Mono

So, I've been feeling slightly ill for a week or so now, nothing too serious, just  fatigue, swollen lymph glands in my neck, and then recently I developed a sore throat. Anyone that has some medical experience will probably see that fateful triad along with my college age and know exactly what I have. But for me, who is probably the only Bio major that doesn't study about everyday occurring diseases, I had not a clue what my symptoms indicated.

 A couple days ago the sore throat got to be extremely painful, my tonsils were all aflame and it looked like Strep throat. So, I went to the doctor. He asked a few questions and looked at my throat and said to me, I think we'll need to do some blood work, and test for Mono. Wait a second... MONO!!!???

Of all of the diseases my hypochondriac brain could conceive, from throat cancer to Strep to leukemia I had not even thought of Mono once. I was in sort of a denial as the friendly Phlebotemist took my sample, and then five minutes later I was told that indeed, I had Mononucleosis.

I left the doctor's office to go to my Psychology class. During the class I read the info packet the doctor had given me. I knew a little about Mono, but I learned a lot more during the next couple of days-

Mononucleosis Facts

1. It's known as the kissing disease

2. It is spread through saliva through kissing or sharing drinks, toothbrushes or eating utensils

3. It is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus

4. 90% of the population will have had the virus by the time they are 40

5. The virus only causes Mononucleosis if the primary(first time)

 exposure is during adolescent and young adult years

6. You only get Mono once

 7. After you've had the disease, small amounts of the virus

 may periodically reoccur in your saliva

8. Symptoms are a sore throat, swollen lymph glands, 

fatigue, and mild fever lasting about 2 weeks,

 then lingering fatigue and malaise (feeling of general discomfort)

 for about 2 more months

9. It enlarges your spleen, which can cause it to rupture

10. There is no cure

So let's start with number one, it's known as the kissing disease. I always associated Mono with kissing and thereby never thought I would have to worry about getting it. Getting Mono was always a joke with my friends and me, I had a good friend whose sister had gotten Mono up at college (she said from a drinking fountain, not from kissing), so whenever we shared a water bottle she always called it her mono water and warned me about it.

I'm kind of a joking hypochondriac. My sister and I rarely get sick, we have been blessed with amazing immune systems, but we jokingly say whenever we have a headache or heartburn or any symptom it is always a form of cancer, heart disease, or AIDS. I know that's terrible because some people really have those, but being a teenager I don't think those can harm me, so I feel safe joking about them. With my sister and my study buddy at school I've joked about having almost every disease I've heard of, every one except for Mono.

The point is, Mono was always a joke in my mind, something I'd never get. When the doctor told me I had it, I didn't believe him. When I told my family I had it, they didn't believe it either. My older sister actually started to laugh.

Now that I've had Mono for a couple days I've decided it's not going to be so bad. It's not really that embarrassing, only slightly painful and it does have some perks, for instance, now that I have Mono I don't have to worry about any boys other than mono-ridden ones wanting to kiss me, (cough cough, Yannick Periou) and second, I don't have to worry about anyone stealing my ice cream out of the freezer which I marked it "BIOHAZARD-May contain Mono!" :) 

I could write about how horrible Mono makes sleeping and exercising and trying to have enough energy to do anything, but I'd rather dwell on the positive. As long as I take ibuprofin regularly, I just feel like I haven't had enough sleep, which most teenagers feel like anyway. 

Well, I'll be posting more about living with Mono, but that's all for now, good night!