Reign Racks Reflects on His Journey to Recovery After Battling TB (Tuberculosis). The South African rapper Reign Racks recently shared his difficult experience with tuberculosis (TB), detailing how the disease affected his life and career for several months.
Reign Racks Reflects on His Journey to Recovery After Battling TB (Tuberculosis)During a recent interview, the Johannesburg artist, known for his hit song “Automobile” featuring Cassper Nyovest, revealed that he initially misinterpreted his symptoms as just a persistent flu before receiving a shocking diagnosis.
“Gents, you know I had TB bro, that’s why I was down, bro,” Reign Racks disclosed. “I had TB. I disappeared for months; it was going down. Nigga, I had the flu nigga. I thought it was the flu, I was coughing boy for like a month. A month goes by, and I’m like I’m still coughing? What’s going on? Aai haah sharp.”
After ignoring early signs, he first consulted a general practitioner, who prescribed medication that proved ineffective. “I went to the doctor, the normal doctor, though, I didn’t go to the hospital and I got medication, but nothing happened. I’m like, what’s going on?”
It was only after seeking care at a hospital that tests, including an HIV test that returned negative, a blood sugar assessment, and a chest X-ray, confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary TB, which had been progressing for months. “They did an X-ray and checked my lungs and said you have TB and it’s been there for months. And I’m like, doctor, tell, because I’m uneducated about this thing.”
Medical professionals informed him that the standard treatment for TB, which involves taking daily antibiotics, typically results in recovery over several months. TB is a bacterial infection that mainly targets the lungs and is treatable with consistent medication. Nevertheless, South Africa is among the nations most impacted by TB, where initial symptoms such as a prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, fever, and night sweats can easily be mistaken for less serious conditions.
Reign Racks recounted the severe impact of the illness on his body, indicating that he lost so much weight he felt “the size of my finger,” with clothes that no longer fit properly, forcing him into isolation. “I was getting skinny boy, lost weight. You see, I’m back. I was like the size of my finger. I was losing weight, and my pants were falling. I was at home hiding from niggas.”
Despite the physical and emotional challenges he faced, including the stigma surrounding TB, he expressed appreciation for his recovery. “Thank God I was able to recover and I’m back.”
His experience highlights the ongoing issues related to TB in South Africa, where early symptoms are often misidentified as trivial ailments, leading to delayed treatment. Health officials advise that individuals with a cough lasting more than two weeks should seek testing. Free screenings and treatments are available at public health facilities.
Reign Racks’ comeback represents more than a personal achievement. His willingness to discuss his health struggles may diminish stigma and encourage others with similar symptoms to seek immediate assistance, which could be life-saving in a country where TB continues to claim numerous lives each year.
