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Samara works for a children’s charity in the third sector. Through her role, she works with homeless people. Several years ago, she contracted a disease that led to a challenging, long battle with the real-world effects of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), affecting nearly every aspect of her life. In this blog post, Samara shares her story of fighting antimicrobial-resistant TB, the hidden long-term consequences, and the importance of checking for persistent coughs.
I’ve had a persistent cough for months, but like many people, I just soldiered on. I found myself on vacation with friends constantly coughing, feeling hot and struggling every day. My friends made me realize something was wrong, and their concerns prompted me to get checked out when I got home.
What followed was a frustrating journey – I was treated for a chest infection and then for asthma. The symptoms of TB can look like many other diseases, and if you are healthy and not in a high-risk group, TB is usually one of the last things to think about.
I work face-to-face with homeless people every day, and unfortunately they are disproportionately affected by TB because poor living conditions and limited medical services often leave them more vulnerable to infection. When I discussed my job with this group, my doctor recommended that we get tested for TB. Since many of us thought TB was a thing of the past, early diagnosis is more difficult.
Over Christmas I needed an MRI scan and just before Christmas I got a call and was told I needed to see a specialist the day after Boxing Day. I was very worried about what the scan would find, and at this point, the possibility of TB still hadn’t crossed my mind. I was shocked when the order said “Inquire TB”. My grandfather died of tuberculosis in Borneo before I was born, and my parents were shocked by the news that I might have had it.
Treatment hit me hard. I was sleeping 20 hours a day, lost weight rapidly, and developed a painful rash. I’m extremely lucky to have a family that takes care of me and an employer that gives me the time off I need.
In my tests we found that rifampicin didn’t work. Then I was diagnosed with drug-resistant TB, which meant the antibiotics usually used to treat TB didn’t work and my condition didn’t get better. Instead of the standard 6 months of treatment, I underwent 12 months of grueling medication. AMR doesn’t just mean different drugs; This means longer treatment times, more side effects, and a more difficult journey back to health.
Even if TB is cured, there are still long-term effects, and my lungs are slightly scarred from the long illness. Recently, I was involved in a study on life expectancy among tuberculosis survivors, and the results were sobering. The likelihood of developing cardiovascular problems and long-term mental health effects is significantly higher – but there are also more reasons to check out a persistent cough.
Combating the social impact of antimicrobial-resistant TB has also been difficult for me. When your treatment time is doubled due to antimicrobial resistance, you contend with prolonged illness, isolation, and uncertainty. While you’re stuck battling a disease that was once easily treatable, life goes on around you. It can be a challenging 12 months of battle, but it’s important to stick with treatment if you want to get well again.
Antibiotic resistance means these tiny bacteria have learned to fight back, making treatment more complex and more devastating for patients like me and our families.
My experience with TB has made me passionate about encouraging doctors and patients to consider TB when they have persistent symptoms. Antimicrobial resistance means we cannot think of TB as an afterthought. Each delay gives resistance more time to develop and spread.
My message is this: If you have a persistent cough, weight loss, night sweats – don’t ignore your symptoms – talk to your doctor and get treatment as soon as possible. If you work with susceptible people, make sure they are considering TB if they have a persistent cough. This is especially important because it can be much more difficult for them to obtain and follow up on medical care.
Antimicrobial resistance has once again made TB a modern threat and will lead to more infections, and we all need to be more aware of how serious the impact of antimicrobial-resistant infections can be without effective drug treatments.
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