"Unheard and mistreated"

Almost two (2) years ago I had gynaecological surgery at your hospital, afterwards I could not pee and was to have a catheter in order to be discharged. The process of putting in the catheter was traumatic it took 3 nurses trying unsuccessfully and at one point the catheter slipped in to my vagina where I had just had surgery. In the end, a theatre nurse came and did the catheter as no one else was able, crying and distressed at this point. Since then I have had recurring UTIs with them coming on stronger and quicker each time. Each time we present to a gp and get given oral antibiotics either Trimethoprim or cephalexin. This keeps it at bay for a bit but then it always comes back.

Early last month I presented to gp with yet another uti, trimethoprin was prescribed, I was vomiting at this point and vomiting up the medication. I presented to emergency the next day after vomiting had not stopped. Uti results came back stating that I have esbl E. coli and that a specific medication would have to treat it.

From report: “This isolate produces an Extended Spectrum Reta-Lactamase (ESBL) which will render it resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics with the exception of Carbapenems (e.g. Meropenem and Ertapenem). Hospitalised patients may require additional infection control precautions.”

Despite report saying this, I was given a script for cephalexin which I continued to take for a week.

By the beginning of this month I had yet another UTI which came on strong and fast, probably about the 8th uti I’ve had. I presented to a GP at a local health service, who I believe was shocked that I hadn't been given the correct medication. This doctor told me to present to emergency immediately they wrote a letter advising that there are no oral treatments and said I would be admitted overnight, given iv antibiotics and that the infectious disease team would come the next day to provide a script for an oral version I could take.

When I went to hospital I waited 4 hours in fast track and was told to sit back down and, I felt, ignored when I told reception that I was feeling worse. When I was admitted, I recall the doctor on duty told me, you mustn’t be that sick if you’re not throwing up, and I was given an oral antibiotic nitrofurantoin and sent home. 

When I went back to see the doctors for results of my urine sample the doctor was, I understand, annoyed I hadn’t been treated correctly and said I could have gone into shock within days. When I went to follow up with the gp they were surprised I hadn’t been given the treatment needed.

I’ve now been taking antibiotics given at ED for a week but feel my uti has not cleared and I remain concerned that I will become seriously unwell, but because twice I believe I haven’t been given correct treatment at ER I’m hesitant to go back. I wonder if I should I go to a different hospital? If I go back to gp I believe they will suggest the iv antibiotic but I worry I will not receive the treatment required again. I don’t know what to do.