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Hi Michelle
I had my first uti just about when you did. I have had 3 bad ones, all with blood in my urine. Both my PCP and onc say it is because I had my oophorectomy (I know you did too) and put myself into abrupt menopause. Unlike you, I am ER+ so I am taking Arimidex which depletes the estrogen even more. Lack of estrogen and the abruptness of menopause thins the vaginal tissue and the tissue of the bladder wall. The thinning of the tissues can cause bacteria to stick to the walls and cause the infections.
I had an infection in Nov 05, Jan 06 and Memorial day weekend. I was very hopeful I wouldn't get another one after January's (very bad - the worst one) because I really paid attention and started taking cranberry tablet supplements (2 with each meal), drank lots of water, peed before and after sex and washed after sex. I guess it kind of helped as it was almost 5 months in between infections versus only barely 2 months.
However, a stone can also be the cause of uti's as well so you really have to get it checked out (I never had any back pain - just the heaviness on the bladder and then the urgency to urinate and of course, the feeling of always having to go. Then the blood).
My onco says that it can take 2-3 years for the body to adjust to the abruptness of menopause. For me, I am just hoping that the Arimidex is really working to lower my estrogen to the min and then I can deal with the bladder problems if thats all it is.
Keep the faith.
Love, Becky
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