“The first sign that something was wrong came in the middle of my Matric year when I suddenly started getting chest pains. I didn’t make too much of it and subsequently finished my Matric year and started to look for a job. Early the following year I developed a really sore throat and bad cough, so I went to see my local doctor. He thought it was a bacterial infection, so he prescribed a course of antibiotics.
A month later I still wasn’t any better, so I returned to the doctor and they sent me to a local clinic for a chest X-ray. Two days later, on 7 June 2014, I got the phone call that changed my life. The clinic sister phoned to tell me that I had multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and that I had to come in for an injection and to collect my medication immediately.
'My TB treatment'
What followed was a lot of tablets and injections – I had to take 21 tablets every day and I had to go to the clinic for an injection every day for the first six months. Many people give up on their TB medication because it’s such a long process, and the side effects of the medication can be pretty bad. Often the medication made me vomit and then I’d have to go back to the clinic to get new tablets to replace those that I had lost.
Despite the bad side effects, I was really determined to take my medication every day. My dad died of TB because he stopped taking his medication and he also drank and smoked while he was on the medication. I was determined to get healthy again so that I could help to support my mother, who is my absolute rock. She stood by me every step of the way during the treatment and her positivity really helped me when I was ready to give up.
About halfway through my treatment, I suddenly started having black-outs. I was admitted to hospital and a brain scan showed that the TB had spread to my brain. The doctor then prescribed epilepsy medication, which I have to take for the rest of my life.
'I’m finally TB-free'
Because I was diagnosed with stage-2 MDR TB, my treatment continued for a very long time. I started taking medication on 7 June 2014, and I took my last tablets on 17 March 2016. I was very glad to say goodbye to those 21 tablets every day. The only tablets I take now are two epilepsy pills every day.
My advice to others who are diagnosed with TB is to surround yourself with positive people – you’ll need all the support you can get. And stick to your medication – no matter what. It’s the only way that you’ll get your health back.”
IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com