Let me just go on record as saying . . .

. . . that overly-cautious doctors can be a real pain in the fanny sometimes. I went to student health today to pick up a cup to take home to collect a urine sample. I wanted to see if I have a UTI 1) because I had one right before I moved down here and I want to make sure the Levaquin cleared it, and B) because I have a couple of new attendants who have wiped me backwards and I almost always wind up with a UTI after that. First, I had to talk to the nurse. Then I had to talk to the overly-cautious doctor who is worried that I have a neurogenic bladder that isn't voiding completely and that's why I'm winding up with "all these UTIs." She started making noises about having my attendants straight cath me and/or me having a bladder US to make sure I'm voiding completely. First, I have had more than my usual number of UTIs in the last five months because I have had kidney stones. Second, my attendants are not medical professionals and thus will not be cathing me. Lastly, I have had two bladder USs in the last month by my urologist back home, and he said I'm fine. Just please let me go, I have meetings to get to.

THEN I had to meet with a second, more senior doctor who explained to me WHY they wanted to do all these things. I calmly and politely told her (as I had the first doctor) I appreciated their concern, but I didn't see why I had to have another US when my urologist had cleared me twice. Apparently, doctor #1 neglected to give doctor #2 that little tidbit of info. Doctor #2: "You've had one? It was fine? OK, I'm happy! Take your cup home and bring us back the urine sample."

Finally! Unfortunately, by that time (an hour later), I had missed an appointment with a prof and was fifteen minutes late to a departmental seminar given by my friend Sarah. ::sigh::

Up-note: I am to stop taking the bicarb and get my blood checked early next week to see how my blood pH is doing. I'm actually a little concerned about stopping it cold-turkey, and I'm debating continuing on it through the weekend and discussing it more with them on Monday.