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TB Personal Stories – Kate’s StoryEspañol (Spanish)										Related Pages
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Kate’s Story
Kate started to get very sick almost as soon as she became pregnant, like she had a really bad cold. Then came a constant cough and night sweats. At first she thought it was just because she was pregnant. “When you’re pregnant, there’s a certain amount of you that expects to feel a little run down and feel a little horrible,” says Kate. But the coughing continued. Soon she could barely swallow because her throat was so sore from coughing. She would often wake up in the morning and cough for 15 minutes before starting the day.Low Resolution VideoHer primary care doctor thought it may be pneumonia but Kate wasn’t getting any better. She saw a number of different doctors, but no one could figure out what was causing her illness. After several months of a persistent cough, Kate’s throat was so damaged she could hardly eat. She was losing a lot of weight and was becoming very worried about her baby. “I was dropping weight at a time when I really should have been gaining it. So that was a concern to everybody,” Kate remembers.
When she went to see her OB/GYN for a routine check-up the doctor was very concerned that Kate was dehydrated. She told Kate to immediately go to the hospital. Kate didn’t walk out of the hospital for 75 days.
“When I went to the hospital, I thought I’d be there, maybe overnight, maybe a few days at the longest. But I didn’t leave for 75 days. And we weren’t prepared for that. My husband wasn’t prepared for that. I never said goodbye to my son.”Kate was eventually diagnosed with tuberculosis. When she began treatment for TB, she was given the most common TB medications. She soon began experiencing side effects from the medicines, so her health care team adjusted her treatment regimen. This meant her treatment took longer to finish. One of her biggest worries was how the TB medicines would affect her baby.
“There was no way for anybody to really tell me what the effect of these medications was going to be on my baby, and that was really, really difficult,” says Kate.
Almost two months later, after she was no longer contagious, Kate was released from the hospital. She was finally able to hug her two-year old son.
“I was really worried when I came out of the hospital, like, what’s he going to think? Is he going to cry when he sees me? Is he going to recognize me? And, he came right up to me, hugged me, it was really amazing,” Kate recalls.
A few weeks later after being released from the hospital she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Thankfully, none of Kate’s family, friends, or coworkers developed TB disease. Kate is happy her TB treatment is over and she can enjoy focusing on her family. Since recovering from TB she has worked as a TB advocate to raise awareness and support others with TB, especially pregnant women.
“I want the health community to be reminded that tuberculosis is airborne, and anybody can catch it,” Kate says.

Kate is a part of We Are TB, a network of TB survivors.Kate's baby“I just heard my baby crying. It was just the best feeling because I was like, listen to those lungs! Listen to that baby cry! That baby can cry, that baby can breathe,” Kate remembers.Share Kate's Story on FacebookView LargerClosePersonal Story - Kate PictureDownload Image[JPG]
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“Kate became very sick while pregnant with her second child. She was diagnosed with TB and spent more than two months in the hospital. One of her biggest worries during treatment was how the TB medicines would affect her baby. https://go.usa.gov/xn5KY”Share Kate's Story on TwitterView LargerClosePersonal Story - Kate PictureDownload Image[JPG]
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“Kate was diagnosed with TB while pregnant with her second child.  https://go.usa.gov/xn5KY”More TB Personal Stories
							
					
						Page last reviewed:  December 5, 2017					Content source: 	Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention homeTuberculosisBasic TB Factsplus iconHow TB SpreadsLatent TB Infection and TB DiseaseSigns & SymptomsTB Risk FactorsExposure to TBTB PreventionVaccinesTB & HIV CoinfectionTB and DiabetesTB TermsPersonal StoriesTesting & Diagnosisplus iconWho Should be TestedTesting for TB InfectionTesting in BCG-Vaccinated PersonsTB Screening and Testing of Health Care PersonnelTesting During PregnancyDiagnosing latent TB infection and TB diseaseTreatmentplus iconDeciding When to Treat Latent TB InfectionTreatment Regimens for Latent TB Infection (LTBI)Treatment for TB DiseaseAdverse EventsTB Treatment of Persons Living with HIVTB Treatment and PregnancyTB Treatment for ChildrenFrequently Asked QuestionsDrug-Resistant TBResearchplus iconTB Epidemiologic Studies Consortiumplus iconResearch ProjectsPublicationsTB Trials Consortiumplus iconStudy DescriptionsBackgroundBehavioral & Social Science ResearchHealth Care Settingsplus iconTB Infection Control in Health Care SettingsResources for TB Screening and Testing of Health Care Personnelplus iconFrequently Asked QuestionsTB in Specific Populationsplus iconHealth DisparitiesAsian PersonsBlack or African American PersonsHispanic or Latino PersonsChildrenPregnancyCorrectional FacilitiesPeople Experiencing HomelessnessInternational TravelersLaboratory Informationplus iconDrug Susceptibility TestingFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitInterim Laboratory Biosafety Guidance for XDR  tuberculosis strainsModel Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP)Rapid Molecular Testing to Detect Drug-Resistant TB in the USplus iconExecutive SummaryIntroductionBackground on Tests for Molecular Detection of DRGeneral Considerations and Principles for a Molecular DR Testing ServicePossible Scenarios and Scope of Testing for a Molecular DR Testing ServiceResearch NeedsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelCommunication Plan for the ReportRecommendationsReferencesPanel Members and CDC ParticipantsAppendix 1Appendix 2Appendix 3The Uses of Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for the Diagnosis of TBplus iconGeneral ConsiderationsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelRecommendations to ACET, CDC, DTBEData & Statisticsplus iconTB Incidence in the United StatesReported TB in the US, 2022 Surveillance Reportplus iconNational DataReporting Area DataRisk FactorsDemographicsTB Treatment and Case OutcomesDrug-Resistant TBMolecular SurveillanceTuberculosis in the United States, 2022 (Slide Set)Archived Surveillance Reports and Slide Sets2021 State and City ReportArchived State and City ReportsProfessional Resources & Toolsplus iconTools for Healthcare ProvidersResources for TB Programsplus iconStrengthening Civil Surgeons’ Capacity to Improve LTBI Surveillance and Outcomes Among Status AdjustersNotice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)Program EvaluationTB Centers of ExcellenceTB Elimination AllianceTB Genotypingplus iconConventional TB GenotypingWhole Genome SequencingTB GIMSAnalytic ToolsLatent Tuberculosis Infection ResourcesPublications & Productsplus iconPatient and Public MaterialsFact SheetsGuidelinesplus iconControl & EliminationDrug-Resistant TBInfection Control & PreventionLaboratory & GenotypingTB & HIVTB in Specific PopulationsTesting & DiagnosisTreatmentVaccines & ImmunizationsArchived TB GuidelinesGuides & Toolkitsplus iconAggregate ReportsCDC TB Surveillance TrainingCore CurriculumEffective TB Interviewing for Contact InvestigationEthnographic GuidesFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitForging Partnerships to Eliminate TuberculosisGuide to Application of GenotypingLTBI: A Guide for Primary Health Care ProvidersMantoux Tuberculin Skin Testing ProductsReport of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT)Self-Study ModulesTB Contact Investigation Interviewing Skills CourseTB eDOT ToolkitUnderstanding the TB Cohort Review ProcessNewslettersplus iconTB Notes, No. 4, 2023TB Notes, No. 3, 2023TB Notes. No. 2, 2023TB Notes. No. 1, 2023TB Notes, No. 4, 2022TB Notes, No. 3, 2022TB Notes, No. 2, 2022TB Notes, No. 1, 2022TB Notes, No. 4, 2021TB Notes, No. 3, 2021TB Notes, No. 2, 2021TB Notes, No. 1, 2021Pamphlets, Brochures, Bookletsplus iconQuestions and AnswersPatient Education SeriesTuberculosis - Get the FactsTuberculosis - The Connection between TB and HIV12-Dose Regimen for Latent TB Infection-Patient Education BrochurePostersplus iconMantoux Tuberculin Skin Test Wall ChartWorld TB DayThink TBStop TBTake on TBReports & Articlesplus iconDTBE Authored Journal ArticlesTuberculosis Laboratory Aggregate ReportsSlide Setsplus iconIntroduction to TuberculosisEpidemiology of Tuberculosis Among Non-U.S.​–Born Persons in the United States, 1993–2016Self-Study Modules on Tuberculosis, 1-5 Slide SetsThe Tuberculosis (TB) in Correctional Settingsplus iconFacilitator GuideIntroduction to TB GenotypingEpidemiology of Tuberculosis in Correctional Facilities, United States, 1993-2017Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Correctional and Detention FacilitiesGuidelines for Preventing the Transmission of M. TB in Health care SettingsInvestigation of Contacts of Persons with Infectious TBEpidemiology of Pediatric Tuberculosis in the United StatesTargeted Tuberculosis Testing and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis InfectionElectronic Tools & ResourcesWeb-Based Courses & Webinarsplus iconTB 101 for Health Care WorkersContent SyndicationInfographicsplus iconSocial Media GraphicsCustomizable Take on TB Infographic with InstructionsEventsWorld TB Dayplus iconU.S. TB ChampionsHistoryFeaturesplus iconTB Risk FactorsTreating Latent TB Infection with Short-Course RegimensWorld Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2021World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2020Linksplus iconState TB Control OfficesAbout Usplus iconMission Statement and Activitiesplus iconDTBE Strategic PlanNational TB Program ObjectivesOrganization ChartAdvisory Groupsplus iconFederal TB Task Force To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address			What's this?				Submit


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