Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis - ang sakit ng mahihirap sa mahihirap na bansa.

I noticed that patients in PGH have a common thing for tuberculosis, they deny it.  They call it something else, like, mahina ang baga - tama sa baga - ubo.  I'm used to probing just so I can extract that important detail. Fortunately (or unfortunately) most patients don't know everything about it so I tend to catch them - how I do it, I wouldn't tell :).  There is at least one attempt to conceal their condition, whether or not it's recent or has been treated 20 years ago.  I've never encountered a patient who point-blankly admitted that he/she has TB, as opposed to admitting having Hypertension or Diabetes.

I know, we have the TB stigma, which I find ridiculous because a lot of Filipinos actually have it, in different areas.  I've seen lots!  Scrotal TB, TB Meningitis, TB Lymphadenitis, TB in the colon causing gut obstruction, and of course pulmonary TB.  

TB is treatable, friends.  Usually, we treat it for 6 months with different kinds of drugs. We can extend it to 9, depending on your response, exposure etc.   Around 3 weeks to a month of therapy, the patient is most likely not contagious anymore.  Let us not discriminate against these patients.  And if you have TB, it's ok to admit it.  There's nothing to be ashamed of.  It's still better than having cancer, or STD.  

Tell your friends.