Okay so let me walk you through what happened last week when I got hit with that burning pee feeling. Seriously burned every time I went. Not fun at all. Started on a Tuesday morning after my third coffee. Felt familiar, kinda like that UTI horror from two years back. But hey, this time I remembered seeing something online about chlamydia having similar warnings. Cue the panic alarm in my head.
The Awkward Trip to the Pharmacy
Didn’t want to sit around hoping it’d vanish. Nope. Grabbed my keys, drove straight to the drugstore. Stood there staring at the home test kits aisle like a lost kid. So many options. Finally grabbed two: one of those standard UTI dipstick kits and a separate test for chlamydia because the clerk said they don’t mix. Cost more than lunch, ugh. Got home, locked the bathroom door like I was defusing a bomb.
First up, the UTI test. Pee in the cup they give you. Easy enough. Then you gotta dunk this little paper strip with colored squares on it into the pee. Sounds simple? Nah. Had trouble seeing the stupid squares properly. Held it up to the light, squinting. One square looked kind of pink-ish? Wasn’t the deep red like my last UTI, but definitely not crystal clear either. Inconclusive? Probably. Super frustrating.
The Real Deal at the Clinic
Home tests giving me fuzzy answers wasn’t cutting it. That sting wasn’t getting better. Called my doctor same day, got squeezed in for an afternoon slot. Relief? Not really. More like pre-appointment dread. Explained the situation to the nurse:
- Started suddenly with the burn
- Constant low ache down there too
- Zero discharge though, which made me think maybe not chlamydia?
- Felt the need to pee constantly, even when nothing came out
Doctor listened, nodded. Said, “We need a proper sample. Clean catch.” Right. The humiliation of trying to pee into a tiny cup while being “clean” is an art form I haven’t mastered. Filled it halfway somehow. Felt like a victory. They whisked it off for both cultures – the UTI panel and the chlamydia test. Signed some papers about privacy for the chlamydia part, felt pretty serious. Was told it might take a couple days.
The Torturous Wait (and Water)
Those next 48 hours dragged. Drank water like I was training for a desert marathon. Seriously, must’ve gone to the bathroom a hundred times. Every. Single. Time. Still burned. Tried cranberry juice – tasted like sour regret. Couldn’t stop Googling symptoms, even though I knew I shouldn’t. Terrified of that chlamydia result messing things up long-term. Would rather it be the UTI demon I knew.
The Call That Dropped the Weight
Finally, Thursday afternoon, the clinic number flashed on my phone. Heart jumped into my throat. “Good news,” the nurse chirped. Chlamydia test came back negative. Clear. Huge wave of relief. “But,” she continued, “the culture showed bacteria consistent with a UTI. So, we’ll call in a prescription for antibiotics.”
Picked up the pills same day. Started them that night. Downsides kicked in fast:
- Felt kinda nauseous after the first dose
- Pee started turning fluorescent orange – freaky but normal apparently
- Sensitivity to sun warnings made me dig out the big floppy hat
Within two days, that horrible burn started easing up. Still peeing like a racehorse from the water and the meds, but without the fire. Small blessings.
So yeah, turned out to be the annoying but familiar UTI, not the scarier chlamydia. Learned my lesson again about staying hydrated and listening to my body fast. Glad I tested both, but man, am I thrilled it was the one with the fixable script. Lesson learned. Again. Water bottle is now permanently glued to my hand.
