Recently Diagnosed

[shelby1983]

Hello there, I'm new to forums so apologies if I get things wrong. I have just been diagnosed with TB from a sputum test, due to start treatment Tuesday, but I do not seem to be anywhere near as ill as many of the cases I have read about. Could they have got it wrong? Is it possible I could go Tuesday and be told it was an error in the results? Many thanks in advance for any advice!

[Soul01]

Hi Shelby. I didn’t have the classic symptoms and most tests gave negative results. Talk it through with the team on Tuesday and ask them to explain why they believe you have TB and how they made the diagnosis. It is very important to have information and to understand what is going on.

[shelby1983 in reply to Soul01]

Thank you so much Soul for your reply, I work so much better when I have information, , I'm a massive reader of facts, so I'm really struggling to patiently wait for more progress. I am trying not to panic and understand it is treatable, but I feel I am in limbo at mo. Your reply is much appreciated as I am in a real isolated place currently, yet also feel I do not deserve the sympathy that the terribly ill people on this forum DO deserve. Thank you for you for being sensible AND kind x

[hottchoc]

Hi Shelby, you must not think your any less important than anyone else. This is a wonderful opportunity finding HealthUnlocked because you will always have support from those who understand. We all need to be listened to, big or small problems it’s never too much to say how you feel. You will not be judged. The wait is horrible, but then everything about TB is. But you must never think your alone. Let us know how you get on xxx

[shelby1983 in reply to hottchoc]

Thank you so much, reading everyone's replies has been a big help. Especially after the postman has been this morning and STILL no letter from the clinic confirming Tuesday's appointment My surgery is shut today but I will have to ring them first thing Monday morning I think and ask if they can tell me where I'm going, what time etc. I am terrible at waiting, thank you so much for your kind support xxx

[SadieR]

Hi Shelby1983.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions to provide the reassurance you need. TB treatment is a long commitment so you need to be able to make sense of what is being asked of you & trust what you’re being told. It’s not unreasonable to have questions.

Positively if the sputum sample is to be believed & you do have TB don’t feel bad that you’re not as ill as a lot of other people, it is good that you have a diagnosis & have been caught early. So often this is not the case & hence people end up with long term damage.

Hope your next appointment goes ok & you’re able to get what you want out of it. Let us know how you get on x I

[shelby1983 in reply to SadieR]

Thank you so much Sadie, that does make me feel a lot better as my initial chest xray came back clear so hopefully that means I don't have a lot of damage as scarring would show up surely wouldn't it? I have already found out that two of my neighbours had TB when they were kids in the 1950's and they survived on the basic medicines they had back then, so I should be reassured by that. I got some leaflets in the post from the british lung foundation today that I can give to friends to read so they understand a bit more about it. I'm much better when I'm doing something rather than waiting! Thank you so much for your kind words and support, it's really appreciated xxxx

[SadieR]

That’s ok Shelby1983. It’s a horrible & confusing time for you, added with the fact that a lot of people think it’s a thing of the past. You then not only have to deal with it , try & understand it yourself but also have explain & reassure people around you. All this can become wearing & make you feel alone.

Yes I am sure if it was more advanced you would certainly have evidence of that on a chest X-ray so that is very reassuring.

I had latent TB through screening at work because a colleague had active TB. Unfortunately her disease was undiagnosed over a long time. She’d had a persistent cough, numerous visits to her GP & many antibiotics, some of which where just constantly repeated. She was left with significant damage to her lung.

It is hard but it sounds like you’ve been caught early & take heart that it can be treated very successfully & you are not alone there are people who understand exactly what you’re going through.

Many best wishes to you x

[shelby1983]

I am leaving a general update here for all who have kindly responded to me since my first post, I hope I'm doing it right. I have now seen my TB consultant and the nursing team who are going to be looking after me - all credit to them as they were absolutely amazing. I spent almost 2 hours with them having my eyes tested, bloods taken & things explained. Can I just say ALL the advice I received on here was spot on and corroborated by the team - thank you to all!I hope this provides reassurance to anyone else using this forum that you are accessing a well informed, empathetic and experienced group. I have taken my first lot of treatment this morning, nervous about the side effects but just desperate to get well. A huge thank you to everyone who responded and hope it's okay if I post another topic shortly for some additional help/advice?

[Deniseelk]

I assume they diagnosed active TB as you mention not feeling as unwell as others? What antibiotic have they prescribed and for how long? How are you getting on with them so far?