New diagnosis and i am very scared.

[Laura007]

Im a 27 year old. I have always believed i have a weak immune system because i easily get flu. I am a student in china i recently went for a medical (i needed to change my visa). X-ray came out abnormal so they had me do the 3 days sputum test. I had a light cough, the air is very humid and hot so i sweat it just didnt cross my mind i could be sick. On the last day of the sputum test,i started feeling a pain on my back, i thought i slept wrong. I went to the hospital to get a second opinion while i wait for the sputum culture results that take 8 weeks. If positive. I think il be sent home. At the hospital the scan showed 2 holes in my lungs. The pain was also getting worse. They gave me antibiotics and i did tests. Blood test which came out positive, sputum smear which came out negative. Il be going back to the doctor because the antibiotics were only for a week. Im wondering if they can start the tb treatment because 8 weeks for the culture test is a long time and hospital bills are very expensive here. Im scared the holes will keep growing while we wait for 8 weeks. The doctor was talking about having me stay in the hospital. Initially she had said if it is tb il not be admitted il have to stay home and collect my treatment and if it is somethingelse then i have to stay in the hospital for 4 weeks. The first day they suspected that i had tb they ran around whispering to everyone that i have tb and to wear masks. I was mortified i cried. The air pollution here is bad. People around here just cough without covering their mouths. Im really sad. I felt okay till the last day of the first sputum test. My cough was so slight i struggled to even cough out enough sputum for tests on both occasions Now i have this tight pain in my chest, shoulder and back. Sometimes i wake up struggling to breathe im scared i could get worse before the results come out. On some days the pain is dull. I need someone to talk to, maybe hear from someone who also had a complicated diagnosis stage so they advise me on how to push to start treatment?

[HelenC Partner TB Alert]

Hi Laura007,

What an awful time this must be for you. TB is horrible in itself, but to be diagnosed far from home must be scary and lonely.

In the UK, it is usual to start TB treatment as soon as the doctors believe that you have TB - even before the results from the culture. This helps limit any damage TB can do and reduces any infection risk. The culture is looking for signs that the TB is resistant to the standard TB drugs. If you are found to have drug-resistance, the medication would be adjusted.

Are you in touch with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (or your home nation's equivalent)? They can support you to make sure you get the treatment and suport you need, liaising with your GP and experts in your home country. There is more information about this available here: gov.uk/government/publicati.... Your college or University should be able to help you too.

Best wishes,

Helen