What if an Uti Happens Again Shortly After Occuring Once

Recurrent urinary tract infections were once a focal point the balance of my life revolved around. For a time, my UTI feet was such that I feared I would never return to what I had previously considered normal.

"When I look dorsum at my feel with recurrent urinary tract infections, I have flashbacks of traumatic moments followed by lingering anxiety about when the next one would hit me."

Was it possible to overcome constant UTIs and yeast infections? It took me around five years to find out that yes, I could. But to recover, I had to address a few primary areas of my health.

Leap To Section:

• How My Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Began >>>>
• Recurrent UTI: The Highlights Reel >>>>
• Diet and Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections >>>>
• How Standard UTI Testing Failed Me >>>>
• Hormones, UTIs And Yeast Infections >>>>
• My Recurrent UTI Treatment Regimen >>>>

How My UTI Story Applies To You lot

Although I recovered from recurrent urinary tract infections to the indicate where I no longer had to accept medication or supplements to manage my symptoms (they were completely gone), this isn't a story about a miracle cure.

There is rarely such a matter when it comes to recurrent UTI. I promise I volition provide more insight into what worked for me, but I do want to say this:

Thinking one person'due south approach will work for everyone else is like saying you've found a single pair of jeans that fits anybody perfectly.

But earlier you spring to the side by side web log post promising a 24 hour cure, I'll tell you why this story may apply to you. It'due south almost finding the root cause of your recurrent UTIs, and addressing it.

Just by addressing the root cause of frequent UTIs can yous hope to break the bike of symptoms and treatment. Breaking the cycle will likely mean sacrifices, and this is a story virtually permanent change for the better.

If there is one piece of advice I will freely give to other recurrent UTI sufferers, information technology'due south that knowledge is the key to recovery.

Learn everything yous tin about why UTIs can become recurrent, other causes of lower urinary tract symptoms, and how your overall health can preclude yous from getting well. Hopefully, my story will help.

My First UTI Gave No Hint Of The Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Ahead

If I could start this process again I would do it differently.

I had my offset UTI at 23. The after-hours doctor asked, 'Are you certain y'all don't have your flow?' – clearly unaware of the danger created by patronizing a female in the midst of a UTI.

I managed to stay calm and suppress the urge to antiphon, 'You think I can't tell the difference betwixt my period and blood coming out of my urethra??' (But seriously, really?).

All I wanted was something to fix the pain, and for him to leave my sight immediately. He delivered in both respects.

The antibiotics worked inside a few hours and I never thought nigh information technology over again… Until nine years later.

As information technology turns out, I was really good at getting UTIs. If getting UTIs was a desirable skill, I nailed that skill for 5 years, with barely a suspension.

How My Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Began

I was going through a stressful human relationship breakdown, and selling my business, and was completely run down.

I was still exercising daily, and had a fairly salubrious vegetarian nutrition, but stress took its toll.

The UTI hit me fast. The pain was just as intense as I remembered, but I didn't panic quite as much as the first time. I knew I'd get antibiotics when I showed up at the emergency room.

Plus, I didn't have time to think about information technology. Life was way also hectic for me to put extra energy towards my health.

Just as with my first UTI, the antibiotics worked and I dismissed it. But the symptoms crept back. A month later I was at a friend's farm when information technology got and then bad I had to brand a run for the hospital.

Driving more an hour was besides much for me and I concluded up squatting on the side of a dangerous road in the dark more than once.

"Recurrent urinary tract infections had officially become a role of my life, though I had no idea of this at time."

The thing is, when it offset hits you lot, information technology'south out of the blue, and you never imagine this is going to be your life now. You take antibiotics, information technology goes abroad, you're generally healthy, so chances are it was but an anomaly.

Is Information technology My Fault That I Keep Getting UTIs?

Even the second or tertiary time you get a UTI it tin seem like a bit of a coincidence. The words 'recurrent urinary tract infections' don't really register at this phase. You figure you merely haven't been sleeping enough.

Or maybe you've been fighting a virus and your immune system is just having a crude time.

Denial is probably the virtually accurate word for this stage. I was simply and then certain the antibiotics would work every fourth dimension. Even though they didn't.

Selling my business organisation and packing up my life for a motility overseas was my priority, and the frequent trips to the medico for antibiotics were more of a nuisance than crusade for concern.

"I idea I was beingness responsible when I asked my doc for antibiotics to take abroad with me 'in example I got another UTI'. That optimism is almost laughable at present."

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: The Highlights Reel

A trip to the UK resulted in a UTI the day before my 30 hour flight home to Australia. Flying with a UTI was my worst nightmare.

I managed to go a single dose antibiotic from a walk-in clinic, but was still cracking sweats by the time I got to the drome.

Armed with copious amounts of water, I requested an aisle seat, and proceeded to drink fluids nonstop. I was using the bathroom every 20 minutes, similar clockwork, and by the time I landed for my stopover in Hong Kong thirteen hours later on, I actually idea I was on top of it.

How wrong I was. I boarded my flight for Sydney, and over the next 10 hours descended into fevers, chills, shakes and a little delirium.

At Sydney aerodrome I missed my onward flight to Melbourne and bankrupt downwardly at the customer service desk. I barely think stowing my pocketbook in a locker and wandering effectually looking for help.

Fortunately, I was able to observe the airport doctor, who prescribed antibiotics and anti-nausea pills. He assured me I needed them, and he was right. Within the next thirty minutes I was on the verge of throwing up – a new symptom of UTI for me.

I had forfeited my flight, but I didn't care. I somewhen fabricated information technology abode to Melbourne, a full 35 hours later on the start of my journey, where I passed out for twenty hours. My body was defeated.

When UTIs Get A System For Measuring Time

"My life started to become broken into modules, based on UTIs."

Like, 'Which trip was that? Oh the one where I had the UTI when we were camping and I had to go on going outside in the common cold to pee well-nigh that weird herd of sheep.'

Or, 'Was that March or Apr? It must have been March, because I had that UTI at the same fourth dimension as food poisoning and it was my sister's altogether and I had to call her betwixt vomiting and peeing blood.'

I know information technology'southward gruesome, but that'south exactly what I desire to illustrate. Merely how recurrent urinary tract infections can go an everyday thing. Fifty-fifty though they hurt only as much, every single time and can be truly debilitating.

Could I Fight UTIs Without Antibiotics?

Three or four UTIs later I was living in a village in Greece. And when I say hamlet, imagine a handful of houses on a hillside by the sea, hours from the nearest hospital.

And when I say houses, imagine a tiny, lovely, concrete box, with an outdoor bathroom beside an olive tree. It was a truly astonishing experience, and I loved every minute of it – between UTIs.

I saturday on the toilet in that outdoor bathroom for a few hours at a time, debating whether to take the antibiotics I had brought with me. I contemplated whether my kidneys were actually disintegrating and coming out through my urethra.

Recurrent urinary tract infections tin can be terrifying. But once I'd had half a dozen, I became dubious about the antibiotics. I looked for answers to questions like, 'Can yous care for a UTI without antibiotics?'

Maybe my body needed to fight this on its own to become better? Or peradventure I would die in a remote village and my parents would have to expatriate my body.

Does Blood In My Urine Mean I Have A Kidney Infection?

The net told me if there was claret in my urine, my kidneys were affected and I HAD to take antibiotics. So I took them.

I didn't die in a niggling village in the middle of nowhere and I didn't even tell my parents how close they had come to organizing an international funeral.

I was alive, but I wasn't well.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Hindsight Tip #1:

I subsequently discovered that blood in your urine doesn't always hateful your kidneys are involved. For many people I've spoken with, that's just a typical symptom of a float infection. And no doctor I saw was ever concerned nigh my kidneys.

UTI symptoms are different for everybody, and symptoms you lot call back are a UTI may actually be caused by something else entirely. Learn more than almost UTI symptoms and what causes UTIs. Information technology pays to document all your symptoms, and discuss them with a doctor.

Recurrent UTI And Constant Yeast Infections

Frequent antibiotic use came with other side effects. The nearly obvious was yeast infections. Although this was a less painful experience than the UTIs, it was an even more than constant companion.

Each time I took antibiotics, I would need to use over the counter antifungals. These would relieve the symptoms just long enough for the next UTI to accept concur. This of course meant more antibiotics, and so more antifungals.

Then more than antibiotics, then more antifungals… You get the movie.

Information technology felt every bit though I was never not taking something. I felt completely out of control of the state of my body. I had no confidence in its power to find a better residue.

The antibiotics and antifungals had destroyed any semblance of a healthy microbiome in all areas, including my digestive tract.

Eventually the effectiveness of the antibiotics and antifungals lessened, and I would have just a few hours respite before the UTI and yeast infections would return.

"My UTI symptoms became constant at this point. I virtually had not a single moment where I wasn't aware of discomfort in my urinary tract. And discomfort is generally putting it lightly."

I began to find a link betwixt digestive symptoms, yeast related symptoms and the frequency of UTI flare ups. There was hardly a moment that I felt symptom free. I'd had enough, and I decided to take what felt like drastic activity.

Nutrition And Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

I researched Candida (yeast), and quickly cut all candy saccharide, fruits and grains from my diet. I was running and swimming every day, and avoided alcohol.

My digestive symptoms subsided somewhat, but the abiding yeast infections and UTIs even so plagued me.

After 3 months in Greece it was time to move to Berlin. While packing my bags, I made sure to take those UTIs with me…

I became acquainted with the German healthcare arrangement pretty quickly. This meant finding a doctor who was willing to requite me antibiotics whenever I got a UTI, and an extra prescription and so I could cocky-administrate them next fourth dimension.

He also sent my urine to a lab a number of times (I lost count). Every time we'd get the results information technology would evidence raised leukocyte (white blood cells) levels, and 'insignificant' levels of leaner or 'contagion', just generally nothing to study.

"According to the lab, I didn't take a UTI. According to what I knew virtually my own body, I did, and information technology would non become away."

The one affair the lab could easily place was an overgrowth of vaginal yeast. Past this stage, my digestive symptoms had returned to 24 hour a day abdominal hurting. I had this low downwardly, solid abdominal bloating that would not subside.

So I further restricted my diet. I transitioned from vegetarian to vegan, and implemented an intermittent fasting approach.

I maintained this for the next 9 months, and slowly, my body transformed from bloated, painful and symptomatic, to lean, strong, and gratuitous of digestive problems. Still still, the UTIs and yeast infections remained.

How Standard UTI Testing Failed Me

I started researching and bringing information to my doctor well-nigh other organisms I wanted to exam my urine for. He was happy to comply. He didn't know what else to do to help me. Significantly though, he did believe that I had an infection.

Still the results were unhelpful. Specific organisms were non found. But other signs of infection were.

Past this fourth dimension, I was around 3 years in. I was really starting to lose my patience and my sanity. I tried different doctors. Same deal. They did tests. And while they were too certain I had an infection, they didn't know what was causing information technology.

I was completely uninformed about testing, and why it wasn't helping me figure this out.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Hindsight Tip #2:

I've since learned that standard UTI testing is very inaccurate. Many studies have proven that standard urine culturing techniques fail to place infection in at least 50% of cases.

If you accept received inconclusive or negative examination results despite your symptoms, or if your handling does not seem to work equally it should, inaccurate testing could be the consequence.

I encourage you lot to larn more about this issue, so you can take command of the state of affairs and seek improve care.

There are seven primary reasons your UTI test results could be incorrect, and I've laid all these out for yous (follow the link above), along with what you tin do about it.

I Refused To Have UTIs As My Future

It'southward not in my nature to learn to deal with something that I know shouldn't exist. There is no way my body is built to crumble at the first hint of sex, or fatigue, or dehydration. I've always been stronger than that.

I'thou pretty adept at knowing exactly what is happening in my body and when. I've accurately diagnosed myself with injuries that accept taken years to bear witness up in scans. I'grand my very own body whisperer.

So when this happened, information technology was a virtual kick in the guts, or more specifically, the bladder.

"Getting a UTI every few weeks or months doesn't requite you much breathing room to feel human. To get things done."

There is a abiding shadow hanging over y'all. Restaurant and bar reconnaissance isn't about people anymore. Information technology'southward well-nigh toilets. You learn to scope out any venue for its bathrooms. At any given moment, I could tell you where the nearest public toilet was.

I never went anywhere without a remedy in my handbag. For me, that meant carrying antibiotics 24 hours a day.

Vacation planning came with underlying anxiety, and relationships – don't even get me started on how recurrent urinary tract infections impact those.

Also tardily… I'm on a ringlet.

UTI Later on Sex

Sex becomes a source of feet. You're constantly calculating the probability of getting a UTI each time. Talk about a buzz kill.

Then afterwards, you do your best to leave it a respectable amount of fourth dimension before you bound up and head to the bath to flush your urinary tract. Mail-sex contented snuggling is NOT a thing when yous take recurrent UTIs.

I'm terrified now to retrieve how close I came to giving up. I'thou not even sure what that would accept meant. UTIs forever? With each episode a little sooner than last time?

"One doctor suggested I 'might just have irritable float or Interstitial Cystitis'. Such a throwaway comment, similar it's a minor nuisance or only ane of those things."

I knew that in their listen that was a life judgement, and I refused to take information technology.Information technology was a wake up telephone call.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Retrospect Tip #3:

It's impossible for every practitioner to stay up to appointment with all the research on recurrent UTIs. If you feel that your doctor is unable to help you, you should feel comfy looking for another doctor.

If yous've received a diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis or have been told that yous are just prone to UTIs, nonetheless yous're certain y'all should exist able to become well, find a practitioner who can help you on that journey.

Learn about dissimilar approaches to recurrent UTI treatment, and read about i practitioner'southward approach to chronic UTI and Interstitial Cystitis and more than almost Interstitial Cystitis testing.

I Stopped Taking Antibiotics For Recurrent UTI

I had tried every UTI home remedy I could find. Zilch helped.

I'd been fighting this for 3.five years. Keeping my life together and keeping upwards appearances. I even managed to travel to the Balkans to volunteer for a few months.

Sarajevo was the turning betoken. I like to think of it equally the final borderland.

I got a UTI that never went away. The symptoms stayed with me despite taking a longer form of two unlike types of strong antibiotics. These were prescribed to me as a 'last resort.'

"Without finding out what was causing my UTI, I knew there was little chance of finding the right antibiotic and I wasn't willing to proceed taking them without being better informed."

My body was suffering. It had become sensitive to everything.

I would become itchy daily, still had yeast infections constantly, and my contraceptive pill had ceased to control my cycle. I felt similar a complete mess.

Then I stopped taking antibiotics.

For me this was like taking a deep breath and jumping from a cliff into the body of water, without knowing if I could really swim.

Hormones, UTIs And Yeast Infections

I also stopped taking the contraceptive pill, forever.

This is emphasized because quitting the pill felt momentous at the time. I had been on the pill since I was 16. Not for contraception and then, but considering I had periods so heavy I ended up severely anemic and required treatment.

After, the pill became convenient for other reasons. I didn't desire to worry about irregular, heavy periods, but I also didn't desire to become pregnant, and so the pill allowed me to live a life fairly costless from those concerns.

My problems with the pill started effectually the same time equally my recurrent urinary tract infections. The antibiotics I was taking meant my gut and vaginal flora took a serious hit. Despite being on the pill, my wheel had get unpredictable.

A gynecologist I saw suggested the pill I was on just wasn't right for me and prescribed me some other, then another. They didn't assistance, and my unpredictable cycles continued.

Soon, I began suffering from skin sensitivities and itchiness that drove me crazy.

A Doctor That Helped Me Turn Things Effectually

By some miracle, I was given an appointment with a trainee doctor in Berlin who identified the peel symptoms as function of a bigger problem – a possible Candida overgrowth – aggravated by my frequent antibody utilize and the estrogen in my contraceptive pill.

Not just did my new doctor believe yeast may accept been at the eye of these symptoms, she too suspected it was causing my urinary symptoms. Testing confirmed that Candida was an effect in both my gut and vaginal microbiomes.

She managed to convince me, by sharing her own experiences, to go off the pill. This was terrifying to me at the fourth dimension. I imagined the heavy periods returning, and all that came with that, including the possibility of babies.

"Simply I was done making excuses for myself. I was ready to have command of my health."

The decision to stop taking medications seemed counterintuitive, but I was ready to try a unlike approach.

I needn't accept worried. The process of changing my diet, and the other measures I've mentioned beneath, resulted in a super regular and near symptom-free menstrual bike.

UPDATE: Although I felt the need to terminate using antibiotics when I was recovering, I'yard not confronting using antibiotics and I have seen through our community that antibiotics can indeed be the right solution for many.

My Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Treatment Regimen

"I didn't realize at the time that this was the showtime of my recovery. My regimen took me to a place where I no longer had any symptoms. I was able to stop taking supplements on a daily basis. It wasn't most managing my symptoms anymore, they were just gone."

I was basically back at square 1 and I wanted a fresh get-go. I wanted more information; everything I could get my hands on. I started with a range of claret tests to bank check my general health.

I discovered I was quite low in a few essential vitamins and minerals. In speaking with clinicians I have learned this is very mutual in people who accept been fighting long term chronic infection.

First, I began to have a range of supplements targeting my deficiencies. Then I created a regimen of stiff herbal antifungals and antibacterials based on the advice of my new doctor.

These were teamed up with oral and vaginal probiotics that contained probiotic strains showing promise for urinary tract and vaginal health.

I had tried all of these separately (minus the vitamins and minerals) after reading studies about each of them. But I had never tried them together, or with a plan and a timeframe in listen.

I started my new regimen.

UPDATE 2020: I've received so many requests to provide more information about my own regimen, then I've put together a list of products I used and the lifestyle changes I made. I don't share all of this publicly hither because this site is most sharing factual information and experience, not selling products. I prefer to share more detail virtually the total listing of changes I made, via email, so we tin can discuss. If you would like more information on this, wait for the green box at the end of my story that says 'Receive More Information About My Approach ' and share your proper name and electronic mail address there (not in the comments).

Why Tracking Your Symptoms Can Help

Now, I don't know most y'all, merely I love a good spreadsheet. And information technology's amazing how much more fulfilling a health regimen can exist when y'all plot information technology out, then mark off your progress daily. Feels and so goooood.

I downloaded a counter on my phone to rails how many days since my concluding UTI – at the very least I would see how long I could last between episodes.

Every morning I woke up and looked at my counter. After 30 days I started to feel my first blink of hope. I was still getting twinges and minor symptoms, but cipher I couldn't handle.

My first milestone came effectually that fourth dimension, when I went hiking with my partner. Without a map, without a compass, and without enough water. We got lost. Nosotros were out there for 10 hours and I was dehydrated.

Merely I didn't get a UTI. And I didn't fifty-fifty think virtually information technology until I was abode rubber once again. That alone blew my mind. This affair that had been my focus for 4 years had somehow become an afterthought.

The counter kept going upward. 45 days, 60 days, xc days since a UTI. I suddenly felt similar declaring myself officially healed of recurrent UTIs at the six month point might not be so far-fetched.

Former, around three months in, I had a relapse of symptoms and upped some elements of my regimen in response. That UTI never happened and my count remained intact.

Half-dozen months came and went and I set up my sights on a yr UTI free.

Amazingly, my UTI regimen likewise cleared upward my yeast infections. Four years after, I've not had even the slightest hint of one returning.

UPDATE 2020: It's nigh exactly v years since my symptoms resolved and I've just completed some other round of follow upwardly testing. Both my gut and vaginal microbiome tests came dorsum with lower than detectable levels of Candida, meaning no Candida was found.

Leaving UTI Anxiety Behind

Out of fear, leftover antibiotics had get a permanent feature in my bag. If I changed numberless, the antibiotics came with me. I never opened them, but they were my psychological backup.

"Around the nine calendar month mark I made the momentous determination to leave the antibiotics behind. It might sound overly dramatic, just violent up your safety coating and tossing information technology to the air current IS huge. I hadn't taken antibiotics in ix months, but I withal relied on their presence, psychologically speaking."

When I embarked on my healing regimen, I envisioned massive celebrations at the ane year mark, for I would then exist officially free of recurrent urinary tract infections. In reality, I had put UTIs so far behind me that information technology was almost a not-upshot.

I did take some celebratory drinks, with an accent on the fact I COULD drinkable alcohol without fearing a UTI.

How Am I Since Completing My UTI Recovery?

I nevertheless take that counter. At the time I write this, I am 625 days UTI free. But it's no longer of import. I keep it every bit a memento of what I went through, and what it took to get past it.

UPDATE 2020: My counter is now at 1701 days since I overcame my experience with chronic UTI. The regimen that I implemented at the beginning of this journey resulted in a long term 'remission' from UTIs. I say remission because I know it volition always be possible for me to get another UTI. My urinary tract isn't impervious to leaner, just as my sinus isn't impervious to a cold or flu. Simply, I was able to stop taking all the supplements I started, and proceed only with basic vitamins that proved essential due to my item nutrition. I take never again experienced the ongoing pain and symptoms I experienced then (affect wood). I practice take a story about food poisoning in Asia that led to urinary tract symptoms, only that'due south for some other time (and I'm fine now, in instance you were worried).

How Long Does It Accept To Heal From Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections?

In total, I had painful, recurrent urinary tract infections for more than four years. Many people I have spoken with have suffered for many more. The longer you accept experienced recurrent infection, the longer it may accept to heal.

Commitment to the process of healing is so important. It may take months or years of consequent treatment for y'all to feel truly recovered. Hopefully, along the way, your symptoms will continually improve, and you lot tin can take your life back.

For me, it took around 9 months from the moment I stopped antibiotics and the pill, and adopted my terminal regimen.

Recovering from recurrent UTI is not a finite procedure.

I know my bladder is non invincible. I know I could still get a UTI now, but as I e'er could. The difference is, I now understand better what contributed to my recurrent UTIs. I besides have the knowledge and resources to ensure I never once again reach the identify I was once in.

"UTIs no longer dominion my life. I no longer alive with the daily fear of a recurrence. I want to help others detect answers."

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Are More Mutual Than You Retrieve

Even after I broke the cycle of recurrent urinary tract infections, I never stopped researching.

I'd been full circle through wondering what was wrong with me, to wondering what was wrong with doctors, to being furious at notwithstanding another female person health issue disregarded past the healthcare manufacture, to wanting to do something nigh information technology.

And here we are. We created this website and so you wouldn't have to look and then far and broad for helpful data.

We've done our best to break recurrent UTI into the pieces of the puzzle you lot need to understand in social club to get well:

1. What causes urinary tract infections
2. How recurrent UTIs may be caused by chronic infection
3. Why your UTI test may exist negative, despite your symptoms
4. Recurrent UTI treatment approaches
5. UTI home remedies

Plus a whole range of other content to expand on the above.

You Are Not Alone. Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Are So Mutual.

Since launching our site, I've reached out to others who know what recurrent urinary tract infections feel like. They have had me in hysterics as they recounted their now funny UTI stories in an interview.

Catching the train for 45 minutes in UTI-induced agony just to then resort to peeing in the front garden with the key in the door. So close!

Or getting approached by the police force for suspicious behaviour resembling a drug deal, when all that was really happening was frantic clawing at a box of antibiotics. It turns out the police will back off quickly if they know a UTI is involved. (Read all about Juliet'due south tips for preventing UTIs later sex).

Then of form in that location is the infuriating side of this. The side that has left then many females feeling helpless.

The urologist whose best advice was that his own married woman drinks aloe vera juice to help with her recurrent urinary tract infections. What the?

The many doctors and specialists who have said in that location's zip we can exercise almost information technology, 'some women merely get recurrent urinary tract infections,' and 'it's but your plumbing.'

Inspired and frustrated by the similarities we heard from all these stories, nosotros started speaking to doctors, and researchers, and pieced together what we found.

Our aim is to provide the virtually consummate source of recurrent UTI and chronic cystitis information available. We're simply office of the way in that location, but we'll go on adding new enquiry as we find it.

We hope to lift others out of the murky waters of misinformation and empower them towards their own recovery.

You can help u.s. by sharing your story.

To become answers to usually asked questions nigh chronic and recurrent UTI, visit our FAQ page . Share your questions and comments beneath, or become in touch with our squad.

If yous'd like more than information nearly my feel, I can reply faster if you provide your proper noun and email address in the light-green 'Receive More Information About My Approach ' box below, rather than leaving a comment.

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Source: https://liveutifree.com/recurrent-urinary-tract-infections/

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