My TB Story- A Self-Diagnosis gone wrong!

Today is March 24,  The World Tuberculosis Day.
TB is an ongoing epidemic that causes 9 million infections and 1.5 million deaths every year.
I am a TB survivor, and this is my story:

It started as a common cold in early July last year,coincidentally,at the onset of the July cold weather in Nairobi, fondly, or otherwise called the Nairobi Winter!
As usual,like with all other bouts of Flu, I, the Self-made Flu remedy expert got dowm to the business of 'treating' the cold,downing endless glasses of Warm lemon water,laced with honey,garlic and sometimes Cinnamon or Rosemary leaves.
A week of this taditional remedy didnt work, so I got myself to a pharmacy and asked for 'Dawa ya Homa'. A bottle of foul tasting cough syrup in hand and a few throat lozenges later, i managed to supress the cold,but just for a week.
Then the Coughing started.
I would spend my day in perfect health, but as the darkness crept over the City's skyline, so did the Bull dog on the inside of my lungs came alive.
The sheer sight of food would sent me into a coughing frenzy,so bad that I slowly developed a phobia for the kitchen,and plates for the next two weeks.
The once cold nights turned into nights of horror: hot as hell. That coupled with fevers that left me gasping for breath.
To say the least, sometimes I got so scared because I though I was fighting death.
And all this while, after trying all kinds of antibiotics and remedies, I never suspected TB to be the cause of my woes.
By the time I decided to go for TB screening, I had lost more than 25 pounds in three weeks, and I could not walk for a minute without being out of breath.
An X-ray to my lungs and two sputum tests confirmed the worst, I had contracted Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
As I sat in the doctor's office trying to come to terms  with the fact that I was a carrier of a highly infectious disease that could put my family at risk,and that my X-ray showed the lower part of my left lung as a blur, I was in full panic mode.
I was fresh out of Campus, ready to conquer the world: look for a job, or become a Volunteer,Graduate from the University ,become indipendent,save money, and start Graduate school.
But my dreams had to be put on hold.
For the next six months, I was to be under medication, reporting to the Clinic on a weekly basis to replenish my supply of TB drugs.
The Six months of Hell started in August.
Long Sweaty nights, Joint  pains that made me dread visiting the toilet and Cramps from hell!
All this,plus a crazy craving for food with a zero appetite was just the perfect combination.
I would spend my mornings walking around the house like a zombie,literally, trying to get my joints moving because I had this fear if I didn't move as much,I would wake up the following morning and my limbs would refuse to move!

Now, on this march day,
As I mark days 46 Days of being Disease free,
It has not been an easy journey.
I have developed a phobia for people with coughs,
And I am still vulnerable to Reinfection.
Yet,
I am so grateful to be not among the 1.5 million who unlike me,are not so lucky.

So many sacrifices have been made,
So many sleepless nights,
So many people have had to keep worrying ,
So many prayers said,
So many tears shed in the silent of the night when the pain was unbearable.
But with all of that,
I have experienced a Love that I did not know existed,
And learned to bend in the winds of life, with the wind,
Just like a blade of grass.
I have learened to take life one day at a time, and never take granted the gift of being healthy and strong.

Most impotantly, I have learnt an important lesson,
To let go of my Self-Diagnosis,Self-Treating Syndome, and let Professionals do their stuff!

So, the next time Your Cold persists,
Do the wise thing,
Go Get TESTED!