So I might have mono . . .

[smock]

I came down with something over the weekend--fever, sore throat, fatigue, and white spots on my tonsils. So today I went to the doctor because I thought it might be strep throat. Turns out I'm clear for strep, but I might have mono. 

Whaaa? I haven't been kissing any teenagers, I swear! 

I thought I was just exhausted because of the whole new mom thing. I have no idea how to work, take care of the baby, and take care of myself if I do have mono. And I won't know for a few days while they run the blood test.

Has anyone else experienced mono as a youth or adult? Does anyone want a sip of my dr. pepper? 

[mandapanda18]

So, i had mono a couple of years back, if you get a cold and are beyond worn out, working it to the bone (or taking care of another human non-stop) it can basically turn into mono! I was put out of work for 4 weeks (working as a tax accountant at the time, basically worked through tax season with it, ooops) to get better! I hope that you don't have mono and that it gets better soon.

[smock]

Thanks, mandapanda18, I'm definitely crossing my fingers that it's not mono! Especially because I work at a university, and I don't think I could stand all the jokes about improper fraternization with undergrads if I do have mono.

So when you had mono, how bad was the fatigue? I feel exhausted, but I'm not so exhausted that I can't work or cook or take care of DD.

[mandapanda18]

smock I was getting dizzy, a lot, like I would go to stand up from my desk and bam... almost fall over dizzy from the exhaustion. I also kept getting fevers, and had the sore throat that would not end. I was tired, but couldn't sleep (if that makes sense), so I would go home, lay down and just stare at the TV. I was still working 12+ hours days until my doctor pulled me off of work. Really, if it is just the beginining, you may feel okay, but if you ignore it (as I did) it gets way worse.

Just rest as much as you can, drink a ton of fluids, take some vitamin C and wait for the results. There is no medication to help speed up the healing process, simply time and rest.

[turtletop90]

Oh man, I'm sorry. I hope you don't have it. I had mono when I was 22. It was around this time of year too. I remember being too tired/sick to eat much at Thanksgiving. 

Really the only things that helped me were typical sore throat remedies, and rest. A lot of rest. I think I got over it in about 3 weeks.

[Brie]

I had mono in college. I vividly remember the fatigue--I remember getting up, taking a shower, and the mere act of doing so made me so tired I took a 3 hour nap. I remember falling asleep on the exam room table while waiting for the urgent care doctor. I was completely non-functional and had to re-schedule my finals for a month later and move home for my mom to take care of me. It was really, really, really bad. And my throat felt like it was full of tennis balls.

Fingers crossed that it's not mono. Because mono is awful.

[YahYahs]

I had Epstein-Barr virus in high school, which is one of the causes of mono. Thankfully, I didn't get full-blown mono. I don't remember much about it (we're talking circa 1997), except that my fatigue is what made my mom take me to the doctor. While in the waiting room, my mom seemed very irritable and finally asked, "You're not pregnant, are you? I don't want to go in there and find out you're pregnant." LOL (I think I was still a virgin at that point).

I remember the doctor telling me during the exam that it was likely because I was run-down from "burning the candle at both ends" (first time I'd ever heard that phrase, so it stuck with me), because I was doing competitive cheerleading and all the stuff that went along with that, plus tons of school work.

I can't remember how long I took it easy. I wish I had a better memory.

I hope you get better fast!

[rbp]

Aww smock, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. Hugs (it's ok, I've already had mono!)

I had mono my first year of grad school. FWIW, I never missed a day of research. I'm not saying this to be a martyr but to say that there are varying degrees of illness. I worked for 7-8 hour days instead of 10-12 because I felt ok in the mornings but like I'd been hit by a truck by 5 pm. My H (then BF) has never had mono, so I don't know how I got it. I must have exposed him to the virus, so maybe his immune system was just hardier than mine?

I distinctly remember waking up one morning in February and feeling like shit. I was exhausted and achy. I thought it was the flu. I went to the clinic, and the NP I saw diagnosed me with some unspecified virus. I was back at the clinic two weeks later with what I thought was strep throat, and that's when I was diagnosed with mono. The previous two weeks' fatigue made a lot more sense then! I was back to 90% after about four weeks total.

What are your work responsibilities at work this semester? Do I recall correctly that you're not teaching? Can you lay low for awhile? Talk to your doctor and assess your situation--you could have a much more severe case than I did, or you could not need to take any leave at all. Make sure you get the rest you need, but mono isn't necessarily the sentence you might think.

Take care of yourself. I hope you get well soon!

[niq]

ugh. I have shitty cold/flu symptoms today -- since about 1:30pm, I feel dizzy just sitting here reading email & GBCN. I hope it's not mono!!

I had mono in high school, I just sort of powered through it. Probably a bad plan. I remember having a serious case of the shivers during driver's ed (the in-class portion), falling asleep on the way home, etc.

[Blue Moon]

I had mono in college. It was bad. I got it right as I was taking my finals and then packed up my dorm and drove 2 hours home for Xmas break. I remember pulling over on the side of the road numerous times on my way home because I just couldn't keep my eyes open. I was out of commission for the entire 6 week break. The exhaustion was so intense I passed out in the shower and hit my head. My father happened to hear me fall luckily and I was basically banished to bed after that. At one point during the worst of it, my mother was literally spoon feeding me because I didn't have the energy to even feed myself. My case was atypical though. I really, really hope you don't have mono because I can't imagine having to be a functioning adult while ill like that. FWIW though, a lot of the girls in my dorm also got mono over break and none of their cases were nearly as extreme as mine was.

[catbus]

I'm sorry.

My knowledge of mono is largely limited to what I learned from BSC #69, "Get Well Soon, Mallory!" so I'm no help. 

[daisycat]

Oh no! I hope that it's not mono and you get feeling better soon!

[smock]

I'm hoping if it is mono it's the kind like rbp where I will still be semi-functional. I'm teaching one class and it wraps up in a month. I work from home most of the time and I should be able to manage getting everything done in 6 hour days.

Thanks for the advice and commiseration! I will update once I get the test result.

[pinotgrig]

Oh no! I hope you feel better soon and don't have mono. Keep us updated.

[Deleted]

I had mono and didn't even know it. I suspect now that I had it in college, my second semester freshman year. So for me, it wasn't a huge deal at all.
I went for routine bloodwork maybe 5 or 6 years ago, the doctor called with results and asked "so when did you have mono? It came up in your bloodwork, but we never talked about that in your history" and I was like... um never?