I am at 3 and a half months and I am at the end of my rope

Ears, nose and throat
1

Hello everyone. I have been reading this forum for awhile but I have finally decided to join. I started feeling terrible in mid November and didn't get diagnosed with mono until mid January. I'm 49 year old . It has been 3 and a half months of ups and downs. I am better than I was a couple of months ago but I still have morning nausea, Head and neck pain in the back of the neck, Dizziness. I'm starting to lose hope and get very depressed. 

I have been lucky because my employer has let me do a lot of work from home. How has having mono affected everyone's job? How do you deal with it?

This is by far the worst thing I have ever been through. The worst thing is when you have a couple of good days and you think it's over you get hit again with a bunch of bad days. 

I guess we will all make it through together. 

2

Hi Don,

i first got properly ill in January 2017, diagnosed in dec2016. And I started my good 8 week stretch in January 2018. So it's taken just over a year there abouts to feel normal again. It has been horrendous and definately the worst thing I've ever experienced. I am still signed off work, I may start back in April!! Phased return. 

I wouldn't say I'm completely normal but I suppose 90 ish %.its really slow but I am definately getting there. This will happen for you too!! I'm in my 40's too, 41!

it is soul destroying  when bad days follow good, I started off with all bad days, then a few good days were happening, and then it switched to more good days with bad sprinkled in and now it's all good!! I only feel a bit tired now and then.

this forum is great. Lots of lovely people with great support and advice. It stops you turning to dr Google, which isn't so good!!

i would say listen to your body, rest when it says stop! Avoid alcohol and sugar and eat as healthy as you can, really look after yourself and after that it's just time.

things do get better.

caroline 

 

3

Hi Don,

This is the pattern of mono, I was also able to work from home and basically suffered through times I had to be in the office or out in the field. 

I felt pretty terrible the first six months and started to turn the corner at about 11 months. Hopefully you recover much more quickly.

Trying to take your mind off it( I know it is really difficult) Movies, guided meditation, massage, internet, reading ect. I drink green tea as an anti inflammatory, take vitamins, advil for the body aches and drink a lot of fluid.

You will recover, it is a rough illness and really takes a lot out of a person mentally and physically.

4

Hi Don, 

We started feeling sick at the same time. Take comfort that at least you know it’s mono... for me my blood tests just showed past EBV and CBV infections, due to everything else being perfect I was just labeled as “mono like virus” or “post viral fatigue” 

Like you, I am generally feeling better but there are still lingering symptoms. For me it is body aches and sore throat. 

Thank goodness that terrible debilitating fatigue has lifted.. that was terrifying. We just need to take it one day at a time, I’ve been reading lots of forums with people being sick with a virus (not necessarily EBV) for months and months...  it gives me hope that these people stopped posting eventually and presumably got better. 

You’ll get better too. We all will. Just a slow process. Lots of people are thinking these viruses have mutated so they’re harder for our bodies to fight. 

I’m off work for now. 

Take care! 

5

Hey Don,

Thanks for sharing your story, I really do empathise having been through mono about 11 years ago. It was the worst thing I had to go through too, and I had all the same physical symptoms and worries over work and emotional strain with it. I just want to reassure you that things do get better - after 3-4 months I was in a mess, but it had been so long of such intense symptoms, being unable to live a normal life and struggling each day. The intensity does lessen, and this period you have been through is BY FAR the worst - it still may take a bit of time and don't panic if that is the case, because recovery definitely will come and the intensity will lessen over the coming months.

Taking vitamins and herbs really helped me (each day taking a good strong multi-vitamin, high doses of Vitamin C (1000mg-3000mg), B complex (great for energy levels and calming nervous system) and immune boosting herbs like siberian ginseng and echinicea). These definitely helped boost my immune system and cope a bit better going through the worst period.

Caroline, Van and Mono offer some good words, I know these guys know exactly what it's like too and the forum is great for folks encouraging each other. Definitely worth keeping your eye in here, especially when finding it tough.

I was just grateful that God brought me through mono, I thought at one stage I would never recover, but I did thanks to God's help - I believe you wll too Don and remember just be kind to yourself, give yourself plenty of rest, don't overdo the work from home and put yourself first. I know it's hard to do when the pressures of life are on. And do something each day that you enjoy that reduces stress that doesn't take too much energy, even just going for a short walk if possible for fresh air, or watching tv show / film, reading, listening to music, whatever - just anything that helps with distraction is good as I know what it's like just getting through each day is an achievement when feeling this way. Just cope with each day one day at a time man.

Most importantly, remember you WILL make a full recovery - I know it must feel discouraging right now and you must be so tired and weary - thinking about you, there is hope today and things do get better - there is life after this man and it will be a life of full health again, even if it takes a bit of time you WILL get there, 100% I believe that thanks to Jesus.

Hang in there and thinking of you.

Craig

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Hi Don I'm at 6 weeks off work now and my symptoms, the horendous fatigue has lessened which means I'm sleeping about 2 hours most days instead of 5-6 hours. I'm in my mid 40s and had no idea about this virus until now. I'm taking it day at a time and resting as much as possible

Karen

7

Thank you guys for all the encouraging words. I do pray every day for healing everyday. One positive is a trauma like this will bring you closer to God. If you trust God in the Good times then you can trust him in the bad times. We will all get through this pain eventually. 

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Definitely Don, such wise words for sure. Times like mono really make you realise how vulnerable we all are and how much we depend on God for everything. We all take things for granted when going well, it's human nature I guess - definitely believing God will bring healing to you Don like He did for me - and once you're through this you will be so much stronger and feel free and happy and appreciative of life again without doubt - something to look forward to because you WILL get through this and get better - 100% I believe that thanks to God.

Thinking of you!

Craig