TB Survivor Report: 3.5 Years After Onset of Symptoms (Page 1)

Hello Everyone.

I wanted to write this report for all of you who 1) suspect that they have TB, 2) have decided and are undergoing treatment, 3) have completed treatment and are recuperating, and, 4) some time after treatment, wonder if what they're feeling post-treatment is normal or not.

The report's goal is to provide information, encouragement, and hope

For reference, in 2008 I was 54 years old when I had active TB (when the TB bacteria, which I probably harbored for many years, finally overcame my immune system). My Body Mass Index was perfect; I wasn't taking any required medication and didn't smoke or take alcohol. I was physically active, had regular exercise, but had a high-stress job and was getting just 5-6 hours of sleep each night.

Here's my report:

1) 3.5 years ago (May/June 2008), I started having a feeling of malaise (like a very mild flu) and my voice was hoarse almost every morning when waking up. I didn't feel like biking and running, my regular weekly exercises. I felt mildly sick, but still able to work. I had a fever-like sensation most afternoons lasting about 3-4 hours. I began coughing - although not constantly and with some phlegm but no blood - around September, 3 months after the malaise condition. My doctor, if I remember correctly, believed my symptoms weren't alarming enough for a chest x-ray and the rest of the TB/pulmonary diagnostic routine but prescribed antibiotics. The antibiotics made me feel a little better but didn't restore my previous health.

2) After tolerating my off/on health condition for 4 months, which by then had deteriorated to feeling weak and having blood streaks in my phlegm, I decided to get a total pulmonary exam (x-ray, breath volume, bronchoscopy/biopsy). The bronchoscop/biopsy finally revealed the presence of TB bacteria in my right lung. The doctors immediately sent me to the Department of Health for treatment.

3) My regimen was the full TB treatment cocktail every day for 6 months. I never failed with this regimen (I didn't want to die!), which was helped along by the Department of Health requiring me to show up every day at their clinic for the entire period.

4) What I felt during the 6-month treatment: The sense of healing (i.e. disappearance of cough, fever-like sensation in the afternoons, and malaise) was very, very slow. It almost felt like I wasn't getting better. In retrospect, I realize now that the rate of TB overcoming the body is similar to the rate of the body overcoming the TB (slow to get sick, slow to get well). So, patience and faith that one will get well are crucial during the treatment stage.

5) The fever-like sensation in the afternoons persisted after treatment up to - unbelievably - 3 years after treatment. While I felt good enough to resume exercise after treatment, I was having the pseudo-fever about 4 out of 7 days. I considered taking antibiotics thinking that maybe "there's some straggling TB bacteria remaining" but really, all those germs were exterminated during the treatment. I believe now that the post-treatment symptoms are really from TB-damaged tissues that the body is trying to heal. You've probably read that TB is a "tissue- and cell-consuming disease."

6) After treatment, I decided to dive back fully into exercise and...under the sun. Prior to my TB becoming active, I remember not having enough sunlight. I was running and biking but those activities amounted to 90 minutes/week at most. Post-treatment, what I noticed was that I wouldn't experience any fever or malaise while under the sun, exercising. Maybe the physical effort is masking the symptoms, but I would feel better all the time while being physically active. So I began spending more time absorbing sunlight.

7) Diet: before undergoing full diagnostics and treatment, I thought that eating more nutritious food will help me fight my unknown sickness. I gained some weight (I wasn't really losing any during the disease) but didn't get any better. Certainly, a TB patient shouldn't starve, but it's important to eat smart (vegetables, minimal preservatives in food, etc.), not more. I've been a healthy eater anyway, so this wasn't a problem.

8.) 3.5 years after: I think today I can declare myself 98% free of TB symptoms. I've not taken any TB medication since the end of the formal treatment, have eaten well and exercised regularly, having been sleeping at least 8 hours/night, and gotten sufficient sun exposure. I'm turning 58 this month, and I feel very good. I still clear my throat every now and then of phlegm, and have some evening headaches, but other than those discomforts, I think I've got a good number of years ahead.

9) Reflection: I now realize that, without treatment, TB would have killed me. I'm almost certain of that. Just as important, I realize that I ignored the work/life balance where I over-stressed the importance of work and making money that I disregarded the other more important aspects of life. Faith has a lot to do with my recovery, in the sense that if I had been true to my faith, I would've taken at least one day of complete rest and rejuvenation per week. I'm following that very faithfully now. Also, mental stress affects physical health so again, it's critical to understand the intended meaning of life (work to live or live to work?/pursuit of love, peace, & harmony/etc.)

10) Final message at this stage: active TB is a fatal disease. If you have the least suspicion that you have it, seek treatment and religiously follow it. Reassess your life priorities and pursue balance. You WILL get well. You CAN live a more meaningful and fulfilling life after treatment. Be optimistic, positive, and spiritual, but combine these behaviors with professional medical treatment

Wishing everyone a better life after TB!

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