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TB Personal Stories – Mabruka’s StoryEspañol (Spanish)										Related Pages
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Mabruka’s Story
MabrukaMabruka
My name is Mabruka and I am 29 years old. I am a mother of two, a wife, a daughter, and a sister. I am a peer counselor for patients who are diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). I am also a TB survivor who has lived through the pain of TB disease and its treatment.
When I first heard of TB, I was a little frightened because I knew of a family member back in Ethiopia who had died of TB. I didn’t think that I could get TB since I lived in America. However, I learned that anyone can get TB.
I was diagnosed with TB disease here in the United States at the age of 18. One day, I came home from school and started to cough forcefully. I felt like I couldn’t stop myself from coughing. I had been feeling sick for about 2 months at this point, but my coughing had not been this extreme. Suddenly, I noticed that I was coughing up blood. At this point I hid it from my family because I didn’t want them to worry, especially my mom. Many times I had gone to the doctor and all they gave me was cough medicine. There was another day where my coughing up blood worsened, so I went into the emergency room. The physician took an x-ray of my lungs and asked me if I had noticed anything different about my health. I told him that I had been experiencing unexplained weight loss, tiredness, shortness of breath, fever, night sweats, chills, loss of appetite, coughing up blood, chest pain, and pain with breathing and coughing. He then told me that I had TB disease. It was evident from my x-ray and the symptoms that I had.
Being diagnosed with TB disease changed my life. Treatment included taking 9 to 10 pills a day over a span of 6 months. I was always fearful that I could get sick again. I didn’t want to participate in any extracurricular activities because I would start to cough forcefully, and I always felt tired. From the moment I woke up to when I went to bed, I remember just feeling so tired. One of the people who helped me stick to the treatment for TB was my mother. She was always so encouraging and supportive in my times of poor health and illness. I also told myself that I had a lot to live for, such as my family, and that I wanted to get better for them. I was young and in high school. I was looking forward to graduating, going to college, getting married, and starting a family.
My family always was there for me, every step of the way during my treatment. They knew what it felt like because my mother, father, brother, and sister were diagnosed with latent TB infection and they had gone through treatment previously. These were the things that I kept in mind as I went through my 6 months of treatment.
“When I first heard of TB, I was a little frightened because I knew of a family member back in Ethiopia who had died of TB. I didn’t think that I could get TB since I lived in America. However, I learned that anyone can get TB.”
The most difficult part of the treatment was taking so many pills every day. I also stayed home from school often because I felt sick a lot. I loved school, so I was very sad when I stayed home. However, my mother took very good care of me. She was always there, cooking and taking care of me. She would try to take my mind off the treatment by telling me stories of people back in our homeland of Ethiopia. There were times that I had to wear a mask over my mouth because the doctor had recommended it. One of the hardest parts was feeling different because people would stare at me when I wore a mask to go outside. However, I was very fortunate to have my very caring, supportive, and loving family by my side.
During my treatment, I also benefitted from having a public health worker check on me every day and watch me take every dose of my medicine, which is called directly observed therapy (DOT). The local TB program was also very supportive. To help me take my medicine, I received $15 vouchers for groceries and protein drinks. In addition, my physician always encouraged me by telling me that I was doing better and that I would be fine soon.
Having TB has given me a new perspective on life. I knew the treatment was good for me and I told myself that I was not going to die of TB. And I am living proof of that. Now that I am a peer counselor at the DeKalb County Board of Health near Atlanta, and I see patients going through the same experience that I went through as a young adult, I share my story with them. I tell them that it will be okay, and that TB is treatable. I always try to help those who need some hope and encouragement by educating them about TB. Educating myself about TB also helped me to overcome my fears. My gift to the patients I work with is simply being a supportive person. It is something that helped me through my journey, and this is what I want to do for others.
I share my story because I want to motivate and inspire others who are diagnosed with latent TB infection, are living with TB disease, or know someone who is diagnosed with TB disease. I want to bring about awareness and educate the public about this disease. TB is misunderstood at times, but I want people to know that it is treatable and that educating yourself is the first and most important step.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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