The pain continued to get worse though the diarrhea ceased. However, I realized that I had bladder pain when I emptied my bladder. I was starting to suspect bladder infection, though the diarrhea really threw me.
Turns out that bladder spasms (I am pretty sure that was the actual cramping I was experiencing) can cause diarrhea. We stopped at a Stuff Mart as I couldn't find any type of health food store. I was thrilled to be able to find the following things that I had decided I would use in lieu of my usual remedies for a uti (I usually use plantain tea and frankincense essential oil.) I included turmeric because I wasn't positive it was not some sort of intestinal infection, though in the end, I don't think it was. Turmeric is anti-infective anyway.)
- 100% cranberry juice ( to fight UTI)
- 100% concord grape juice (to cut the cranberry juice)
- Raw and organic apple cider vinegar (for acetic acid to fight uti)
- Raw turmeric powder (for infection)
- Charcoal tablets (for diarrhea and infection)
- Chamomile tea (antispasmodic)
- Black tea (astringent)
- Raw honey (antibacterial sweetener for tea)
I also bought plastic cups, straws, and a mug.
I usually bring tons of remedies on a trip. This time I had brought nearly nothing since I usually carried it all around for naught, and I was going to be flying home and didn't want to have to deal with extra baggage.
Before leaving the parking lot, after buying my remedies, I put the following in a plastic cup:
- 2-3 T. raw apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup cranberry juice
- ¾ cup grape juice
And drank it as we drove on to our hotel.
The next day I spent in the hotel in bed. I tried to take a remedy every 2 hours.
I alternated between the vinegar/grape/cranberry drink and ½ cup milk kefir with about ¾ t. turmeric. (Not bad, actually.)
I also had mugs of chamomile or black tea with honey.
At night, when I woke up I would take charcoal tablets.
I realized I had an essential oil blend with me for my joints that had frankincense and juniperberry in it, along with several other oils, so I massaged that into my abdomen many times a day.
The second day I no longer had fever and the third day I was able to leave my hotel room though I continued with the remedies.
I was feeling a good bit better though I still had bladder pain unless I didn't move. I took a few doses of Tylenol over those days for pain.
By Thursday I was about 90% better and able to travel by plane.
All week I had only consumed my remedies, a couple of apples and some gingersnaps. I had no appetite at all and didn't really want to get my digestive system moving much while I was in the airport or on a plane.
It has been 6 days now and I feel completely myself.
I do not know how I went from not noticing symptoms to being so sick I was considering going to the hospital, but I did.
One thing I was pleased about was how pretty simple remedies and ones that can be found nearly anywhere completely eliminated the most painful uti I have ever experienced. I even was able to restock my charcoal supply without going to a health food store.
~Mama to Many~
