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TB Personal Stories – Kenni’s StoryEspañol (Spanish)										Related Pages
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Kenni’s Story

KenniKenni
*Kenni, a mother of two young daughters, became very sick in 2012 with a respiratory illness. After numerous misdiagnoses, she finally learned she had tuberculosis (TB).*
“I wanted to tell my story so others can see that TB still happens in this country, and can happen to anyone,” says Kenni. “The good news is that once you get a correct diagnosis and get on the right treatment, you will start to get better.”
In early 2012, Kenni came down with a cough and fever, and was told by a doctor it was a respiratory infection. “I took the antibiotics I was given, but felt no better; in fact, it was the worst I’ve ever felt. I was coughing so much my ribs hurt.” Another doctor told her she had severe bronchitis.
Kenni kept working as a dental hygienist and helping out at her mom’s café. “Eventually, I couldn’t even turn in a customer’s order, I was so out of breath. My mom insisted I go get a chest x-ray.”
She did, and was told she had pneumonia. She was then sent to a lung specialist who told her it was probably viral. With so many doctor visits and diagnoses, but no medicine that helped, Kenni was exhausted.
That weekend her sister, who is a nurse, came over. “She saw how sick I was and said ‘This sounds like TB. I’m taking you to the emergency room.’”
“At the ER, a physician assistant saw something on my chest x-ray that looked like a big white cloud, and ordered a CAT scan. After the CAT scan, he came in wearing a mask saying he was concerned I could have TB, but he needed to do a bronchoscopy to make a diagnosis.”
The next week, with terrible, severe pain in her lungs and chest, Kenni was admitted to the hospital for the bronchoscopy and blood work. After 3 days, she was told that she likely did have TB and was started on standard TB treatment. “I knew the medicine was working because soon after starting it, my fever broke,” Kenni recalls.
“I want others to know that if they or their loved ones ever come down with this frightening disease, there is help available from nurses and others in the state public health TB program.”
Nine days later, after her TB was confirmed and she was responding to treatment, Kenni returned home. “I was so happy to see my children. They were also tested for TB, as was my husband. Thankfully, none of them were infected,” says Kenni.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) TB control program worked with Kenni as she continued her long treatment regimen — taking multiple pills every day for 9 months. “I got a lot of help from Kim, the public health nurse assigned to me. Kim is a terrific person who really helped me get through the long months of treatment. Kim would meet wherever it was convenient for me each day.”
Right before Christmas 2012, Kenni took her last dose of TB medicine. Since then, she has been healthy and TB-free. She is back to her busy schedule of being a wife, a mother, and working two jobs.
Kenni doesn’t know where or how she became infected with TB. Looking back, Kenni regrets that it took so long for a diagnosis. Because TB is no longer common in this country, doctors may not “think TB” when they see patients who have TB symptoms.
One bright spot for Kenni, besides getting better and getting her life back, was the help she received from the Texas TB control program, and specifically the assistance she got from Kim, her TB nurse. Kenni gives Kim much credit for her success in completing treatment. “I want others to know that if they or their loved ones ever come down with this frightening disease, there is help available from nurses and others in the state public health TB program.”More TB Personal Stories
							
					
						Page last reviewed:  March 7, 2013					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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