It's not the flu, it's MONO!!!

As everyone in the whole world knows... I've felt like C-R-A-P lately. I've thought it was a nasty flu bug that wouldn't go away.....well...... NOPE! I was struggling through another 12 hour shift and decided that enough was enough. There was no way this was just a cold or the flu when my throat has been hurting so severely for over a week now. My symptoms have hardly decreased at all! So I took a break and slipped in the back door of the emergency room. I had them do a "quick strep" test on me to see if it was strep throat. That came back negative and the doctor said "I think you have mono" (also known as the "kissing disease"). I started laughing and said "are you joking???" There's nothing anyone can really do about it, I mean mono is a virus just like the flu bug....if you get it you just have to ride it out. But it's severe and lasts a loooong time. AND, it can recur and bring on major fatigue. Well, I'm used to that part because of my lupus, I'm ALWAYS tired. But my throat has been hurting so bad I can hardly swallow and sometimes it seems hard to breathe. So guess what I have to take to get the inflammation down???? Yep, PREDNISONE!!!! *sigh*. I just can't get away from that stuff! lol Oh well, if it helps then bring it on.

I ended up coming home early from work because I felt so crappy and because it's so contagious. I wore a mask around my patients and kept my hands washed of course (and I know it was one of those old buggers that hacked in my face & gave it to me!) but I shouldn't be there when i'm so sick. Before I left, my friend Don showed me an email from a family at our church. It was about a dinner they're having for a church-member and our pastor. My pastor's kidneys totally failed and one of our church members is giving him one of his kidneys. I was so touched by that. And heartbroken. I know that I feel miserable... and I really do..... but wow. I'm so blessed. Even on my worst days God is good and I'm so grateful for the health that I do have. If they can handle a kidney transplant I can handle a little mono! Bring on the prednisone!

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