The Tuberculosis Journey Part 1

I've not written anything here for a very long time. I have been hit by a writer's block, perhaps.So let's start writing. This shall be the start of the Tuberculosis (TB) journey.

I have been coughing since (if I could remember exactly) I would say 22nd May. It started as a dry cough. The dry cough went on for about two weeks and suddenly I started to cough out phlegm on the third week on 6th June. That was good. Having the phlegm was good because a dry cough is just irritating. It was a terrible week because I was having an exam that week!!

On the fourth week, the cough went violent and I began to have barking cough. Yea, barking like a dog while I'm coughing. What am I suffering from, I wonder.

This went on until 8th July when the cough began to subside, strangely. But the cough came back on 14th July, strangely again. So, the cough continues until today.

Starting August, my phlegm turns yellow and bloody, and I started to get slight fever now and then. This is the typical symptoms of TB. The one common symptom that I don't have is night sweats, where you will sweat profusely while you are sleeping to the extent that the bedsheet will be soaked with your sweat. Thankfully I don't suffer from that.

I went to see a general practitioner on 4th August and doctor told me it could be TB based on the chest x-ray I took. My heart sank...blooob. TB is an incurable disease until the 1940s when scientists discovered some antibiotics which could kill the TB bacteria.

I took the Tuberculin skin test on 6th August and the result was negative. I don't know why. My sputum samples were negative as well. Perhaps, the samples were weak.

I was referred to a specialist to the General Hospital and I went to see him on 12th August. He also suspected it is TB. I took the blood test on that day and I hate blood test very much! It is painful!....even though for 20 seconds.

So now I'm waiting for the results of the blood test. I hope it is positive so that I can start taking the medicines and get it done with this TB.

If it is negative....sigh...what could it be then? Then I have to take more test and that certainly sucks.

I hope I could get well again or I risk my gf running away from me because I keep falling sick.
I felt bad too that I couldn't celebrate her birthday because I'm not feeling well to hang out with her. I also get worried so much not for myself but for her, whether I have infected her.

I hope by this Thursday, the blood results will be out. I will wait.

Part 2 coming soon...