My brother-in-law is just now getting over a bout with mono, and hearing this reminded me of how I exchanged pleasantries with the disease myself about five years ago.
I got it during my sophomore year of college, at which time I was working two jobs and taking a lot of design and photography courses. These particular courses required tons of studio time, so when I was finished with my jobs for the evening, I had to go back to campus to work on my projects. I was a busy woman, to say the least, so when I started feeling really tired all the time I didn't think too much of it.
My fatigue got so bad that I would take complete advantage of the five minute window I had between jobs. I would drive home from one job, change into my grocery store t-shirt, crawl into bed, and set my alarm for five minutes later so that I could get up and go to the other job. I was completely exhausted all the time, but still didn't think I was sick or anything.
Eventually, I got really swollen glands and thought maybe I had strep throat or something. So I finally went to the doctor. They did the blood tests and sent me home with antibiotics, which I took and conveniently had an allergic reaction to. About the time I was turning completely red all over with a strange rash, I got a call and found out I had mono. Let me tell you, at that point in my life, it was certainly NOT excellent news. Not only did I feel like a freak of nature because I was completely pink, but if I missed classes, I thought the world would end. I think I might have missed about two days of classes, and that was only because I was too embarrassed to show up looking like a turnip. I slowed down a little bit, cutting out one job altogether and cutting my hours back at the other, but I still dutifully went to my classes and worked on studio projects. I'm a freak like that.
Most young people who contract mono think it's about the best disease ever. You get to stay home and sleep all the time and milk it for all it's worth. But for me, it was the lowest point of my whole college career, feeling so crappy yet still making myself work so hard.
Now, oh now, what I wouldn't give to have a nice bout of mono. I would probably treat it like a vacation, wallowing on the couch with the remote and a long list of TiVo items to catch up on. Bonus points if I could get it before jury duty next week.
I got it during my sophomore year of college, at which time I was working two jobs and taking a lot of design and photography courses. These particular courses required tons of studio time, so when I was finished with my jobs for the evening, I had to go back to campus to work on my projects. I was a busy woman, to say the least, so when I started feeling really tired all the time I didn't think too much of it.
My fatigue got so bad that I would take complete advantage of the five minute window I had between jobs. I would drive home from one job, change into my grocery store t-shirt, crawl into bed, and set my alarm for five minutes later so that I could get up and go to the other job. I was completely exhausted all the time, but still didn't think I was sick or anything.
Eventually, I got really swollen glands and thought maybe I had strep throat or something. So I finally went to the doctor. They did the blood tests and sent me home with antibiotics, which I took and conveniently had an allergic reaction to. About the time I was turning completely red all over with a strange rash, I got a call and found out I had mono. Let me tell you, at that point in my life, it was certainly NOT excellent news. Not only did I feel like a freak of nature because I was completely pink, but if I missed classes, I thought the world would end. I think I might have missed about two days of classes, and that was only because I was too embarrassed to show up looking like a turnip. I slowed down a little bit, cutting out one job altogether and cutting my hours back at the other, but I still dutifully went to my classes and worked on studio projects. I'm a freak like that.
Most young people who contract mono think it's about the best disease ever. You get to stay home and sleep all the time and milk it for all it's worth. But for me, it was the lowest point of my whole college career, feeling so crappy yet still making myself work so hard.
Now, oh now, what I wouldn't give to have a nice bout of mono. I would probably treat it like a vacation, wallowing on the couch with the remote and a long list of TiVo items to catch up on. Bonus points if I could get it before jury duty next week.
9 Comments:
I do believe that you gave it to one of your friends (nicole) and then she gave it to me (Sarah) and I was had it the longest and had to move out of the dorm for a week!!
Oh yeah, about that. SO sorry! Just spreadin' the love.
You do not want to get it while you have jury duty. I'm thinking the judge won't like you sleeping through a trial!!
Lucky for me, I've never had mono. It would be nice to be able to skip jury duty ;0)
I'm thinking mono would be nice because aren't you supposed to lose a ton of weight from it? That would be the perfect diet to go on before BlogHer right?
can you get it and also give it to me before my jury duty next week? we should compare notes about how that goes...
Mono = glandular fever = What the doctors think I've got. It does explain the glands, sore throat, tiredness..
Hi! Thanks for stopping my my blog (and, yes, my boss insists that I bring the giant check back to the office to hang on the wall!
I've never had mono, and I get worried sometimes that I will get it now that it is totally not convenient. It sounds so awful!
I had glandular fever for six months. That's how long I was sick and tired for before a Doctor actually did a blood test. They had done blood tests before and that was the one thing they "forgot" to test for, even though they told me they did.
I caught it from my cousin so there is no truth in the rumour that it is the "kissing disease"!
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