MY UTI TURNED dead y
Convenience came at a cost for Abbey
Abbey Smith, 32, Adelaide Hills, SA
Ouch, I recognise that pain,
I thought, as the familiar sting of a urinary tract infection (UTI) hit me while in the bathroom one day.
It was May 2022, and working on a radio station life was pretty hectic. So I decided that instead of seeing a doctor I’d use an online prescription service.
Going on the website, I provided information about my symptoms and the antibiotics I believed I needed. After paying a fee of $17.50, the prescription was emailed to me.
Picking up my medication on the way to work, I marvelled at how quick and easy the process had been without having to wait for a doctor’s appointment.
However, when the symptoms didn’t subside within a few days, I wondered why the antibiotics hadn’t kicked in. I also began feeling very cold and unwell.
Maybe it’s just an extra severe infection this time,
I thought.
At the of ce, I shivered my way through my shift. But before long, my lips were turning blue and I couldn’t warm myself up.
Something isn’t right,
I realised, taking myself to hospital.
Blood tests revealed my white blood cell count was
ne and I was sent home.
There, my temperature skyrocketed. I developed a fever, uncontrollable shaking and vomiting. I also began hallucinating that an old boyfriend, Nicko, who’d sadly passed years earlier was trying to get to me, but my deceased grandad Colin wasn’t letting him through.
‘Are you okay?’ my housemate Kenton asked, concerned.
When I told him I was seeing dead people he went white and rushed me to Emergency, where doctors discovered I was turning septic.
The deadly infection had spread to my blood.
For four days I felt at death’s door. My parents, Sheryl and Nick, both 63, were worried sick, but due to Covid regulations, couldn’t come to see me.
Finally the intravenous antibiotics kicked in, and I was nally told what went wrong. ‘You had E.coli, a common cause of UTIs which is resistant to the antibiotic you were given,’ the doctor said. ‘That’s why your infection hadn’t cleared up after taking it.’
I was shocked. If I had gone to the doctor instead of getting a prescription online, I would’ve been given the right medication.
Eighteen months on, my health still isn’t what it was and I suffer from fatigue. So along with my sausage dogs Tanq and
Tori I’ve moved back home with my parents.
Since my ordeal, several other women have told me they’ve found themselves in a similar situation or know someone who has.
Speaking to the Australian Medical Association about my experience, they advised it was normally ne to get an online script when you need a renewal of a medication, but otherwise it’s best to see a doctor.
These days, if I’m feeling unwell, I always see my GP who knows my medical history.
Online scripts may be convenient, but I never want to experience what I went through again. I’m just glad I got the correct medication in time. ●
I had a fever, was shaking uncontrollably and vomiting