What is the deal with Tuberculosis?

   Besides the unwelcoming wind and looming clouds putting a damper on my day, I had to go into to the medical clinic to get a Tuberculosis shot. I am not one for needles, even sissy TB needles. The TB shot is more of a skin test if anything. The test involves putting a small amount of a TB protein under a thin layer of skin on the forearm. If the unlucky person has been exposed to the disease their skin will react by forming a red bump around the test area.
    But like I said before, I am not one for needles. While in the waiting room I was trying to distract myself with my newest library loan, Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. It wasn't working too well. I felt the sweat starting to accumulate just thinking about the shot. Then my heart starting beating louder and louder. I was almost laughing at how intense the mere idea of a shot made my body react so violently. I say almost because I was too preoccupied with my body reacting so violently to think of expressing another emotion besides terror. While this battle between my mind and body was in full swing I hear a fateful noise- my name. I followed the nurse into the back, which took quite a bit of restrain. My body was saying run, while my mind was saying no. The funny thing through all of this is I am not one bit scared that I may actually come out positive on the test, I know for a fact I do not have the disease- I had a different TB reading about 8 months ago- but was only nervous for the stupid little prick of the needle.
    Well I summoned all my big girl powers and got the injection, and live to tell the tale. Now I only have to wait two days to get it read by a doctor, which is the easy part. If I have a red bump I got it, if not I don't.
    But all this tuberculosis drama got me thinking- do people actually still get this? Like I said, I have had to get this test done twice in the past year. Once for school, and now to apply for a volunteering job at a elementary school. Why is this disease still invoking fear?
      When I think of people dying from TB the only people that come to mind are writers and poets from the seventeenth century. From the extensive list from wikipedia (I know shame on me for using this as a source) names such as Henry David Thoreau, Franz Kafka, and Emily Bronte pop up. But what about in modern times? I don't know about you, but I have not heard of any TB epidemic.
     Well as it turns out, it is not a disease only found in history books, but is still quite alive and sinister. According to MSN Health,  there are 12,000 to 15, 000 new cases of TB each year in the United States. Worldwide this disease accounted for 1.6 million deaths in 2005! Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs, but can also infect other parts of the body. The disease bacteria works by basically destroying tissue, and can even eat a hole through a lung. I am telling you this is bad business.
   The disease is passed through the air through coughs, sneezes, or anything of that nature. Kinda makes me queasy just thinking about it.
      So that my friends is the deal with TB. It is very much alive- so go get tested! Even if it gives you the sweats just thinking about it!