"In total, it took three blood tests to confirm that I did have tuberculosis. Three separate needles puncturing three different veins, vacuuming a swirl of blood into three glass vials."
"When that blood was exposed to fragments of tuberculosis, it responded with a sudden eruption of immune proteins, a recognition of an infectious agent that proved my blood was familiar with the mycobacterium that causes TB."
Starting immune-suppressant medication for inflammatory arthritis raised concerns about increased illness risk during the Covid pandemic. Annual tests for tuberculosis and hepatitis were required due to immunocompromised status. Initial tests for tuberculosis were negative, but in March 2025, a positive result prompted further testing. Three blood tests confirmed the presence of tuberculosis, indicating a response to the infectious agent. A chest X-ray was ordered to assess the disease's progression.
Read at The Nation
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