The following day I spoke with my chiropractor. She recommended I try cranberry juice to prevent the bacteria from attaching itself to the bladder wall. I knew this was a standard home remedy for bladder infections so I thought I’d give it a try.

By the third day, my lower back was really hurting. I assumed it was a flare up from a previous back injury so I didn’t make much of it. Going into the fourth day of the bladder infection I developed a fever and suffered from chills. The very next day I couldn’t get out of bed. My fever was up to 103 degrees and the chills were getting worse. My husband placed four additional blankets over me and I still was shivering out of control. We thought I had developed a bad case of the flu.

Monday January 6^th, my fever rose to 104.9 degrees. I could not move. I was sweating profusely and literally soaked my pajamas as well as the bed sheets. By that evening my husband took me to an urgent care center to obtain a diagnosis. We realized this had to be something more than a flu bug. The results of the urinalysis did indeed prove I had a major bladder infection, but the doctor also believed I could have a kidney infection and strongly urged us to make an appointment to see our family doctor first thing that following morning.

I got home that night and literally collapsed on to the bed. In the middle of the night, the vomiting started, the fever was still at 104.9 degrees and the chills were causing me to shake uncontrollably. First thing in the morning, my husband, Art, called our family doctor for an appointment. I was fortunate my doctor was able to see me on such short notice. Of course when Art called me that morning to tell me of my appointment, I began to protest. “Oh, Art, I’m too sick to get up. I can’t go to the doctor. I can’t move…blah, blah, blah.” Art’s reply was, “Well, you better get yourself well enough to get dressed because you’re going to the doctor. I’m picking you up in forty-five minutes.” Even though Art’s response may have sounded a bit harsh, he knows me well. If he wouldn’t have insisted on my going to the doctor, I probably wouldn’t have gone simply because I felt so weak. All I wanted to do was stay in bed and try to stay warm in between the bouts of profuse sweating.

It literally took me 45-minutes to get dressed. Now granted, I was feeling pretty ill. I hadn’t been well enough to do laundry, so I had slim-pickings for clean clothes.

Have you ever heard of the saying, “Make sure you always wear good underwear because you never know when you might end up in the hospital?” Well, apparently I didn’t take that saying to heart.

All of my "good" underwear was in the dirty laundry pile and all I had left were these old undies with holes in them. (Upon my return from the hospital, all of my old underwear was throw in the trash. I don’t ever want to be caught with “holey” underwear again!)

Now that I shared that piece of intimate info with you, I’ll get back to the story.

I crawled into a pair of jeans and a clean sweatshirt. I ran a comb through my tangled hair, brushed my teeth, and made my way into the living room where I waited a short three minutes before Art arrived to take me to my appointment.

When the nurse took my temperature it was still 104 degrees. My doctor obtained the test results from the urgent care clinic from the night before. From reading those results he said to Art, “Kathy has to be hospitalized immediately.” Art asked if we had time to go home and pack some items and my doctor said no, that we needed to go directly from his office to the hospital.

Originally the doctor thought I’d only be there for two days, but because of some complications, I was there for five days. I tried to put the spa spin on the whole experience. I was attempting to make my spa service comparisons, and the “stay three nights, get the fourth one free”, but I don’t believe the hospital offered that package.

For four full days I was hooked up to IV’s. I was severely dehydrated, which didn’t help the situation. An IV also administered the antibiotic, Cipro, for the kidney infection. The kidney infection caused mild anemia so I was given Iron supplements while I was in the hospital to help increase the development of red blood cells, which I have been taking twice daily since I left the hospital. I will continue taking Iron for another month. I will then have my blood tested again to check the red blood cell count.

While I was in the hospital, I had a CT scan to see if there was any damage done to the left kidney. Upon looking at the test results, there was an indication of a potential problem with my gall bladder. So I had an ultrasound and thankfully the results turned out fine from that. The CT scan did indeed show that I had a severe infection in the left kidney, but no further kidney problems were represented.

I am as pleased as punch to report that I have recovered from my “big adventure”. I don’t want to ever go through this or anything like it again. Next time I want some time off, I’ll go to an actual spa and skip the hospital scene. I’m sure the décor and food will be much better than what I was subjected to.

So, how on earth did I get to this point from having a bladder infection to a full blown kidney infection in less than one week’s time? Well, sit back and let me tell you about Pyelonephritis (kidney infection).

Pyelonephritis

Pyelonephritis is a kidney infection, usually from bacteria that have spread from the bladder.

Symptoms and signs include back, side and groin pain; urgent, frequent urination; pain or burning during urination; fever; nausea and vomiting; and pus and blood in the urine.

Diagnosis is made with a urine test to identify bacteria and formations of white blood cells, called casts, shaped like tubes in the kidneys. If an infection cannot be easily cured, x-rays might be done to look for abnormalities in the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. A kidney infection is treated with an appropriate antibiotic, and abnormalities may need to be surgically treated.

An untreated or recurrent kidney infection can lead to chronic pyelonephritis, scarring of the kidneys and permanent kidney damage.¹

A kidney infection occurs when microbes, usually bacteria, invade the tissues of the kidney and multiply. One or both kidneys may be infected. Infection originating directly from the bladder is called an ascending infection.

Inflammation occurs in response to the infection. As a result of the infection and inflammation, scarring and other tissue damage may occur. Most cases of acute kidney infection resolve without any permanent kidney damage. In severe cases, kidney damage is so extensive that the kidneys can no longer function, a state called renal failure.

 Types of kidney infections:

·        Acute pyelonephritis: uncomplicated kidney infection, which has a short and relatively severe course. (This is what I was diagnosed with.)

·        Chronic pyelonephritis: long-standing disease associated with either active or inactive (healed) kidney infection.

·        Emphysematous pyelonephritis: acute infection associated with gas in and around the kidney. This type almost always occurs in persons with diabetes.

·        Pyonephrosis: acute or chronic pyelonephritis associated with blockage of the ureter.

·        Renal and perinephric abscesses: abscesses (pockets of pus) in and around the kidney.

Kidney infections occur most often in adult females who are otherwise healthy. Urinary tract infections are uncommon in males until old age, when bladder catheterization and other urinary procedures are more commonly performed. ²

Causes & Symptoms ³

Bacteria are usually the cause of kidney infection, although infection by fungi (yeasts and molds) or viruses does occur. The bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) is responsible for about 85% of the cases of acute pyelonephritis. Other common causes include Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Proteus, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas species. Infection by Proteus species can lead to the formation of stones. E. coli causes only 60% of the acute pyelonephritis cases in the elderly. Kidney infection may also be caused by Mycobacteria tuberculosis or other Mycobacteria species or by the yeast Candida. Kidney infection can be caused by Group B Streptococci in newborns.

Certain women are inherently more susceptible to urinary tract infections. Researchers have found that women who have recurrent infections possess certain markers on their blood cells. Also, the bacteria, which commonly cause urinary tract infections, stick more readily to the vaginal cells of women who have recurrent infections. Other risk factors for kidney disease include: