Drink Gatorade to stay hydrated, and make a doctor's appointment as soon as you can. (If it does turn out to be a kidney infection, you can't just wait it out -- you'll need antibiotics.)

[edit: And that's not to sound alarmist, just that I had chronically recurring kidney infections as a kid, and know just how very painful they are.]

If it does turn out to be a kidney infection, you can't just wait it out -- you'll need antibiotics.

Fuck. I was hoping that wouldn't be the case.

But I do thank you all for the advice.

Do you have any urgent care places near you, Nicole? Maybe you can get one of the aunts to drive you to it today, rather than having to deal with it tomorrow.

Nicole, see a doctor as soon as you possible can. Kidney infections are serious and not to be messed with.

My late father's final illness began with kidney failure. Some of what went wrong was due to treatment being delayed. Not to scare you, but don't wait to see the doctor. (Ummm just for the record it was not the kidney failure that killed him. It was the kidney failure that made him too sick to try the treatment that might have had a small chance of saving him.)

Oh ye of little faith.

This is my look of contrition.

Nicole, I'm usually pretty reluctant to see a doctor, but I think the analysis on this situation says: worst case scenario death, best case scenario cessation of pain.

As some who does have an insane family I will go out on the edge here and say that your family is insane PC.

I also have an insane, manipulative family, who truly believe they're acting in my best interest (rather than thinking "How can we fuck up her life TODAY? I know -- more guilt!"), and I also gotta go with the insane verdict. But, like mine, it's not malicious insanity; I have no doubt that your family is doing what they think is in your best interest.

Craxy Families R Us -- buy the t-shirt today!

Nicole, if it made it past the urinary tract and the bladder and is all the way to the kidneys, definitely see a doctor. AB's are the only way to get rid of it. My sister let a UTI go until it made it to her kidneys and almost had to go to the hospital.

PC, I'm sorry you're having such a rough time with your family. It's a hard line to walk and I know it's part emotional, part cultural. I hope you can set some appropriate boundaries for them and for your own sanity. A friend here has had a long relationship with an Indian guy and she's definitely not accepted by his family. He deals pretty well with them, though.

I have an urgent care near me but since I just paid the mortgage, I'm going to try to deal until tomorrow morning. I may regret that decision somewhere around 3am. (I'm actually regretting it *now* so I'm sure I'll regret it later.)

Besides, when I called Aunt J to see if she thought it sounded like a kidney infection, she re-hashed the time she had a fallopian tube cyst explode and lived until the next morning to go to the doctor. She's not feeling real sympathetic right now.

(Heh. I got to add to the Craxy Family conversation, too!)

(Heh. I got to add to the Craxy Family conversation, too!)

Yay! And...I wish for your increased health, Nicole.