Sequence of events: Day 1: Burning, painful urination; pink urine detected; lower abdominal tenderness and bloating and frequent urination; this is also accompanied by urgency to defecate, loose stools nausea and some dizziness (had the latter before with sinus infection - have been taken pseudofed and Astropro for the sinus congestion and dizziness) Day 2: Urethral discomfort, blood still detected; cramping/pain in back just under the rib - both sides; no more loose stools, but nausea and dizziness continues; see NP in Internist office who orders urine dipstick and urine culture; prescribes Cipro under the assumption that I have a UTI; because of back pain, orders abdominal CT w/o contrast; I take 1 dose Cipro at night Day 3: Symptoms with urinary tract appear alleviated, though back discomfort continues; continue Cipro; start period? Day 4: Start period? attribute back pain to menstrual cramping Day 6: See Urologist on suggestion of my retired General Surgeon father; Urologist asks questions but doesn t physically check me; calls in results from urine culture and reports that nothing was detected so she is concerned about kidney stones; did do a urine test, blood detected, but at the tail end of period so means nothing; changes my abdominal CT to w/ and w/o contrast; tells me to stop taking Cipro because it is not doing anything Day 8 (exactly 1 week after symptoms began): do abdominal CT w/ and w/o contrast Day 9: NP receives results: abdominal CT does not detect kidney stones nor anything unusual with the urinary tract , though does detect a 1.6 cm cyst within the left ovary (which is where the more pronounced pain is felt); recommendation is to see OB/GYN regarding further exploration; called OB and nurse for ultrasound appointment; received urine culture results directly which states: Polymicrobes detected consistent with urethral flora and/or colonizing bacteria . Apparently, it was a nonspecific test, but appears I did, in fact, have a UTI. I resume the Cipro after a 3 day hiatus on the recommendation of the Urologist! Day 10: Coincidentally, UTI symptoms reappear with burning urination and discomfort, but no visible blood detected; frequent defecation and loose stool again accompanies symptoms; back discomfort continues, in addition to intermittent nausea What the hell is going on????!!!! There appears to be at least 3 different organ systems involved.