Active tb case with 18 to 24 month treatment period

[james&nicole 2]

Does anyone have any experience with a long term treatment of tuberculosis? I'm pretty sure we will time out of our K1 visa period and have to start all over again. We filed K1 June 09 and had interview Dec 09. Now white slipped since we can't submit medical clearance until the treatment period is over. Which right now appears to be July 2011 assuming all goes well.

We are out of Ho Chi Minh City. If any one has any experience with any good Doctors there I would be interested in hearing your thoughts/ideas. Cho Ray has our case now. I'm also in contact with PNT (Pham Ngoc Thanh Hospital).

[Anh map 2,098]

PNT is the hospital for TB and such. My brothers in law have been going there for their treatment.

Does your fiance(e) have "regular" TB or one of the drug resistent strains?

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Moved as requested to Asia Forum.

[james&nicole 2]

PNT is the hospital for TB and such. My brothers in law have been going there for their treatment.

Does your fiance(e) have "regular" TB or one of the drug resistent strains?

She has a drug resistent form of tb. She has taken the 1st line meds from Feb 09 to Nov 09. Her hospital in District 4 cleared her in Nov 09 but when she went to Cho Ray they started her up again on the 1st line meds. Which was supposed to go for 6 more months. Two weeks later they called to get to the hospital and start the 2nd line drugs. She now gets two different injections, two pills and vitamin B6 five days a week. They also started charging her $80 a month for the injections. This is to continue for the next 18 months.

I went to Cho Ray with her one day and watched one of the Doctors in the DOT medicine cage blow his nose into the sink, wipe it off with his bare hand, rinse it with plain water for about a second then put on a new mask and go back to work. He did not wash his hands with soap or clean up the sink. Mind you this is a room were they hand out tb medicine to all the people with tb who come to Cho Ray.

So we are dealing with a misdiagnosis from her District 4 hospital and a complete disregard for sanitary standards at Cho Ray. I've been in contact with a Doctor at PNT to get a second opinion. Not for the tb, we know she has that, but for the treatment protocol. The side effects are brutal.

[Anh map 2,098]

She has a drug resistent form of tb. She has taken the 1st line meds from Feb 09 to Nov 09. Her hospital in District 4 cleared her in Nov 09 but when she went to Cho Ray they started her up again on the 1st line meds. Which was supposed to go for 6 more months. Two weeks later they called to get to the hospital and start the 2nd line drugs. She now gets two different injections, two pills and vitamin B6 five days a week. They also started charging her $80 a month for the injections. This is to continue for the next 18 months.

I went to Cho Ray with her one day and watched one of the Doctors in the DOT medicine cage blow his nose into the sink, wipe it off with his bare hand, rinse it with plain water for about a second then put on a new mask and go back to work. He did not wash his hands with soap or clean up the sink. Mind you this is a room were they hand out tb medicine to all the people with tb who come to Cho Ray.

So we are dealing with a misdiagnosis from her District 4 hospital and a complete disregard for sanitary standards at Cho Ray. I've been in contact with a Doctor at PNT to get a second opinion. Not for the tb, we know she has that, but for the treatment protocol. The side effects are brutal.

I agree, my brothers in law both have the drug resistent strain. They got it because the first brother was diagnosed and started treatment but didn't see it through to the end. So it came back and the other brother came down with it too.

The treatment is really tough. My wife is heading home to VN this weekend to see her family and to try and get some more/better info regarding treatment as well.

If you'd like, let's share info about this and we can get our families through this mess.

[decker 1]

Some years ago I had a young Lieutenant Platoon Leader who spent time in the Alaska National Guard. Most of his unit was in "bush" Alaska. He was always tired and constantly dragging #### and just generally not doing the job, so like a good Platoon Sergeant I fired him then got knee deep in his behind. He told me TB is fairly common in the bush and he had it. His medicines were doing a number on him. I felt bad for him after that. He pulled through OK and the last I heard he moved to the Little 48 and is doing well. Due diligence is the key to managing any sickness.

Having gone to the pregnancy hospital a couple of times with Linh, I can totally believe the snot rocket doctor. Those hospitals are like farms.

I got some sort of creepin crud (put me out of commission but good and I don't mean maybe) on a visit in May 08 and Linh took me to Columbia in District 1. They seemed to be spot on there and the doctors actually talk to the patient unlike the farms. Maybe that can be a option.

We are all pulling for you.

PS. I let the kid have the Platoon back but had to fire him several more times over the course of his time here. Young Lieutenants. What are you gonna do?

[ScottThuy 140]

When Thuy was in the hospital for H1N1, she had to share the bed with another girl the whole week she was there... yep, two people in 1 bed...her mother holding her hand and praying on one side of the bed and the other girls mother doing the same on the other side of the bed... when it comes to sanitary conditions and preventing the spread of things... some folks over there just dont understand... We are hoping for the best for your wife and Linh's brothers...

[james&nicole 2]

I agree, my brothers in law both have the drug resistent strain. They got it because the first brother was diagnosed and started treatment but didn't see it through to the end. So it came back and the other brother came down with it too.

The treatment is really tough. My wife is heading home to VN this weekend to see her family and to try and get some more/better info regarding treatment as well.

If you'd like, let's share info about this and we can get our families through this mess.

I would be happy to share the info I have. It's difficult to get it all together from 15,000 miles away but I'll keep chipping away. I've got some Docs names, e-mail address's and phone #'s from PNT. I'll PM you, maybe you are dealing with them already.

[james&nicole 2]

Some years ago I had a young Lieutenant Platoon Leader who spent time in the Alaska National Guard. Most of his unit was in "bush" Alaska. He was always tired and constantly dragging #### and just generally not doing the job, so like a good Platoon Sergeant I fired him then got knee deep in his behind. He told me TB is fairly common in the bush and he had it. His medicines were doing a number on him. I felt bad for him after that. He pulled through OK and the last I heard he moved to the Little 48 and is doing well. Due diligence is the key to managing any sickness.

Having gone to the pregnancy hospital a couple of times with Linh, I can totally believe the snot rocket doctor. Those hospitals are like farms.

I got some sort of creepin crud (put me out of commission but good and I don't mean maybe) on a visit in May 08 and Linh took me to Columbia in District 1. They seemed to be spot on there and the doctors actually talk to the patient unlike the farms. Maybe that can be a option.

We are all pulling for you.

PS. I let the kid have the Platoon back but had to fire him several more times over the course of his time here. Young Lieutenants. What are you gonna do?

Farms is about what they are, the tb section is like a cattle pen, I mean it was a real eye opener. But honestly when I think a little deeper about it....I'm damn glad it's there. There is medicine (not sure of the quality), there are Doctors (ahem), and with the treatment process there is hope. With what I've seen so far with the way tb works, if you've got tb you are going to need a lot of hope to get through it. It looks miserable, sounds painful and the treatment takes so long. And your right, the due diligence is especially important. With the direct observed therapy (DOT) you have to go to the hospital every day to get the meds. It was a 20 to 30 minute ride to the hospital each way, five days a week. They are telling her to do this for the next 18 to 24 months. And that room was packed with people from all over town doing the same thing. I heard folks will often get an apartment close to the hospital to cut down on the commute.

I'll check into the Columbia in District one. And thanks for the kind words.

[james&nicole 2]

When Thuy was in the hospital for H1N1, she had to share the bed with another girl the whole week she was there... yep, two people in 1 bed...her mother holding her hand and praying on one side of the bed and the other girls mother doing the same on the other side of the bed... when it comes to sanitary conditions and preventing the spread of things... some folks over there just dont understand... We are hoping for the best for your wife and Linh's brothers...

Thank you.

[Anh map 2,098]

Linh will be there at the hospital on Monday.

I'll have her follow up on the doctors as well as programs to help the families with the process costs and medicines.