It seems the last three years, at least once a year, something goes bad. This year, it’s very bad.

I’m writing this because I have active tuberculosis.

I had a cough for a few weeks, woke up a few times with inability to breathe and knew something was wrong. However, trying to build a business after a move is not the time to slow down. But, i was getting worse. 

Finally went to the ER. I should have gone sooner, but I am one stubborn person. It took my wife, who did a TB screen for her job, her test returned positive. We had no option. 

We went to the ER.

When they knew or rather saw, I was very sick, all signs pointed to TB. They admitted me to the ER as well.

(The cough gave me away.)

The longer we were there, it became clear something was wrong.

My wife finds hers is dormant. She still must do treatment, she will miss weeks of work.

For me, after an X-ray, they came for blood work, person after person asking questions, then a CT scan. Then the news of “you are staying here.”

They moved me to a negative pressure room (or something along those lines, CDC cases floor) under full quarantine. Then I found out:

- Double pneumonia

- Rhinovirus

- Active tuberculosis

I had a choice to stay in the hospital, but the hospital really wasn’t set up for an environment that an autistic person could handle, and my wife was at home sick with three kids, all showing symptoms and undergoing testing as well. 

So I signed out.

Right now, we are all under quarantine.

Especially me, I have the tuberculosis of the tuberculosis crisis, the one where we had hospitals set up all over the nation just for tuberculosis. A very classic version from the Wild West. And because of this, we have no income.

I personally am looking at 3 to 6 months of treatment and recovery.

I am sure that $6000 is not going to be enough, but that’s where we’re going to start.

I appreciate everyone who has helped us in the past and everyone who is standing with us now.

We have a very long road ahead of us and we are uncertain of the future, but we cannot give up the fight and we cannot give up hope.

Thank you for considering us.

The Pollards