As the priest read me my last rites at just 41 years old, I was heartbroken and in disbelief. I couldn't believe I was dying.
Just months earlier, I had been healthy. I ate well, worked out often, and took care of my husband, a disabled Marine Corps veteran who became paralyzed after an injury in 2011. I was also a stepmother to his two children and had a career in IT for a large health care corporation until April 2021.
Then, all of a sudden, I couldn't do anything for myself. It started with a urinary tract infection (UTI)—not uncommon for women, affecting 50 to 60 percent of adult women in their lifetime. UTIs are often treated with antibiotics, or sometimes clear up on their own.
I asked my doctor for a urinalysis and culture. The results confirmed a UTI, but with a small bacterial count. Because I was symptomatic, the doctor prescribed Ciprofloxacin—a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that kills the bacteria causing infections.
