I have mono

[lunabee34]

Everything else came back negative. Chest X-Ray completely clear. COVID antibodies negative. No tick borne diseases. Thyroid still plugging away (but Hashimoto's antibodies off the charts, probably because of the Epstein Barr virus). So glad.

On the other hand, there's no treatment for mono, and while most people get better in the two to four weeks range, symptoms can last for six months. I'm at 46 days of symptoms, with fever on almost every day of those 46 days.

So all I can do is what I've already been doing--rest and OTC meds.

Not going to lie. I have been so miserable that I don't think I can bear the thought of feeling this badly for weeks or months more. BUT! Nobody dies of mono. I am not dying. LOL I will eventually get better, and it's not anything serious that I'm going to end up in the hospital for. I just might feel wretched for awhile longer.

Another annoying angle: mono is contagious although not overly so; it's not airborne. It's spread through saliva and, get this, sex. So as long as people aren't eating and drinking after me or kissing me and I'm carefully washing my hands if I get saliva on them and I use condoms if I ever feel well enough to have sex again LOL, I won't spread it to anyone. But get this--nobody knows exactly how long it is contagious. It can potentially be contagious for up to SIX MONTHS AFTER I GET BETTER. And once you have it, it's in your body for life and can potentially reactivate, and you can become contagious again although apparently that's pretty rare? IDK That is 100% nuts.

For the first two weeks I was sick, I was super careful in case in I had COVID and was washing my hands constantly and not sharing towels, and then in the last three weeks when it was clear I didn't have coronavirus, I was less careful. Nobody else is sick (and I still suspect that Fiona had it and gave it to Emma and I caught it; it's apparently generally mild in children and often mild in adolescents and indistinguishable from a cold), but the incubation period is four to six weeks, so everybody else could still get sick.

So, to recap: I'm not dying. I am probably going to continue to feel wretched for quite some time. I am off to bleach everything that is near my toothbrush in the bathroom and store it differently, and I guess I'm about to find out how inflation has affected the price of prophylactics.

Thanks for all your support. You are my people. *hugs*

Comments

[musesfool]

I'm sorry you're sick but I'm glad you got a diagnosis and that it's mono, and not something worse! It wears you out for a while even after you get better, I think, so take care of yourself. <3

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[teaotter]

I'm glad you have a diagnosis, and it's not dangerous. That's really good news!

The rest sucks, and I'm so sorry they don't have a better treatment for you. *hugs*

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[kass]

Oh, wow. I'm really glad it isn't something more alarming or God forbid fatal, and, I'm so sorry you're still feeling lousy with no clear sense for when you'll feel better again? I'm really glad it's not something awful though.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[princessofgeeks]

Oh, man, I am so glad you have a diagnosis. For me the uncertainty and waiting is the worst.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Me too.

Thank you.

[gloss]

I'm so glad it's not something more serious, but mono does suck and you have all my sympathy. I had it in the spring of my sixth grade year and it just laid me out like nothing ever had, not even chicken pox. <3

[lunabee34]

Oh man. Chicken pox sucks so hard. I hated having it. I was so happy when I had kids to realize there's a vaccine and nobody has to get it anymore.

*hugs*

Thanks for the well wishes.

[corvidology]

I'm sorry that there's no immediate cure for this but given the times we're currently living in "yeah, mono!" is oddly comforting.

I do hope you feel a lot better soon!

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Wow. Mono? Huh. At least it's a diagnosis, but, yeah, in terms of treatment and duration and everything, ugh. I'm sorry the end of the tunnel isn't closer or less maintenance in terms of lifestyle issues and transmission.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[lyr]

I'm glad you know what it is, and obviously that you're not dying. But I'm sorry you're going to feel crappy for a while longer

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[trobadora]

All the hugs!

I'm glad you know what it is, at least. And that it'll get better.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[kore]

FUCKING YAY not dying! Also yay it's not any of those horrible things! But mono....ugh. All my sympathies. But thank god you finally at least know what it is and that it WILL go away, at some point.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[forestofglory]

I'm so glad they figured out what wrong and that it's not life threatening. I hope you feel better soon!

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[misbegotten]

Yay for it being something they can identify! *hugs*

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[starandrea]

Yay for not dying! Boo for continuing to feel wretched. :(

My college roommate had mono her freshman year and missed an entire semester, but fully recovered with no recurring wretchedness so far? Just as an arbitrary datapoint that has no bearing on your situation whatsoever, of course.

I hope you recover much more quickly, but just as thoroughly. I'm so glad you have some kind of answer, at least. ♥

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

Your data point is appreciated. :)

[independence1776]

*hugs* I'm glad you have a diagnosis! Mono sucks, though.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[author_by_night]

Glad you're okay-ish and that it's "just" mono! As horrible as mono is. *Hugs*

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[oracne]

Hooray for a diagnosis! It sucks, that is true, but I am so so glad it was not worse.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[ursula]

Oh, ugh, what frustrating irony. But at least there's an explanation?

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[executrix]

COndoms are unreasonably expensive! But you can save a lot by online bulk orders!

[lunabee34]

OMG, so we used to use condoms exclusively because I had a lot of problems with oral contraceptives and the Depo shot was like living inside Munch's Scream, but we just got them for free on campus at the clinic. When we moved here, there were no more free condoms, and we very quickly found another viable method of birth control because wow. Super expensive. It'll be fine for a little while, though.

[slightweasel]

Mannn, it sucks that it's mono, but I'm SO GLAD you have an answer for this one thing, at least. I hope your symptoms clear up ASAP. ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[tabaqui]

Oh, wow. I did *not* know that stuff about Mono! How crazy!
I'm sorry you have it, but glad it's not something more serious.

I hope you can start feeling better soon!

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

I didn't know it either. Very bizarre. Nobody I knew had it as a teen, so I never had the occasion to think about it before now.

[aphrodite_mine]

Sending hugs and love to you and a swift kick in the pants to mono.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[resonant]

Oh no! I'm so sorry - that's such a long haul. I mean not dying is good, I'm in favor of that, but such a marathon of an Illness.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[amejisuto]

I'm so sorry you have mono and it's dragging on for so long, but at least it's something. You have a label and know that you'll get through it. I have faith you'll do it! I'll send you some healing vibes hon. Hopefully, you'll get rid of this soon.

[lunabee34]

Thank you, my friend.

I'm sucking up all those healing vibes. Keep them coming!

LOL

*hugs*

[torachan]

I'm so glad you were able to get a diagnosis! And mono is definitely better than a lot of the alternatives could have been. Hope you're feeling better soon.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[timespirt]

"HUGS"

You need to rest is what they tell you for that. It sucks but you have to take it easy. I'm so glad it's something that is going to go away. Also glad you're not dying as well.

"HUGS" you again because I can. Get better hon. (wishing you a speedy recovery)

[lunabee34]

I'll take every single hug you want to give me. :)

I'm so grateful that my job allows me to take it easy. I only have to be on campus for two half days in the week, and the rest of the time I'm here at the house lounging.