01.06.2021

They've Known Each Other Since Their Childhood... - A Story About The Patients That Defeated TB!

Michael, 42, fell ill with pulmonary tuberculosis in 2018. However, at that time he believed that tuberculosis is a deathly disease and not curable, and he did not believe in the effectiveness of treatment without having any proper information about his disease and any support, so he interrupted treatment. Elena, 41, a childhood friend of Michael, fell ill immediately after him and, following the example of her friend, also interrupted the treatment. In August 2020, Michael and Elena seeked medical care again, as their health got worse. By this time, they had developed a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis. MDR-TB treatment is long-term one, and keeping patients on treatment who have previously interrupted many times is challenging. After profound work with a psychologist, studying information materials and thorough communication with a TB doctor, Michael and Elena began treatment outpatiently. Patients were offered the choice of receiving treatment at the dispensary or at home (a home-based treatment option was chosen as a less stigmatizing one), as well as individual support (food packages), which Michael and Elena gladly accepted, and this was a significant incentive for them to get cured. Currently, the patients are adherent to treatment and continue it successfully.

At the beginning of the disease, both patients considered their diagnosis to be a death sentence. In 2020, everything changed – competent specialists convinced their patients that life goes on and their disease is curable and to achieve a cure they just need to work on it, and health workers are there to help them. We believe that thanks to the systematic social, psychological and informational support, care of the medical workers, Michael and Elena will soon beat tuberculosis and will have a happy life together, as in December 2020 they became a husband and wife.