I got some good and bad news on Saturday night.
After a week plus of nightly fevers, extreme tiredness, night sweats, headaches, etc. I went into urgent care to get looked at. I had an appointment for Monday morning with my regular doctor but my 102.1 temperature (in combination with the past week) dictated that I do something sooner. That morning my throat had started to hurt as well and it was clearly white near my tonsils. Considering my surgery when I was younger from strep throat, I wanted to get looked at in case it had been strep all along and I needed to start treatment ASAP.
Answers! Clearly, it seemed, strep throat was part of the reason for the way I have been feeling.
When I got to urgent care they swabbed my throat. The nurse agreed, my tonsils looked bad.
About 10 minutes after the nurse left, the doctor came back. The quick strep test returned negative. He looked at my throat, my lymph nodes, etc. to see if he could figure anything out. He was a bit confused but after I explained my story to him, he said we should test for one more thing. I had symptoms matching mononucleosis (i.e. mono).
What?
Sure enough, the test came back positive.
I have mono.
The doctor then proceeded to tell me all the not so good news related to it. I don't remember anyone close to me ever having it so I did not know about these things.
Mono is untreatable. Mono is like chicken pox, the older you are when you get it the worse it typically is.
Rarely do people over 35 get mono (school age kids are the most common victims). Normally it lasts four to six weeks but at my age it very possibly could be two to three months. Extreme cases last six months.
The potential timeframe of mono starting with me is anywhere between 9/18 and 9/28. On 9/18, I had a mono like day but then felt pretty good again until 9/28.
My spleen and liver felt fine to the doctor, which was good, but I need to pay particular attention to any pain on either side of my body as both tend to enlarge (and in some cases the spleen ruptures).
Bed rest for a couple of weeks is suggested but the doctor said he understands it's not really an option for a father of two young girls. I am just going to need to nap and rest whenever possible and continue to work.
My throat doesn't hurt today, which is nice. Hopefully I will be able to swallow without pain again going forward.
How did I get it? I honestly have no clue. I do not even know anyone else with mono right now.
Thankfully, I won't be featured on any new House M.D. episodes after all.
While this is all bad news as a whole, it puts me a little at ease to know what I am dealing with. It gets scary when your body is doing weird things to you for a prolonged period of time and you can't explain why.
However, that was just the start of our weekend fun. Sunday was an adventure all onto itself and will be explained in a different blog this week.
I must say, it feels weird being grateful for a Monday.
After a week plus of nightly fevers, extreme tiredness, night sweats, headaches, etc. I went into urgent care to get looked at. I had an appointment for Monday morning with my regular doctor but my 102.1 temperature (in combination with the past week) dictated that I do something sooner. That morning my throat had started to hurt as well and it was clearly white near my tonsils. Considering my surgery when I was younger from strep throat, I wanted to get looked at in case it had been strep all along and I needed to start treatment ASAP.
Answers! Clearly, it seemed, strep throat was part of the reason for the way I have been feeling.
When I got to urgent care they swabbed my throat. The nurse agreed, my tonsils looked bad.
About 10 minutes after the nurse left, the doctor came back. The quick strep test returned negative. He looked at my throat, my lymph nodes, etc. to see if he could figure anything out. He was a bit confused but after I explained my story to him, he said we should test for one more thing. I had symptoms matching mononucleosis (i.e. mono).
What?
Sure enough, the test came back positive.
I have mono.
The doctor then proceeded to tell me all the not so good news related to it. I don't remember anyone close to me ever having it so I did not know about these things.
Mono is untreatable. Mono is like chicken pox, the older you are when you get it the worse it typically is.
Rarely do people over 35 get mono (school age kids are the most common victims). Normally it lasts four to six weeks but at my age it very possibly could be two to three months. Extreme cases last six months.
The potential timeframe of mono starting with me is anywhere between 9/18 and 9/28. On 9/18, I had a mono like day but then felt pretty good again until 9/28.
My spleen and liver felt fine to the doctor, which was good, but I need to pay particular attention to any pain on either side of my body as both tend to enlarge (and in some cases the spleen ruptures).
Bed rest for a couple of weeks is suggested but the doctor said he understands it's not really an option for a father of two young girls. I am just going to need to nap and rest whenever possible and continue to work.
My throat doesn't hurt today, which is nice. Hopefully I will be able to swallow without pain again going forward.
How did I get it? I honestly have no clue. I do not even know anyone else with mono right now.
Thankfully, I won't be featured on any new House M.D. episodes after all.
While this is all bad news as a whole, it puts me a little at ease to know what I am dealing with. It gets scary when your body is doing weird things to you for a prolonged period of time and you can't explain why.
However, that was just the start of our weekend fun. Sunday was an adventure all onto itself and will be explained in a different blog this week.
I must say, it feels weird being grateful for a Monday.
Jackie is still waiting to hear when she can come over and make out.
ReplyDeleteyuck yuck yuck yuck yuck...get better
ReplyDeleteJesus, Brian... well I hope the fam lives through this one. Remember that you can still kiss your kids through your plastic bubble.
ReplyDeleteI hope you let your girlfriend know that she also has mono so that she can get lots of rest. Then you can start making out again.
ReplyDeleteWith our last month, Gina and I joke that we need one.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm working on it.
ReplyDeleteVery funny. You can't just say something nice can ya?
ReplyDeleteTell her thanks, but no thanks. I'm taken. Wait...I thought she was too. Does her boy toy know about this?
ReplyDeleteok. I hope you feel better, cheater.
ReplyDeleteWhat am I going to tell the girls?
Gotta love the comments! I'm reading a story about probably one of the most miserable weeks in Brian's life (since the wedding, ZING!) and I can't stop laughing. Feel better big dog!
ReplyDeleteLove,
SOOP
p.s. Air kisses from now on. Sorry.
Jacks does have a man ... but what he doesnt know wont hurt him.
ReplyDeleteBut ewwww to B & Jacks making out. Seriously, this conversation needs to be done. I'm gagging.
You wanna start with me Soop? I thought we were friends.
ReplyDeleteYou could be honest and let them know you tell lies.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of the fact that Gina, for once, isnt yelling at me :)
ReplyDeleteI meant the week BEFORE the wedding, because everything since then has been bliss. Better?
ReplyDeleteJack Ass
ReplyDeleteYeeouch!
ReplyDeleteThat Jack Ass comment was directed at me wasnt it?
ReplyDeleteRude, but I probably deserved it.
Dang, I was hoping I had earned that.
ReplyDelete