TB meds

We’ve been treating superinfection and trying to improve Yeye’s nutritional and hydrational status for nearly 3 weeks now, and we are finally confident enough to start the TB meds again. A few days ago, the first day of TB meds, I walked over to her home in the morning to deliver some Salbutamol. I was surprised to see her respirations in the 40’s and her heart rate in the 130’s (instead of the usual 60’s and 160’s respectively). She was sitting in her little house with the rest of the family, waiting for the morning meal to be ready, and she looked so much more comfortable, so much more relaxed. I could hear a normal inspiratory and expiratory phase, and she had less stridor than usual. I even heard some air moving in the upper right lobe. She had no fever, and she even denied belly pain. Wow!
I wondered, ‘is this what she normally looks like in the mornings or have we finally turned a corner?’ Regardless of the reason, I was grateful to see such a significant difference in her condition. I walked home thanking God! Unfortunately, my colleague didn’t get to see this improvement, as Yeye was back to normal by late afternoon when we made our daily visit. I have to assume that she experiences daily cycles, better in the mornings, and worse in the evenings and nights. Yesterday, we found a streak of black traditional medicine on her back. Her grandmother said that she started having difficulty breathing the night before, so she made medicine for her. It is hard to imagine that she could have had much more difficulty breathing than she normally has. She also had a decreased heart rate (with a possible extra heart sound?) and slightly increased respiratory rate. Is she starting to decompensate? Her lungs are so full anyway that we wouldn’t know if there was extra fluid there. However, she was fidgeting with her hands and feet, so we concluded that if she has enough energy to fidget, she must be doing better, and not worse.
Lord, Yeye does not yet know you. Please show your grace by healing her, body and soul.