People with TB and HIV must never smoke as it will damage their health and their immune system. In Papua New Guinea there seems to be a general lack of self-discipline among sufferers. Some will have the half smart idea that their carer can not tell them what to do.
If they want to smoke they will smoke. And they will die. I have looked after three women who secretly smoked. Linda died of AIDS in 2002. Sameo died of AIDS in 2003. Grace died of recurrent TB in 2013. All could be still alive.
Grace started to smoke early in her TB treatment. She would go with me to Pacific International Hospital where the doctor warned her not to smoke. But she returned to heavy smoking in the 5th month saying she was in charge of her life. She died 3 weeks later.
The result of earlier smoking, the bacteria was still strong in her body. At the 5th month, she still had one month of medication. The bacteria was still in her body ready to arise and attack her. The heavy smoking at the end was the final invitation to attack. The doctor thinks she committed suicide.
She left the house but texted some days later that she wanted to come back as she was dying. She said her hands and feet were cold. I told her to catch a taxi and come. But she never did . She died some days later.
Her father had taken her away without her TB medication so she probably missed a week of two of daily medication. He was an inspector of police and arrived drunk, bashed her carer and took her. He was a fool. It is too easy to blame the carer.
The carer did not allow her to smoke. But when he left the house, the packet of cigarettes would come out of the hiding place. Linda was the same. Her family blamed her carer when she looked like a skeleton in the 11th year of HIV. That was before the days of free ARV. She was secretly smoking herself to death.
DO NOT SMOKE WITH TUBERCULOSIS. YOU DIE AFTER THE BACTERIA ARISES AND DESTROYS YOU.
Grace started to smoke early in her TB treatment. She would go with me to Pacific International Hospital where the doctor warned her not to smoke. But she returned to heavy smoking in the 5th month saying she was in charge of her life. She died 3 weeks later.
The result of earlier smoking, the bacteria was still strong in her body. At the 5th month, she still had one month of medication. The bacteria was still in her body ready to arise and attack her. The heavy smoking at the end was the final invitation to attack. The doctor thinks she committed suicide.
She left the house but texted some days later that she wanted to come back as she was dying. She said her hands and feet were cold. I told her to catch a taxi and come. But she never did . She died some days later.
Her father had taken her away without her TB medication so she probably missed a week of two of daily medication. He was an inspector of police and arrived drunk, bashed her carer and took her. He was a fool. It is too easy to blame the carer.
The carer did not allow her to smoke. But when he left the house, the packet of cigarettes would come out of the hiding place. Linda was the same. Her family blamed her carer when she looked like a skeleton in the 11th year of HIV. That was before the days of free ARV. She was secretly smoking herself to death.
DO NOT SMOKE WITH TUBERCULOSIS. YOU DIE AFTER THE BACTERIA ARISES AND DESTROYS YOU.
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