Next Steps are never fun

Tuberculosis is a horrible disease. Curable if given the right timelines and medications, treatable at best, and devastating always if it goes beyond your first two options. When I was 15, my sister was diagnosed with stage 3 TB - which means it was in its most active state. At the time, we (family and medical professionals) had no idea how she would have gotten it. In retrospect, after dealing with and understanding COVID due to my own experience, I believe she was exposed the year before during a hospital stay for acute pneumonia. 

We were a traveling family. Both parents working for the government meant we went to all kinds of places, which wasmade possible by following steps set forth by international travel agreements, one of which was immunization. All of us had been vaccinated against Tuberculosis. And yet, my sister still got it—but my brother and I, exposed regularly to her after the CDC quarantined her in our house, did not.  

Vaccines work. And RFK doesn't want us to have them.  

In November of 2024, two days after the election results, I suggested that a quiet but effective way to establish resistance was to get all documents in order. This was before the executive orders declaring only two genders and the insanity of the immigration round-ups. My initial reasoning was that by everyone empowering themselves with documentation, we could overwhelm officials by flooding their systems with too much information. I don't know if that makes sense, but I was trying.  

While supplies last, I suggest arranging for your Tuberculosis vaccine. Two of the most significant disease outbreaks (ever on American soil) are happening in Kansas. This current administration has stopped supplying the medication that may cure and treat the disease in other countries. So, based on the present evidence, it is very likely that TB will be our next emergency medical event due to questions surrounding in-country supplies. 

Our immune systems are all compromised. The Flu (aside from the bird kind) has not gotten stronger; we have gotten weaker. COVID did a number on us that will be studied for years. TB often becomes an active infection when the host's immune system has been compromised and is too weak to fight the bacteria.  My sister's illness had progressed to the point where we were all on, for lack of a better phrase, an end-of-life watch. The doctors were not hopeful, and my mother's own latent infection occurred due to her being the only one willing and capable to nurse my sister at the worst times. 

TB involves a death rattle of a productive cough, often releasing small sprays of blood before your tissues and napkins are regularly coated in red. Lesions cover the body and a physical defeat is conveyed in every excruciating movement the host may make. It is like watching a ghost shed their skin while fully aware that this is where they are headed. In simple terms - it's sad, traumatizing for everyone, and almost thirty years later, triggering as f#ck. There is no way to prepare for what can come other than taking as many precautions as possible. 

So here are my tips for avoiding a case of preventable TB. 

• If you can get a vaccine, get one, though full disclosure - the effectiveness rates vary greatly. And getting one in the U.S. right now is not easy unless you are traveling or moving to a country that requires it. We won't know quite yet how many heroes we will have in the Health Department, and if we do have any, they will do the right thing and issue directives stating that ALL Americans across the continental U.S. may receive a vaccine upon request. The likelihood that this will be an out-of-pocket cost is high - budget for it. Believe me, it's worth it. 

• If you can't or are not interested in getting the vaccine, wear a mask in public. When my whole family was quarantined, we were given masks and told we had to wear them when we picked up our mail. Which was at the end of our 30ft long driveway and not near another house. And again, almost thirty years ago in a Southern state. And you know what? We got stared at, but the little electric-looking neon green warning signs on our front door ensured that none of our neighbors said anything about it. Masks are not political; if you think they are, go ahead and take your chances. 

• TB is hella contagious, and the CDC wasn't playing. Oh, and if you're wondering how the CDC got involved, at the time, the instances of TB in the U.S. were so low that medical professionals were required to report all cases to the Center. 

• These seem intuitive, but as we have seen in the past few years, nah, they aren't. (via Healthline)

1. Avoid close contact with people who have active TB disease.

2. Wash your hands often and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

3. Eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly to keep your immune system strong.

4. If you work in a healthcare setting abroad, follow protocols for wearing protective gear such as masks and gowns.

5. If you have a latent TB infection, follow the entire treatment protocol.

6. If you're traveling to a high-risk area and your immune system is compromised, talk with a doctor about preventive treatments