Frida’s battle with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: one day at a time
In 2015, at 19 years old, Frida, from Norway, returned from a three-month backpacking trip feeling unwell. Initially misdiagnosed with pneumonia, it was only after mentioning her travels that she was tested for tuberculosis (TB). When the results confirmed TB, she was placed in isolation.
“I remember my mom getting a call from the hospital,” she says. “They told me to come back immediately. When I arrived, the staff were in full protective gear. It was surreal.”
After starting standard TB treatment, Frida received devastating news: her TB was multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB). “I had just moved to a new city to start university. Then I got the call on a Friday afternoon: it wasn’t good news.”
Her new treatment lasted for one year, and required over 15 pills daily, with severe side effects. “I was nauseous all the time. It was exhausting,” she remembers. She was given the option of intravenous medication but chose pills to maintain some sense of normality. “At 19, I just wanted to live a normal life.”
The treatment was long and exhausting, but she remained committed. "The treatment made me feel worse than the disease, but I understood that it was my only option for getting better."
Having a strong support system made an enormous difference. “I was privileged to have financial security and a home to go back to. My family was my biggest support. Not everyone has that.”
The impact of TB went beyond the physical symptoms. “It wasn’t just about taking medication,” Frida says. “It completely took over my life. The uncertainty, the isolation, and the constant sickness affected my mental health as much as my body. “At that age, you just want to fit in and move forward with your life. Instead, I felt stuck, exhausted, and disconnected.”
As medical treatment alone isn’t always enough and additional support is essential, Frida believes doctors must also be more empathetic and see patients as people, not just cases. “Some doctors were fascinated by my case, but I often felt like an interesting medical puzzle rather than a young woman struggling to get through the hardest year of her life,” she explains. “TB treatment is not just about prescribing the right drugs—it’s about supporting patients so they can actually complete it.”
Her advice to others facing TB? “One day at a time. It might seem impossible to get through a whole year of this type of treatment, both physically and mentally. But I realised that if I focused only on making it through today, and then tomorrow, I could do it.”
Frida recovered after more than a year of treatment, but the experience changed her. After initially quitting studies in psychology due to the disease, following the healing she shifted her academic focus and pursued anthropology. “As I became more aware of health disparities and access to treatment, I wanted to know more about social factors related to the disease.”
Now, as part of an international NGO advocating for better healthcare worldwide, Frida emphasises the importance that TB patients receive not just medication, but also the support they need to complete their treatment. “TB treatment is not just about taking pills; it’s about making sure people can actually complete it,” she says. “I was lucky to have the resources and support that many others don’t. But luck shouldn’t determine whether someone survives TB.”
