When it was finally my turn to GO I was so relieved that I quickly shut the door behind me and proceeded to pull my miniskirt up and thong down. I was about to relieve myself after getting into a very uncomfortable hanging-in-the-air position when the door suddenly flung open and I was faced with a crowd of laughing spectators

In not having a lot of experience in porter-loo’s, I had no idea that you had to slide the latch to show red “OCCUPIED”. I wish I had my GoGirl that day. The joke would have been on them! HAHAHA!

Lychelle

Born This Weigh: My Weight Loss Journey, Fashion Loves and Life: GoGirl Female Urination Device {Pro

Thank you Tara!

http://www.nerd-news.com/2011/11/wtf-gadget-of-week.html

On the last Sunday that we were up there, we decided to go to the Kruger National Park since my husband had never been.

It was an amazing experience and I must admit, I appreciated it more as an adult.

We had 5 sightings of elephant and giraffe, 4 sightings of Kudu, and 24 sightings of Impala! We saw Waterbuck, common Duiker, Vervet monkeys and Buffalo twice.  We saw 4 hippos and 4 Zebra. We also saw Spotted Hyaena, slender mongoose, tree squirrel, Blue Wildebeest, Steenbok and a Lion.

My husband and I don’t know much about bird species but what we could identify was the Crested Barbet, Lilac-breasted Roller, Helmeted Guineafowl, Cape Glossy Starling, Hamerkop, Blacksmith Lapwing/Plover, Cape Turtle Dove, Crested Francolin, Grey Loerie, Martial Eagle, Southern White-crowned Shrike and a Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill.

Unfortunately we didn’t see any Rhino, Cheetah or Leopard. We narrowly missed the leopard when we got to the Skukuza camp.

I think that for a one-day trip we saw a lot.

I used my GoGirl twice on this trip and was grateful for having it in my handbag.

Elephant

Kudu

Giraffe

Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill

Waterbuck

Spotted Hyaena

]]> http://gogirlsa.co.za/our-trip-to-the-kruger/feed/ 0 http://gogirlsa.co.za/how-to-prevent-contracting-a-uti/ http://gogirlsa.co.za/how-to-prevent-contracting-a-uti/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:11:07 +0000 GoGirl http://gogirlsa.co.za/?p=440 WHAT IS UTI?

A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), commonly known as a bladder infection; is caused by bacteria that invade, multiply and attach to the inner lining tissue of the urinary tract system. The Urinary Tract includes the kidneys, bladder and urethra. Women are more susceptible to UTI since they have a shorter urinary tract than men.  About 50% of women will have at least one UTI in her lifetime. Many of those suffer from it chronically.

HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE UTI?

Similar to a lung and sinus infection, the tissue in the urinary tract becomes inflamed, irritated and swollen causing pain and partial obstruction to urine flow. Most UTI’s are not serious but they often cause severe symptoms such as pain/burning upon urination. The norm is to urinate around 6 times a day. When you have UTI you’ll have the urge to urinate frequently but despite that strong urge there will only be a small amount of urine being released, accompanied with a sharp, painful burning sensation in the bladder or urethra area. An uncomfortable pressure above the pubic bone, soreness in your lower back and sides can also be experienced as well as cloudy/milky or reddish urine. If you ever spot blood in your urine, contact your doctor immediately! If you experience these symptoms accompanied with a fever, your kidneys may be infected. Nausea and vomiting may also occur. Proper diagnosis is vital. The basis for diagnosing urinary tract infections is by the number of bacteria and white blood cells in a urine sample.

WHAT CAUSES UTI?

A common cause of urinary tract infections is waiting too long to urinate. Sexual intercourse is also a common cause. When you are pregnant, have menopause, diabetes or were prone to UTI as a child, you are likely to be more susceptible. If you squat over a public toilet or lavatory, your muscles are contracted and you bladder can’t relax completely, thus retaining some urine and ultimately causing a bladder infection.

HOW DO I TREAT UTI?

The cliché “Prevention is better than Cure” applies. Practice good personal hygiene. Using a GOGIRL will help in the prevention of contracting a UTI because it’s a very hygienic product made out of germ-resistant medical grade silicone. Using GOGIRL can also help clear up your UTI faster since your risk of recontamination will decrease. You could also use a probiotic to assist prevention. The key to treating a UTI is the removal of the bacteria from the urinary tract. This is usually done with a course of antibiotics. Drink plenty of fluids/water each day to help flush bacterium out of the urinary system.  You can take citro-soda, cranberry juice/extract and vitamin C, which make the urine acidic and help to reduce the number of potentially harmful bacteria.

Empty your bladder as soon as the urge to urinate occurs and make sure you empty your bladder completely. Using a GOGIRL will also come in handy here since the muscles around the bladder relaxes completely while in a standing position. Wear only panties with a cotton crotch, which allows moisture to escape.

Using my GoGirl at Cape Town International Airport

On my next trip I spent the first night at Zimbali Lodge, the second night in Scottburgh, which is just below Amanzimtoti, then two nights in Hilton, just outside of Pietermaritzburg.

We had such an amazing time at Cathedral Peak Hotel. Definitely want to go back there.

I used my GoGirl twice at the largest law firm in Africa, (in Durban).

We then spent a night in Blythedale, north of Ballito where my husband and Brandon Stewart had been invited to go deep-sea fishing on a high-powered fishing jet ski. The next morning we went to Cathedral Peak Hotel in the Drakensberg, where we spent 3 nights. I’d never been to the Drakensberg so was super excited about going.

The view from our room. You can see Cathedral Peak and the Bell.

After that I spent one more night in Hilton before heading back to Cape Town.

The highlight of the trip for me was the hike we did up Cathedral Peak. The hike is 19km with 1,5km of vertical ascent. You can’t do the hike on your own- you have to go with a guide. The estimated time for the hike is 8-9 hours. Normally people leave at 7am because if you don’t make it to a spot called Bugger’s Gully by 12:30, you have to turn around. They call it Bugger’s Gully because this is where most people get ‘buggered’ and turn around.

The highest point is Cathedral Peak, to the left is the Bell.

You have to carry your own food and water up (thanks to my husband for carrying it all!) because there is only one water-point, a fresh stream about 1 hour into the hike. When we got halfway up Bugger’s Gully our guide offered a break but we kept going. I was breathing like a fish out of water because I came from sea level to altitude. At the top of Bugger’s Gully we had a 10-min break to refuel before making the last trek to the summit. For the last section you have to do some rock-climbing and climb up a steel ladder. Our guide brought ropes but we didn’t use them.

Going up the last little section before summiting.

We made it to the summit, at 3005 meters by 11:20am. Our guide was impressed because he said that the last section usually takes people 2 hours and it only took us 1 hour. At that point I knew we could make a good time down. It’s faster going down than coming up. The only thing you need to be careful about is your knees and ankles. I asked our guide what sort of time he thought we would make and he estimated 7 hours. At that point I set a mental goal for myself to complete the hike in less than 6 hours. I asked my husband and the guide if we could run the contour sections on the way down, and so we did.

Summiting Cathedral Peak

Moses, our guide. He was awesome!

When we got to the bottom of the mountain it was 5:57hours. We still had a way to go so my guide offered a short cut but with a steep hill as an option. I took it and ran up the hill. When we got the point where we set off, the staff was waiting for us with our certificates and the time was 5 hours 58 mins and 30 secs. I was incredibly proud of myself because my knees were hurting, my legs were bucking and I had pulled a muscle in my foot.

Going down on the steel ladder

I think to start the day off; a must is breakfast in bed. Mom should just be able to sit back and relax with her feet up the whole day. No doing dishes, laundry or cooking food. Pamper her at home with a home day spa, a foot massage, and pedicure. Do her nails for her. It will mean more if you do it than if you were to take her somewhere.

Top 10 Inexpensive Gift Ideas

10- Chocolates. All women I know, love chocolates. Better yet, make mom the chocolates yourself. You will be sure to melt her heart.

9- Scented Candles

8- Pashmina Shawl

7- Hand-Made Card

6- Nice Smelling creams, shower gel and body butter (Clicks/Woolies/Body Shop)

5- Hand-Made Photo Frame. Here’s a tip: Buttons are high fashion at the moment.

4- Flowerpot. Instead of giving flowers that will wilt and die, why not give her a pot with her favorite flower plant that will live on and she can plant out into the garden is she likes. You can also decorate the pot itself with some mosaic tiles.

3- Hand-made Beaded Jewelry. The personalized touch is very special. I like the glass-beaded bracelets.

2- Personalized Jewelry Box

1- GoGirl

Top 10 Expensive Gift Ideas

10- iPad II in white

9- Swarovski Jewelry

8- Carlashes- Eyelashes for your car. You can contact: +2771 177 6632 or e-mail info@synergydistributions.co.za

7- Her favorite Perfume

6- Royal Inspired Jewelry

5- Chloe Handbag

4- Steve Madden shoes

3- Blue Nile Pearls

2- White Ceramic Fossil Watch

1- Custom Photobooks

This event has everything: 56km Ultra Marathon, 21km Half Marathon, 10km and 20km Trail Runs, Fun Runs, 300m Toddlers’ Trod and the cutest of them all, 56m Nappy Dash. It is sure to be a fun-filled day for the whole family.

Be sure to get your GoGirl beforehand if you haven’t already!

I enjoy running myself but I run for fun and to keep fit. The furthest distance I’ve ever run was 16,2km and it was at my first and last race- the Camel Run. I was intimidated to do it and would not enter out of my own but decided to participate in support of my girlfriend- mother of 3, career woman who has rheumatoid arthritis. I felt compelled to do it because if she could do it, I could too!

Perhaps I’ll enter the Two Oceans Half Marathon next year.

Today we are going to look at what your urine is indicating about your health.

Pale in colour/clear as water means you are well hydrated.

If your urine is ice-tea in colour it is an indication that you are dehydrated and that your kidneys are producing more concentrated urine.

If you drink a lot of water and the colour of your urine doesn’t lighten, go see your health practitioner because it could be actual blood higher up in the kidneys, an indication of an infection, kidney disease or even cancer.

If you smell something sugary sweet after you pee, there could be a presence of blood sugar being excreted in the urine. This could be a sign of diabetes.

Although it could be somewhat embarrassing, if your urine has a bit of a funky scent you probably have nothing to be worried about. Certain foods (asparagus being a culprit) produce a sulfur-containing amino acid.

Neon-coloured urine could seem quite scary but there is no need to be alarmed. As Dr. Deborah J. Lightner, associate professor of urology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. said: ”Don’t worry. That brightly colored urine means you’re simply pissing away all of your expensive supplements.” Beetroot can also cause your urine to have a bright red/pink colour. Always see your doctor if you spot blood in your urine.

If you find that you need to run to the bathroom more often, it could just be that you have increased your intake of H2O or are eating more foods with higher water content such as fruit and vegetables. Certain medications can also act as diuretics. More serious causes could be a urinary tract infection or you are just suffering from old age. Men on the other hand could be suffering from an enlarged prostate.

If you’re experiencing a burning sensation or pain when you pee, that is usually one of the first signs of a urinary tract infection.

As women, when we need to go we either need to go a little or we need to go a lot. When you need to go a little it is usually an indication that you are dehydrated. When you need to go a lot you need not worry since GoGirl will not overflow. It is made out of medical grade silicone, which forms a seal to your body and also has a splashguard.

Glass of water

In Japan it is known that most Japanese women are embarrassed at the thought of being heard in a public bathroom and would continually flush the toilet while using them to cancel out the sounds. After education campaigns didn’t stop the excessive flushing and wastage of up to 20 liters of water per use, a device was introduced in the 1980’s called the “Sound Princess” or Otohime, which produces the sound of water flushing similar to a toilet being flushed.

Nowadays it is common practice to install the Sound Princess in new public women’s restrooms and to upgrade old ones with the battery-operated device. It is activated by pressing a button or by the wave of a hand in front of a motion sensor.

It always amazes me how similar we are as humans. Even though we are from different cultural backgrounds- as women and as humans we are concerned about the same things.

Musical Toiletpaper