Kahlefeldt weathering TB scare
Brad Kahlefeldt, Australia’s top rated, London bound triathlete, complained of sharp chest pains and was taken to a San Diego hospital after finishing Saturday’s World Triathlon Series event.
Doctors told Kahlefeldt that X-rays revealed a small lesion on his left lung and that he might be suffering from tuberculosis or pneumonia – which he incurred in 2007 – and scheduled three tests.
So far, two of the three tests have come back negative for TB, which is highly contagious. Until and if the third test comes back negative for TB, Kahlefeldt remains in isolation in a San Diego hospital.
The 31-year-old who has a Commonwealth Games gold and three ITU World Championship medals to his credit, will remain in the isolation ward for another couple of days but believes it won't be a major disruption to his Olympic campaign.
Kahlefeldt also plays another major role in Australia’s Olympic medals chase as he has served as the coach of his girlfriend, two-time ITU World Champion Emma Moffatt, since 2010.
The Australian Associated Press reported that Kahlefeldt coughed up blood two weeks ago, but felt normal and continued training on the Gold Coast.
"I am confident this will be only a minor hiccup in my Olympic preparation and still have a positive outlook on beating this very soon," he wrote in his blog.
Kahlefeldt started to notice that his symptoms were getting worse when he got to the U.S. early last week.
“Once arriving, I started to get a sharp stabbing back pain on my left side and had a slight difficulty breathing,” he wrote on his blog. “I didn’t really worry too much as I thought it must of been all the sitting from the long haul flight over from Australia. During the week before both the blooded phlegm and back pain were getting slightly worse but as I tapered more into the race I still felt quite good.”
Remarkably, given his condition, Kahlefeldt finished 26th but felt weak and physically distressed.
“I went as hard as I could possibly go the 10km run, it just didn’t feel at all comfortable, normal or controlled,” he wrote. “Post race I rung my Australian doctor to tell him my symptoms and he requested I go get a lung scan straight away to check for blood clots before I flew out the following morning to Mallorca Spain [where he was scheduled to prepare for the Madrid round of the ITU World Triathlon Series later this month]
Kahlefeldt has received intense medical scrutiny, which he has taken with good humor. “I’ve seen more than 15 doctors in 2 days now,” he wrote in his blog. “I have had at least 3-4 blood tests daily, as well as others scans. I am in the isolation ward. The food is bad, but the staff are all very nice. I just have to stay in my room most of the day and if I go out a face masks must be worn at all times. I go down to the cafe for some bad coffee once a day and get plenty of space with my mask on. I find it funny.”
