It wasn't how I imagined how my new year would start. While I didn't plan anything special, the idea of spending several days in a hospital was definitely not what I had in mind.
The story goes like this...
Since before the CNY, I've been having this cough and fever. I went to the doctor and took medicines many times and, while I did feel better, the sickness just won't go away. We took a blood test, fearing that it may be dengue, and it came back with nothing. But the cough and fever were still there.
Finally, I figured another possibility and decided to take a chest X-ray. About eight years ago, I had a fever that no medicine from the clinic could help. A chest X-ray was taken and the doctor feared I may have Tuberculosis (TB). It was later proven to be a false alarm (In the X-ray, white shadows were shown in the lower parts of my lungs. For TB, it should be on the upper parts instead). However, I did have some sort of infection in my lungs and I was hospitalised for a week. No complications since then.
This time, it's for real. The latest chest X-ray showed white shadows on the upper lungs. With a letter by the doctor, I went to Assunta Hospital on the night of 13 February to be admitted. Various tests were taken during the first couple of days, including a super-painful injection just under the skin of my arm, to confirm that it's TB, while giving me medicine to stop my fever. Finally, on Saturday night, they started on my TB medication, a daily dose of three different medicines which I must take for six months.
I was discharged on Tuesday, shortly after the fever was gone. I was so relieved to be home again. Staying in the isolation room was really boring. Everyday was just sleep (the bed wasn't that comfortable), eat (the food was ok but I started to get tired of it after a few days), check-up by nurses, take medicine, watch TV (nothing good to watch) and the occasional visits by my family and a couple of friends (the only thing to be happy about).
And now I'm back to work again. The doctor said that in my case, I don't have to worry about infecting others around me, so I don't have to be separated from everyone, use separate utensils or wear a mask. All I need to do now is to stick to my six-month medication and all would be fine. Guess I was really lucky. Could've been a lot worse.
No idea how I got TB in the first place. Most likely from public places like the LRT I took every weekday. I just might need to wear a mask while I'm on the train, not to prevent me from infecting others but to prevent others from infecting me.
For now, all I need to do is to take my medicine, try to improve my health (especially my lungs) and to remember to renew my passport for the company trip to Phuket next month.
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