Posted by nightlight on December 30, 2001, at 19:23:40
In reply to Re: Glenn......... (Mono), posted by Kristi on December 30, 2001, at 16:22:11
Kristi & Martha,
so sorry u've been suffering with that awful affliction-MONO!
I had it when I was 14. First 10 days I just lay on the sofa with a migraine & 'flu feeling' + of course, zip for energy. When I didn't get better, my brother drove me to the doc's for an exam-he sent us up one block, to the hospital, for a blood test. When I tried to stand up I came as close to fainting as I ever have in my 45 yrs.> Just curious...... from family and friends did you get the "oh..... just get up and take a shower, or take your vitamins, you'll feel better"
Heck, no! Back then, the docs 'quarantined' the patient. I was sent upstairs, to my bed, and told to remain there for the next month, maybe longer. Orders: sleep, take liquids, avoid all exercise (like I coulda) and do not descend or climb stairs (enlarged spleen is common and can be susceptible to rupturing). After the first 2 wks, most of the pain was gone, but I still slept 16 or more hrs. a day. The rest of the time I read voraciously ('Love Story' was the hot thing on the racks, god, did I weep), drew, daydreamed, and waved from my upstairs window to the occasional visitor. I really enjoyed the solitude and peace of the last few weeks. The silence, everyone at work or school during the day, being served soup in bed...
And, NO gym class for the last 2 months of the school year-the best of all possible worlds! Not to mention I lost 10 pounds w/o even trying. My usual hearty appetite totally deserted me for sev'l weeks. How about y'all?Course, I was a kid, I had my lessons brought home to me, etc. And, the length of contagion was suspected to be much longer than it is nowadays. Not like being in today's real 'working world'.
Please both of y'all, do be careful. Mono is an illness that takes every extra ounce of energy your body has to heal itself. It literally took a good 6 months for my strength to return in full.
And, I was healthy 14 yr-old (before the mono).Hope u are both *completely* well very soon.
Sincerely~nightlight
ps-Kristi-I think it's normal for nodes and spleen to swell, but please follow doc's orders on follow-up. nl
> Kind of like depression...... people that haven't had this disease don't understand it. I want to smack em"
> I wanted to ask..... after 3 months, how are you feeling now? Were you able to take off work?
>
> > > Hi Kristi,
> > > Just read that you are going through mono. I'm just getting over it but still feel the effects after 3 months! I went to the Dr and said I can't stay awake! It was AWFUL!!!! I was honestly GLAD when she told me the blood test was positive for mono because I honestly really thought I was heading for the worst depression of my life, although it "felt" different - I sincerely thought that my body was going into some shutdown phase or some huge crash.
> > >
> > > Word from one that's been there and DIDNT follow Dr's orders.... SLEEP!!!! even when you are feeling good, STAY IN BED! Do not push yourself to do anything, you'll make recovery time much faster. I didn't and pushed myself to a point of dang near collapse. It's worth staying in bed for a full week or two than dragging it out for months.
> > >
> > > Sleep and tons of water! (Drink Ensure or diet suppliment if you can't eat anything, that got me by through the worst week or two of it)
> > >
> > > You said it right, it is almost like what narcolepsy might feel like! I'd fall asleep at my keyboard or have to take a nap at the table in the middle of dinner! Strangest Illness I've ever been though. (cept for this depression of course, but that's another story! lol)
poster:nightlight
thread:16047
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20011216/msgs/16053.html