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Sinethemba, 16 years, is a survivor of XDR-TB
Sinethemba, 16 years, is a survivor of XDR-TB
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PATIENT BLOGS

TB&Me is the first patient blog from Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders.

Treatment options for multi-drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis (TB) are extremely limited. Patients can face years of severe side-effects, and a cure is not guaranteed.

TB&Me bloggers are speaking out, letting others know they are not alone, and making a powerful call for change.

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Drugs used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis
Yana
TB blogger
TB&Me: "People have a real fear of the disease"
Yana* was 19 when she was first diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). She recovered but relapsed twice. The third time, the disease was resistant to drugs. After a long battle, Yana, who is now 33, has defeated it once again, this time thanks to bedaquiline, one of the newer drugs provided by MSF.
25 Feb 2020 / 5 minute read
Yurii is being treated by MSF for DR-TB at the TB hospital in Zhytomyr, Ukraine
Yurii, a TB patient in Ukraine
Yurii
TB blogger
TB&Me: "This treatment programme is my last resort"
One tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is hard to swallow, let alone four. Yurii, 33, thought he had beaten TB after overcoming the disease three times and being declared cured. Then he fell ill again...
25 Feb 2020 / 3 minute read
These two children have been treated for tuberculosis at the MSF-supported hospital in Machiton, Tajikistan
Zukhro is a mother-of-two from Tajikistan. Her children are being treated by MSF for tuberculosis.
Zukhro
TB blogger
TB&Me: "My children were diagnosed within a month of each other"
Motherhood always has its challenges but what happens when your children are diagnosed with a highly infectious disease? Zukhro shares her experience caring for her young son and daughter as they undergo treatment for tuberculosis at an MSF-supported hospital in Tajikistan. 
24 Feb 2020 / 4 minute read
Svitlana is an MSF TB patient in Zhytomyr
Svitlana - MSF TB patient
Svitlana
TB blogger
TB&Me: “This could happen to anyone – the stigma must be overcome”
Svitlana recently started treatment at the Tuberculosis hospital in Zhytomyr. Two months since her diagnosis, she describes her experience so far.
24 Feb 2020 / 2 minute read
Polina Kisel and Andrey Yevseyev have been treated by MSF for TB in Belarus
Polina was enrolled in the TB PRACTECAL clinical trial in Minsk
Polina Kisel
TB blogger
TB&Me: Tackling TB together
Polina, 28, and Andrey, 30, have drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Together, the young couple from Belarus is taking part in TB PRACTECAL, a cutting-edge project that aims to find better treatments for the disease. Polina shares their story... 
24 Feb 2020 / 3 minute read
Mairam* has been treated by for XDR-TB in Kyrgyzstan
Mairam has been treated by MSF for XDR-TB in Kyrgyzstan
Mairam
TB blogger
TB&Me: "I had to live for my son"
Tuberculosis patient Mairam* shares her story of determination in the face of a difficult treatment
24 Feb 2020 / 2 minute read
Saida
Saida
TB blogger
TB&Me: Two years of treatment is a lot for a child
When nine-year-old Mukhamadjon was diagnosed with extrapulmonary (located outside of the lungs) multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), his grandmother Saida supported him through two years of grueling treatment. Here, she shares their story.
11 Apr 2019 / 4 minute read
Gulnora and her two sons who have been diagnosed with extensively resistant TB
Gulnora
Gulnora
TB blogger
TB&Me: "In this treatment model you participate in the treatment—you can act for yourself"
When Gulnora's grandma died of tuberculosis, her family didn't realise they could be at risk. She blogs about helping her children through a new model of treatment...
04 Apr 2019 / 6 minute read
Nataliya Klymyk, TB patient
Nataliya Klymyk
TB blogger
TB&Me: "It was just a routine check-up"
Nataliya was working as a shop assistant when she fell ill with what she thought was a perisistent cold. Four years later, she is fighting extensively-drug-resistant tuberculosis with the help of a new treatment that's offering hope...
24 Jan 2019 / 4 minute read
Maddy driving
Maddy
Maddy
TB blogger
TB & Me: "I often think multi-drug-resistant TB survivors must be superhumans."
Maddy is a student in the UK who is currently going through treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. While ten million people are affected with tuberculosis every year, treatment options for drug-resistant strains are limited and side-effects can be severe. Maddy shares his story so far…
20 Sep 2018 / 5 minute read
White Orchid
TB blogger
2018: One Year Later
One year after she concluded her treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis, White Orchid sends an update...
16 Aug 2018 / 1 minute read
Abatgul Tajimuratova
TB blogger
TB & Me: If I am asked “What is happiness?”
Abatgul is a journalist and a tuberculosis (TB) patient advocate. In 2008 she was diagnosed with a drug-resistant strain of TB, and began a long, difficult course of treatment, eventually making a full recovery. In this post, she reflects on what the experience has taught her about happiness...
21 Mar 2018 / 2 minute read

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