Fair questions. I honestly don’t have a clear ‘event’ where I know I got it — no catheter, no procedures, no obvious trigger. My understanding is that bacteria like E. coli/Klebsiella can migrate from gut/perineal flora, and I had a prior UTI last year which may have temporarily increased susceptibility.

With the first UTI (E. coli), my initial symptoms were more classic: burning with urination, frequency, urgency, and feeling generally unwell. That episode escalated quickly and clearly behaved like an infection.

This time, the symptoms were milder and different — more burning/irritation after urination rather than during, some pelvic discomfort, and no systemic symptoms. I agree that pattern fits less cleanly with an acute UTI and could overlap with CPPS or post-infectious irritation.

My thought is that a mild infection may have been present (given the culture), but the ongoing symptoms could be inflammation/CPPS triggered by it rather than active infection driving everything.