Has anyone ever had a Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis? It looks like my husband has an active case...

[PurpleNightingale]

My husband has has a bad cough for a month or two and has been called into the hospital today to get back the results of some TB tests.

It sounds like it is positive from the questions and the tone of the lady on the phone (tracing contacts, asking about symptoms in the family members).

It's feeling a bit scary as we have young children (8 and 5) in the house and I guess we have all been exposed too. I never thought too much about it being anything that would be a worry to us, although I was concerned about him.

Has anyone ever been diagnosed? Treated? It feels like such an old fashioned and rare thing to have, I didn't know it was still around. We both got our BCG vaccinations at school too and the little scars to prove it 😂

We own our own home and live just our family in it, we work in offices with professional jobs. Don't travel beyond Europe with work. It feels so unlikely and strange to have this in our home... I would usually associate it with overcrowded slum living. I feel almost strangely dirty about it.

Anyone else who has been here and would like to chat would be gratefully appreciated!

Stupid question - apologies in advance...

I'm 500, was the TB jab tge one we had as teens in the upper arm that left a scar? Are we not protected any more?

Hope you get some answers soon OP. Fingers crossed for you. I ended up having a chest xray for what turned out to be acid reflux causing my cough for months.

Haha! I'm not really 500! That would up there with the Mumsnet chicken 😂 live to 500 with that chicken and a big salad...

Yes thats the one that caused the biggish diviot like scar on the upper bicep.

I was always so proud (read vainity) that I didnt have one....until I caught TB🙄

Yes, the BCG is the one that always seemed to cause a small crater and leave a scar. Protection doesn't last a lifetime, no. Especially not a 500 year lifetime

Haha, I've got the scar... and still caught fecking TB!

@PurpleNightingale How did your husband get on at the hospital?
I hope things aren't too stressful.

Any questions and I'm sure between us we will have some ideas💐

Thank you all for your messages! They mean a lot.

As suspected the hospital has confirmed my husband has an active case of TB and he has had two doses of eight tablets so far. He is more ill on the tablets than he was before he started taking them- feeling nauseous, exhausted, weak, dizzy and so tired he is just sleeping loads. And the cough is continuing for him and very painful- I think he's pulled all the rib muscles on one side. He looks twenty years older, frail and like an old man.

I have been trying to feed him all day but it's the kind of stuff you'd get into a person recovering from norovirus or something- a boiled egg, a slice of buttered toast, some jasmine rice with smoked salmon, a few peanuts, chocolate milk, an ice lolly. I am worried about him losing more weight or even just not being able to recover the weight he has lost, but this was as much as we can do with his unsettled stomach and he really did push himself just for this.

The kids and me have been called in to have the tests tomorrow to see if we have caught it. I have a new fear that both of us will have to go through this intense antibiotic treatment at the same time and parent.

The one saving grace of all the hot weather might be that we have been airing out our house a lot for months, which I'm hoping might have saved us.

Haha. I shouldn't post when I've just risen from the old coffin...

I remember we had big holes in our arms that we'd poke scrunched up tissue into.

Oh, are we supposed to get a booster once we turn 243 or something?

I remember working with a guy who said he had it and had to go off sick for months. Nothing was questioned regarding us working in close proximity though.

Aw, sorry to hear that your DH is struggling, @PurpleNightingale . Has he been assigned a TB nurse yet? If so it mighty be worth giving them a call to get some advice. Mine was brilliant and very supportive. When I started on the drugs I had a moderately severe allergic reaction - no gastric issues but I broke out in hives and my face and torso were bright red. My nurse spoke to the consultant and he told me to stop all drugs until he seen me. He then switched me onto a phased introduction (I think I added one pill every three days to gradually build up to the full amount). They may be able to suggest something similar.

Try not to worry too much about you and the DCs - my DH and kids were all fine despite being cooped up with me over the winter. It's not a given that you've caught it.

Hope you and kids are ok