Lung issues, Tuberculosis and related issues (mods, sorry unsure where to post!)

[SilverbladeTE]

sorry mods, not sure where best to post this

I was reading up on Tuberculosis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis
noted this

In Europe, deaths from TB fell from 500 out of 100,000 in 1850 to 50 out of 100,000 by 1950. Improvements in public health were reducing tuberculosis even before the arrival of antibiotics. The disease remained such a significant threat to public health, that when the Medical Research Council was formed in Britain in 1913, its initial focus was tuberculosis research

interesting background info for anyone debating the MRC files they won't release, not much practical use, just interesting

However, what was interesting to me was the fact that it seems I'm developing breathing related problems.
I've never smoked, though my Mum did until about 8 or 10?? years ago, nor have I worked with asbestos and while arc welding does entail possible fumes and related issues, it was only for a few years that I did that.
Talking to folk in chat it seems breathing related issues are common in PWME?
I know I've had shortness of breath since it got worse about 10 years back, sort of like a weight across my chest and tightness inside chest. Docs of course just poo-pooed that when I said it to them
however early this year checks indicated I do have such issues and have ot go for lung tests etc.

Additionally, as noted in stuff about tuberculosis, folk with compromised immune systems are at more risk...oh, joys!
I knew a fella who got TB, nice guy but severe alcoholic, he got it from sharing bottles with his cronies and we used to talk a lot, so guess I better check docs about this! Why they didn't do screenings of folk who knew him I don't know, keep forgetting to ask about that, doh.

That fellow ended up in hospital for most of a year, between tuberculosis and alcoholism, he ended up like a human skeleton , down to about 90lbs in weight
He eventually died some years after he got out, he'd had surgery on his colon as result of his alcoholism, stitches burst and he died of resulting infection, ugh...salutory and tragic warning about alcoholism and lousy end for a genuinely nice fella :/

 

[paddygirl]

Hi Silverblade,

Pardon my medical ignorance here but does TB affect the immune system? I'm in my 50's and was in a sanitorium for the best part of a year with it when I was 4 or 5. There were 7 kids in a 3 bed house, not uncommon for those days and I remember all sorts of illnesses among us. Diphtheria, scarlett fever etc.

I've often wondered about the long term effects of this, as most of the illnesses I've had have been immune related. I've asked doctors especially as I became ill over the last few years. Trying to use logic to figure out what was wrong with me, but doctors don't look at the big picture do they

I often thought this related somehow to the horrendous 'growing pains' I got as a child. I remember screaming with them and my sisters sitting on my legs to give me relief. At an ME support meeting I saw a women I used to see speed walking around the streets, she came in using a walker with her legs bent the way that was (to me anyway) very similar to polio victims. If you told me I had polio there are days I would believe you as so many symptoms for me relate to extreme leg pain and 'deadness' like an anesthetic wearing off.

Could these nasty old illnesses have 'combined' to give us this hell I wonder.

Paddy