Kidney Infection Vs. Me

I was in a fight with my body this week, and I lost. 

Early Saturday morning I went and worked out and felt a bladder infection coming on. Anyone else ever had one of those awful things? I hate them, they are evil. Anyway, it then went away and I ending up having a lovely Saturday, until later that night the bladder infection came back with a vengeance. I was up a lot of the night not feeling too great. 

Now normally I try to treat these on my own; I wrote about it here; however, I didn't have any of the stuff I needed on hand. I tried the best I could to take care of it on Sunday until I could run to the store on Monday, but it was too late. The awful bladder infection turned into a kidney infection. 

Now not to be dramatic, but have you ever had a kidney infection before? If you haven't, be VERY grateful, they are awful. I actually had one at the same time of giving birth to baby number five, and I couldn't even feel that I was in labor because the kidney pain was so intense. I would describe it as someone stabbing you in the back with knives while twisting them, but as an added bonus my bladder was infected too so it felt like I was in labor on top of the twisting knives.

Not only am I dramatic, but I am also painfully stubborn. I didn't want to go to the doctor. My husband tried to get me to go, but I really didn't want to. It wasn't until Wednesday when I was in so much pain that death seemed a better alternative (remember I said I was dramatic) that I finally went. The doctor was a very nice guy and found that I indeed did have a bladder and kidney infection; I wasn't just being a baby.

I am now taking an antibiotic which I am not thrilled about, but was necessary. After taking an antibiotic it is very important to take a probiotic after. This link is to doTERRA's probiotic; I've taken it, it is phenomenal.

Why take a probiotic? I'm not great at explaining the science behind things so this is taken from Natural News; they put it into words much better then I can. 

Probiotic intake for overall good health has been underestimated by even the alternative health community. The fact is that gut bacteria greatly affects both overall physical and mental health.

There are 400 to 500 species of bacteria residing in your gut or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which if opened up and laid out flat would cover a tennis court. If placed on a scale, your GI tract bacteria would weigh in at three pounds.

Probiotic bacteria have many more functions than digestion. They trigger immune system reactions throughout the body, including activating T-cells.

Good bacteria need to comprise 85 percent of the intestinal flora while allowing the remaining 15 percent to be pathogenic. Two-thirds or more of the immune system relies on this.

Ten reasons to consume probiotics

(1) Enhance immunity - a double-blind clinical test involving patients in intensive care proved that viable (alive) probiotics prevented multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), the number one cause of mortality among intensive care patients. (Source 5 below)

If probiotics can do this, what can they do to prevent chronic flues and colds and allergies?

(2) The immune protection of mother's milk is enhanced if the mother takes probiotics during or before pregnancy. If breast feeding is impossible, then adding probiotics and prebiotics (what probiotic bacteria feed on) to a baby formula free from fluoridated water and sweeteners can be tried.

(3) Probiotics can reverse ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other gut inflammations that occur from a lack of sufficient probiotics.

(4) Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (GS) symptoms are handled by adding probiotics.

(5) Processed foods and low fiber diets allow the pathogenic bacteria to overwhelm the good guys and diminish colon function. It's important to add probiotics even if you drop the standard American diet (SAD).

(6) When pathogenic bacteria upset the 85/15 balance of probiotic to bad bacteria, yeast infections such as Candida flourish.

(7) A healthy gut flora balance helps prevent cancer by nourishing enzymes that inhibit tumor production throughout the body.

(8) Sufficient probiotic intestinal flora prevents radiation damage from X-rays and CT scans to the large and small intestines.

(9) GMOs are used in many processed foods and antibiotics are in lots of our non-organic meat and dairy products. They both destroy probiotic bacteria, making it necessary to add probiotic materials back if you've had any of those foods.

(10) Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride discovered how to cure her son of autism through a diet that restored his probiotic levels and heal his inflammatory conditions. She developed GAPS, gut and psychology syndrome, confirming the connection with gut health and mental health.