There were no balloons or streamers. The receptionist did not light up and say "Congratulations on making it though!" In fact, I had to remind her that this was my last visit and find out if I had to come back in. Yes, I have to return to get my CERTIFICATE!!! Who would have thought that I'd get a certificate out of this.
My actual meeting with my dear little nurse took about 6.25 minutes including her story about two Buddhist nuns who came to visit with her. She had my bottle of INH ready to go and already labeled...shocking. Blood pressure: 105/79, check. Weight, check. Buddhist nun story, check.
"So this is my last visit," I said, trying to lead her into an exclamatory "You did it! Let's go have a beer!"
"Yes!" was all I could pull out of her. But she's so cute, and they way she modulated her voice was more like "Yaaaaaeeess!"
"Will I need to come back in after I finish my bottle?" I jutted out the blue-capped bottle in my hand.
"Oh...you'll need to come back in after you finish and I will need to make out your certificate." She nodded and smiled.
"What is the certificate for? Just to say I finished all of my INH pills" and to myself I completed "for nine long months, like a good little girl."
"Yes and you'll need to sign something saying you won't take another test. And if you have any problems in the future you can just come back to me." Ick, I though...like if I visit a foreign country and contract TB? What are my chances...?
"What happens with the test? Will I contract TB if I take one?" Terror beginning to rise...
"Oh, no. But you will always be positive on it."
Hmmm.... The legacy of my TB is not behind me. Every time I go to the doctor and encounter "the test" I will need to explain my nine-month gestation with latent TB. Lovely. But at least I'll have my certificate!
I'll have to look up more info. I'm already setting up acupuncture appointments to help strengthen my liver, post INH. More on that to come.
Congratulations to me!!!
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Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteIt's been over 2 months after you've finished your INH. How are you doing now? Can you share your "post INH" experiences with us? Thanks.
As a traveling trainer (US/Canada) for almost six years; somewhere along the line I developed latent TB which thanks to my infectious disease primary care was caught before coming 'active.' I am now on the same nine month regime of Isoniazid. My odd eating pattern had me taking it all over the place, so I have finally decided to take it every morning when I wake up and simply wait an hour to eat. That's worked best, for me and I am lucky to say no 'serious' side effects other than some not too pleasant bathroom visits, but hey... it's better than the alternative. It is also helping me stop smoking (can't be too great to smoke and have TB) so I am now down to perhaps two or less cigarettes a day and decreasing still. Drinking, I am trying to stop... even that one glass of wine with a meal. My liver is fine, so far, despite having had both HEP A and HEP B before..but I really do not want to push my luck. I am glad you shared your journey. I am hoping, at the end, this antibiotic will eradicate the bacteria (as I heard it could) removing it from the body entirely. What were your results? The medical sites (ie: Webmd) all differ...some say it goes away entirely, some say the medication is only to keep it in a latent form. I would love to hear more from you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your story! I contracted LTBI as a nursing student and have a 2 year old child at home. I was absolutely TERRIFIED about what to expect with the INH journey. Your blog is helping me prepare for the road ahead of me with 6 months of INH therapy. My doctor recommended many of the supplements that you experimented with in the blog so I've now gone from a person that begrudingly took 1 pill a day, to one who takes 8. And thank goodness for the Medication Reminder app I found on my iPhone, I can never remember anything.
ReplyDeleteanyway, I just wanted to say thank you. It is important to get stories like this out there for others. I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for my journey, but I am not certain yet.
I am starting my Journey of INH tomorrow and am terrified. I wish there was more of a support group out there. I am a Respiratory Therapist and was somehow exposed too. I am curious how your side effects are going?
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