Fiancee Visa-tuberculosis

[emalesa19 1]

so she has to do sputum after 6 months so really 8 months after culture result? More than likely after the 2 months of sputum she would be cured right? so if her culture is positive, she has to do 6 months treatment plus two months sputum? Eithier way our visa will not be expired at that time-october?

[emalesa19 1]

would october be the approx month she will be here or when she has an interview?

[ca_babe 129]

so she has to do sputum after 6 months so really 8 months after culture result? More than likely after the 2 months of sputum she would be cured right?

She'll most likely be cured if she doesn't skip her medicine.

so if her culture is positive, she has to do 6 months treatment plus two months sputum?

Yes

I wouldn't worry about it though. From what I've read several people who were asked to undergo sputum exam turns out negative. I just called St. Luke's and my mom's culture result showed negative as well.

[ca_babe 129]

would october be the approx month she will be here or when she has an interview?

October is the estimated month that she'll have an interview. I don't know whether she'll want to fly right after she gets her visa or not.

[Bron Chase 1]

would october be the approx month she will be here or when she has an interview?

My wife and I have a similar timeline as you. We're waiting out the 2 months right now. Try not to worry too much; they make a lot of people do the sputum test. You should see the sputum line at SLEC every morning; there's like 100 people in line by 5am. Irregularities can show up on chest x-rays for a lot of reasons; they just have to make sure TB isn't the reason. She'll be there soon; time goes fast

- Bron (Makati/Utah)

[Tahoma 2,292]

My wife and I have a similar timeline as you. We're waiting out the 2 months right now. Try not to worry too much; they make a lot of people do the sputum test. You should see the sputum line at SLEC every morning; there's like 100 people in line by 5am. Irregularities can show up on chest x-rays for a lot of reasons; they just have to make sure TB isn't the reason. She'll be there soon; time goes fast

- Bron (Makati/Utah)

^^^ Bron...Thank you for adding some needed perspective to the issue.

On a side note, St. Lukes reports the results of smear tests, cultures, and treatments to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I remember reading those statistics last year. I wish I could find the link. Anyway, it turns out that lots of people undergo sputum collection but only a tiny percentage actually end up having to undergo TB treatment.

[emalesa19 1]

^^^ Bron...Thank you for adding some needed perspective to the issue.

On a side note, St. Lukes reports the results of smear tests, cultures, and treatments to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I remember reading those statistics last year. I wish I could find the link. Anyway, it turns out that lots of people undergo sputum collection but only a tiny percentage actually end up having to undergo TB treatment.

Thank you everyone for the in site. She got her smear results back and they came back negative. We are so happy to hear that. We are hoping for a negative result on feb 11 which is when she will get culture. I know it's not a slam dunk, but its a good thing her smear is negative right I regards to culture?

^^^ Bron...Thank you for adding some needed perspective to the issue.

On a side note, St. Lukes reports the results of smear tests, cultures, and treatments to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I remember reading those statistics last year. I wish I could find the link. Anyway, it turns out that lots of people undergo sputum collection but only a tiny percentage actually end up having to undergo TB treatment.

Thank you everyone for the in site. She got her smear results back and they came back negative. We are so happy to hear that. We are hoping for a negative result on feb 11 which is when she will get culture. I know it's not a slam dunk, but its a good thing her smear is negative right I regards to culture?

[Juliet and Steve 93]

Thank you everyone for the in site. She got her smear results back and they came back negative. We are so happy to hear that. We are hoping for a negative result on feb 11 which is when she will get culture. I know it's not a slam dunk, but its a good thing her smear is negative right I regards to culture?

Thank you everyone for the in site. She got her smear results back and they came back negative. We are so happy to hear that. We are hoping for a negative result on feb 11 which is when she will get culture. I know it's not a slam dunk, but its a good thing her smear is negative right I regards to culture?

Yes, it's a good thing. If the smear was + for AFB (Acid Fast Bacteria) then you know something (probably, but not absolutely TB of the lungs or trachea) is wrong. Therefore if the smear is negative at least the infection is not so active that there are many visible AFB (which look like tiny rods under a microscope). Though this is not necessarily an indication of the severity of any infection often it indicates a less severe infection which is overall better for her health (if the culture proves positive, which it might not).

In a way though a negative smear, though good to hear, still begs the answer to the question which is: "what is causing/or did cause the anomaly on the radiograph (x-ray) that led to the sputum process. Therefore it is possible that the culture will prove positive. Your only option is to wait and hope that the culture proves negative.

The bacteria responsible for TB is very slow growing and this is why the culturing process is done. There could be AFB rods in the sputum but the microscopist might not be able to see them because there are not many to be seen. When cultured even a single mycobacterium tuberculosis will replicate such that there will, at the end of the culturing process be hundreds of thousands which can easily be seen by a microscopist.

Do keep in mind that it is possible that she had a infection caused by another organism which can cause the same type of radiographic findings. For instance Histoplasmosis contradictatorily is both a common and a rare disease in the Philippines. It's common in that 1/4 of the population (based only on a single study) in Manila prove to at one time having been infected with histoplasmosis. (Probably from dust inhaled from dried chicken feces). It's rare in that although many people in the Philippines at one point in time contract the disease, most have few or no symptoms--the body conquers it and becomes resistant to future infections. A disease that the body quickly conquers never becomes identified at a hospital--thus although common it rarely becomes problematic). But before the body kills the infection certain types of lung/lymph node damage may occur which remain evident on a radiagraph (x-ray) generally for life. Therefore because there is evidence suggestive of TB on the radiograph of her lungs--it does not necessarily mean that she has TB and in the case of a previous histoplasmosis infection it does not even mean that she is suffering from any disease, only than once upon a time she did have a disease that she fought off.

Though waiting through the culturing process, and if necessary, treatement process will be exceedingly sad and frustrating for both of you do keep in mind that by finding it at this stage may (if TB is present) truly save her from serious adverse health problems as it will be found early.

[emalesa19 1]

Yes, it's a good thing. If the smear was + for AFB (Acid Fast Bacteria) then you know something (probably, but not absolutely TB of the lungs or trachea) is wrong. Therefore if the smear is negative at least the infection is not so active that there are many visible AFB (which look like tiny rods under a microscope). Though this is not necessarily an indication of the severity of any infection often it indicates a less severe infection which is overall better for her health (if the culture proves positive, which it might not).

In a way though a negative smear, though good to hear, still begs the answer to the question which is: "what is causing/or did cause the anomaly on the radiograph (x-ray) that led to the sputum process. Therefore it is possible that the culture will prove positive. Your only option is to wait and hope that the culture proves negative.

The bacteria responsible for TB is very slow growing and this is why the culturing process is done. There could be AFB rods in the sputum but the microscopist might not be able to see them because there are not many to be seen. When cultured even a single mycobacterium tuberculosis will replicate such that there will, at the end of the culturing process be hundreds of thousands which can easily be seen by a microscopist.

Do keep in mind that it is possible that she had a infection caused by another organism which can cause the same type of radiographic findings. For instance Histoplasmosis contradictatorily is both a common and a rare disease in the Philippines. It's common in that 1/4 of the population (based only on a single study) in Manila prove to at one time having been infected with histoplasmosis. (Probably from dust inhaled from dried chicken feces). It's rare in that although many people in the Philippines at one point in time contract the disease, most have few or no symptoms--the body conquers it and becomes resistant to future infections. A disease that the body quickly conquers never becomes identified at a hospital--thus although common it rarely becomes problematic). But before the body kills the infection certain types of lung/lymph node damage may occur which remain evident on a radiagraph (x-ray) generally for life. Therefore because there is evidence suggestive of TB on the radiograph of her lungs--it does not necessarily mean that she has TB and in the case of a previous histoplasmosis infection it does not even mean that she is suffering from any disease, only than once upon a time she did have a disease that she fought off.

Though waiting through the culturing process, and if necessary, treatement process will be exceedingly sad and frustrating for both of you do keep in mind that by finding it at this stage may (if TB is present) truly save her from serious adverse health problems as it will be found early.

so it is a good thing that she had a negative smear test? I know it necessarily doesnt mean she is negative on the culture, but if the xray showed any of the other diseases, she can still come here becuase her culture would be negative right? Is the culture just for tb? Eithier way she will be able to come here right at some point?

[emalesa19 1]

so it is a good thing that she had a negative smear test? I know it necessarily doesnt mean she is negative on the culture, but if the xray showed any of the other diseases, she can still come here becuase her culture would be negative right? Is the culture just for tb? Eithier way she will be able to come here right at some point?

will she have to get treated for the other diseases or is tb the only one she will go under extensive treatment for

[ca_babe 129]

will she have to get treated for the other diseases or is tb the only one she will go under extensive treatment for

The US Embassy only cares about communicable diseases. If your fiancee has other sickness, she wouldn't be treated for those. It's still a great idea to have an executive checkup before coming over here though. You can at least prepare for health costs knowing if she has other illness or take advantage of cheap healthcare over there.