My Experience with Tuberculosis

I became inactive in class and rarely engaged in playing activities with other kids like I used to do. My teachers noticed my condition and informed my parents. My parents acted by putting me on cold and flu medication bought over the counter, but my health condition did not get any better. The cough persisted for several months, and it was until I started experiencing night sweats and weight loss that my parents suspected it was something dangerous. I was taken to the hospital, and the doctor conducted several tests until I was finally diagnosed with active tuberculosis. I also learned that in the future one should seek medical attention when experiencing coughing that lasts three or more weeks, loss in weight, night sweats, pain in the joints and loss of appetite.

My interaction with the doctor made me learn that TB is an airborne disease and population that easily contract the bacteria are individuals with compromised immune systems, HIV patients and young children. It is thus recommended that young children should be immunized with TB vaccination to prevent future contraction of the disease. Testing and Application: The experience I had with TB helped me to be in a better situation to help someone who has contracted the bacteria to prevent spreading the disease to others. I also planned to use my experience with TB to encourage others in their recovery journey that everything is going to be okay as long as they adhere to medication and the doctor’s instructions. My school had a massive population of over five hundred students and were particularly crowded in the school bus, social hall and playing ground.

Being children, we used to share candies, sodas and any drink or food that involved a little exchange of saliva making it easy for the spread of airborne diseases. Reflection: While I realized it was impossible to trace the chain of how I got TB. I understood that no one intends to contract the disease and it happens accidentally. I consoled myself that I was lucky since I had taken early treatment because chances of dying from TB if left untreated is usually high. I also learned that the disease mainly attacks the lungs but has the potential to spread to other parts of the body. I also discovered that TB was the leading cause of death in the US before the discovery of TB antibiotics in 1940.

After reviewing various journals about TB, I learned that some strain of MTB had developed resistance to TB antibiotics making the treatment to be difficult. From my experience with TB, I realized that the disease may cause severe damage to the lungs leading to severe coughing, difficulty in breathing and severe chest pain. In my research work, I also learned that not all people that are infected with TB bacteria would develop active tuberculosis. When diagnosed with TB it is usually important to tell the doctor people you might have contact with so that they can be traced and put into medication. Testing and Application: Discovering the bacteria that cause TB and its nature made me to be extra cautious next time when I realize any symptoms in my body that is associated with tuberculosis and I promise myself to seek immediate medical attention if the symptom persist.

I also learned that failing to take TB medication as instructed by the doctor may lead to Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to the drugs which in the end might lead to death. Subtopic 4 Describe appropriate methods for the prevention of a specific infectious disease Description of Concrete Experience: My experience on tuberculosis made me know the proper techniques to prevent infecting the illness to other people and in future to restrain myself from contracting TB. My first prevention action was to seek TB treatment to ensure that I am not in a state of infecting others. I was afraid of infecting my parents since I did not want them to go through the hardship I had gone through in fighting the disease.