6 month TB treatment

[jacabatic 5]

My wife's been tested positive for TB so she is undergoing her first day of treatment today at St. Lukes. She has been there since 730am (philippine time) and yet still haven't been called in (nearly 6 hours of waiting )to take her medication (pill) due to many people. She is also been told by the nurse to take "vitamin B", so she will go to Mercury drug to get some. She has 6 months to go =(

I hope everything goes well with her.

Has anyone experience this 6 month nightmare? share your experiences and thoughts please.

thank you

Edited September 11, 2012 by jacabatic

[TBoneTX 45,001]

*** Thread moved from CR-1 Process to Philippines subforum -- topic pertains specifically to the Philippines. ***

[newbster 4]

Ah man I'm so sorry to hear this news. I wish it weren't true for you and I know it will be a hard 6 months.

But stay strong and be patient because you know in the end it will be all worth it and you will be together in 6 months.

Edited September 11, 2012 by newbster

[IsmoBem 1]

I am very sorry to hear dat. Does she really needs to be there every day to take the medication? I mean if its just the pill y cant they just give it to her?

[RyRo 47]

My wife's been tested positive for TB so she is undergoing her first day of treatment today at St. Lukes. She has been there since 730am (philippine time) and yet still haven't been called in (nearly 6 hours of waiting )to take her medication (pill) due to many people. She is also been told by the nurse to take "vitamin B", so she will go to Mercury drug to get some. She has 6 months to go =(

I hope everything goes well with her.

Has anyone experience this 6 month nightmare? share your experiences and thoughts please.

thank you

im sorry to hear about this, but im just wondering if your wife has symptoms like coughing or what ?

im really wondering about how to know if one has it or dont have it without having to go through an xray.. thanks for the reply

[jenaelle 1]

My wife's been tested positive for TB so she is undergoing her first day of treatment today at St. Lukes. She has been there since 730am (philippine time) and yet still haven't been called in (nearly 6 hours of waiting )to take her medication (pill) due to many people. She is also been told by the nurse to take "vitamin B", so she will go to Mercury drug to get some. She has 6 months to go =(

I hope everything goes well with her.

Has anyone experience this 6 month nightmare? share your experiences and thoughts please.

thank you

hi i was at st.lukes this morning too, to get my medical done, i still have to go back tomorrow for the results,,, do you know if your wife has to filled out immunization sheets even though she needs to take the sputum test,, i wonder because the doctor there already told me take 2 vaccines, and when i went to check out counter they made me wait for another 3 hours and then after 3 hours they told me to go back tomorow so i wonder if i passed the medical or not...i'm so confuse and anxiously waiting until tomorrow..

[jacabatic 5]

I am very sorry to hear dat. Does she really needs to be there every day to take the medication? I mean if its just the pill y cant they just give it to her?

I believe she needs to report to St. Lukes and they will issue her the pill. I will double-check on this.

im sorry to hear about this, but im just wondering if your wife has symptoms like coughing or what ?

im really wondering about how to know if one has it or dont have it without having to go through an xray.. thanks for the reply

My wife had a cough while she took her Xray, so I think her cough might have interfered with the Xray somehow. but they will do a 3 day sputum test followed by a 2 month sputum culture and from there on, they will know for sure if you are Positive or Negative.

hi i was at st.lukes this morning too, to get my medical done, i still have to go back tomorrow for the results,,, do you know if your wife has to filled out immunization sheets even though she needs to take the sputum test,, i wonder because the doctor there already told me take 2 vaccines, and when i went to check out counter they made me wait for another 3 hours and then after 3 hours they told me to go back tomorow so i wonder if i passed the medical or not...i'm so confuse and anxiously waiting until tomorrow..

Did you take an Xray? I will ask my wife about the immunization sheets, Im not sure if she filled it out.

Were there a lot of people at St. Lukes? I think once they give you vaccinations (shots) then most likely you have passed. pray !

Edited September 11, 2012 by jacabatic

[CCDC4ever 1]

hi i was at st.lukes this morning too, to get my medical done, i still have to go back tomorrow for the results,,, do you know if your wife has to filled out immunization sheets even though she needs to take the sputum test,, i wonder because the doctor there already told me take 2 vaccines, and when i went to check out counter they made me wait for another 3 hours and then after 3 hours they told me to go back tomorrow so i wonder if i passed the medical or not...i'm so confuse and anxiously waiting until tomorrow..

hi even though they already told you that you will get 2 vaccine it doesn't mean that you are already pass the medical most of the time the doctor will just tell yo just to let you know how many vaccine that you will get the only way to find out if you pass or failed is on your second day theres a hint if the guard say go to second floor means to say your already for vaccination but if they say go to 4 floor if iam not mistaken it means to say they will schedule you for your sputum... dont worry ill pray for you

[TeddyHoney 42]

Sorry to hear this, but it is for the best. The wait will be tough but once its over and she gets her VISA and you guys get together, believe me you'll forget all about it. Chie had to go through but for only 4 months because she was already on 2 months PTB treatment from her local pulmonologist because several months before her medical exam she had pneumonia and hr local doctor had her take x-ray and they could not determine if what they sa was some scar from exposure to TB or just the pneumonia. As a precaution he prescribed some atibiotics and then PTB meds. So we knew ahead of time that St. Lukes would see a scar and were prepared for that. They did and Chie told them that she was on PTB meds already and sudmitted to them her certificate or some document from her local doctor that St. Luke's accepted and credited her 2 months completed treatment. So witht hat they did not do a 2 months culture test and she just continued the meds at St. Luke's for another 4 months, then the 2 month sputum culture test and then she completed her medical exam and we rescheduled her interview and proceeded on.

Of course the whole thing was dissappointing but it was for the best because we don't have any fears of whether she was exposed to TB or not and we have peace of mind that she has been reated anyway.

I remember her telling me that she usually spent most of her day at the clinic to ger her medicines and she would leave early to get there early (she lived nearby is Pasay) but would be home by 3-4 pm.

You guys will be fine just hang in there and use the time to perpare documents, prepare for the interview, etc and just tale it easy and let the time go by. It will. God bless.

[PhilAmTx 14]

sorry to hear that... "been there done that" and yes 6 months going back and forth to st luke was suck... but i made it.. and it was all worth it... 8 months to be exact...6 months treatment and another 2 months of waiting (for result of last sputum,re-medical and interview.) 8 months all. be patient and she will be fine though.. and about symptoms.. i dont have any of it.. nothing.

[jacabatic 5]

Sorry to hear this, but it is for the best. The wait will be tough but once its over and she gets her VISA and you guys get together, believe me you'll forget all about it. Chie had to go through but for only 4 months because she was already on 2 months PTB treatment from her local pulmonologist because several months before her medical exam she had pneumonia and hr local doctor had her take x-ray and they could not determine if what they sa was some scar from exposure to TB or just the pneumonia. As a precaution he prescribed some atibiotics and then PTB meds. So we knew ahead of time that St. Lukes would see a scar and were prepared for that. They did and Chie told them that she was on PTB meds already and sudmitted to them her certificate or some document from her local doctor that St. Luke's accepted and credited her 2 months completed treatment. So witht hat they did not do a 2 months culture test and she just continued the meds at St. Luke's for another 4 months, then the 2 month sputum culture test and then she completed her medical exam and we rescheduled her interview and proceeded on.

Of course the whole thing was dissappointing but it was for the best because we don't have any fears of whether she was exposed to TB or not and we have peace of mind that she has been reated anyway.

I remember her telling me that she usually spent most of her day at the clinic to ger her medicines and she would leave early to get there early (she lived nearby is Pasay) but would be home by 3-4 pm.

You guys will be fine just hang in there and use the time to perpare documents, prepare for the interview, etc and just tale it easy and let the time go by. It will. God bless.

good to know that you were a bit advance =)

I will visit her in Dec and back again in 2013 to pick her up. I hope it goes by well and quick.

[jacabatic 5]

sorry to hear that... "been there done that" and yes 6 months going back and forth to st luke was suck... but i made it.. and it was all worth it... 8 months to be exact...6 months treatment and another 2 months of waiting (for result of last sputum,re-medical and interview.) 8 months all. be patient and she will be fine though.. and about symptoms.. i dont have any of it.. nothing.

8 months of medical? =(..this seems so near yet so far

[jenaelle 1]

hi even though they already told you that you will get 2 vaccine it doesn't mean that you are already pass the medical most of the time the doctor will just tell yo just to let you know how many vaccine that you will get the only way to find out if you pass or failed is on your second day theres a hint if the guard say go to second floor means to say your already for vaccination but if they say go to 4 floor if iam not mistaken it means to say they will schedule you for your sputum... dont worry ill pray for you

thank you so much for the prayers,, i just came home from st. lukes today and yes i passed it,, god is so good all the time

[jenaelle 1]

I believe she needs to report to St. Lukes and they will issue her the pill. I will double-check on this.

My wife had a cough while she took her Xray, so I think her cough might have interfered with the Xray somehow. but they will do a 3 day sputum test followed by a 2 month sputum culture and from there on, they will know for sure if you are Positive or Negative.

Did you take an Xray? I will ask my wife about the immunization sheets, Im not sure if she filled it out.

Were there a lot of people at St. Lukes? I think once they give you vaccinations (shots) then most likely you have passed. pray !

yes there was a lot of people at st. lukes yesterday,,, yes prayers really works,, i'll pray for you and your wife too, i know i can't do much but i know prayers will help a lot, pls be strong

[mapletree 33]

She will have to show up every day. They use Direct Observed Therapy (DOT) where they watch her take the pills. On weekends and holidays she will be given extra pills to take when the clinic is closed. For special situations they may give her a few days of pills to take so she can travel. I took my fiancee to Boracay, Cambodia and a few other places and we were able to arrange about 15-20 days "leave" during the 6 months with pills provided when we traveled. But this is best done by letter from the petitioner.

If she misses a day, then they will add it on the end. If she misses too many they may add a month or more. She will have a card they need to sign off on for almost every day.

Something else to consider - travel to and from the clinic. Many people travel and hour or more each way. Even from Pasay it can be an hour by jeepney. So a two hour wait at the clinic becomes a 4 hour or more ordeal... DAILY. I advise you live as close to the clinic as possible.

Some other considerations -

Go with her to the clinic early on. Be nice and introduce yourself to the doctors and staff. Be friendly and let them know who you are.

Make sure she takes this seriously. You should not skip even ONCE.

Cut out all alcohol, smoking, etc during this time. The medications are hard on your body. She needs to stay healthy. Exercise.

The DOT is serious business and many people do not take it as such. They skip too many times, or they do not stay healthy. As a result at the end of the six months they can have the therapy extended.

It will be a long and hard six months. Best of luck.