DH has mono (EEK)

Remember how we've all be sick around here lately? Starting with me in Oct. (and no I never went to Doc because I figured viral/flu/etc.) and I was sleeping for bout a week, then ill for 2-3 wks. DD Kayleigh got sick on Halloween.... rapid onset fever, headache, etc. She was home from school for 3 days.... we figured flu and it was responding to tylenol for her fever, so no doc.

Mark got sick, headache and fever to start.... of work for 3 days then he noticed some lymph node swelling, and not the usual lymph nodes either. So he went to a walk in clinic. Doc there thought bacterial infection based on the lymph nodes.... gave him antibiotic. (don't get me started on our Docs here) He took it, a few days later he started a rash on his hands. End of antibiotics we waited to see if rash went away. Nope, got worse... he went to walk in clinic again...Doc said allergic reaction, did bloodtest and prescribed antibiotics. ( again, don't get me started on doc ) Next day he had hives, 80% of his chest covered, hands and arms. He got into his doc on Monday morning..... his doc is decent, good doc. Asked what the heck our docs were doing....and took him off the antibiotics, and set him up for allergy testing. Then the bloodtest results came in...

MONO. Hives can be a result of antibiotics being given with MONO.

Uggggggggggggg. Now we're wondering if maybe that is what I had

Now that you've read all this, me and hubby are having a disagreeing view on one thing....

I think he's still contagious..... he doesn't think so.

IMO: if he still has symptoms, then hes still contagious (which he still has swollen lymph nodes....its gone down, but still swollen).

So can anyone give me the lowdown on experiences with mono? Of course I don't plan on kissing him for a bit LOL..... and no sharing drinks, etc. (which we don't normally because of the sickies going around).

I wonder if Kendra caught a mild case. For 3 days she was sooooo tired. I mean 14hrs sleep, and still so tired. Now she's fine

So if anyones had it, we'd love to hear your experiences.

Thanks.

Oh wow mono sucks. My friend had it- the worst part is there are no antiviral drugs, you just have to get over it. My friend was sick for two weeks feverish and couldn't move..

OMG! That so sucks! Mono is no joke and very contagious! Lots of rest!

Originally Posted by ut0pia

Oh wow mono sucks. My friend had it- the worst part is there are no antiviral drugs, you just have to get over it. My friend was sick for two weeks feverish and couldn't move..

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Yah, thats what I've been reading

DH is doing better, headache and fever left at about a week....then he got cold symptoms (nasal, cough).....now he's ok aside from getting rid of the hives. I feel so bad for not being there.... (its the mom/wife in me)

Kids are going for the flu shot tomorrow but DH is going to make mention that he's has/had mono so that they can tell him whether the kids should get the shot or not.

It would explain a lot if that is what I had....especially the sleeping for a week.

But I never had fever or swollen lymph nodes so who knows...

really it doesn't matter.... nothing can be treated unless you have very serious side effects from it (swelling of the spleen, etc.)

Doc is still sending him for allergy testing, just so we know for sure whether it was due to the mono, OR if he is indeed allergic to that antibiotic.

had it in high school... four weeks flat on my back, two more too weak for school... they considered taking my spleen as it was on the border of what they deemed needed removal... to this day have issues with spleen..

Originally Posted by sharky

had it in high school... four weeks flat on my back, two more too weak for school... they considered taking my spleen as it was on the border of what they deemed needed removal... to this day have issues with spleen..

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Really? Wow....that is awful.

I did read about spleen, and gave DH a virtual lecture about not lifting anything heavy for a bit cuz thats what everything says. Apparantly his doc did tell him to take it easy, no sports, etc.

Chris,

I seriously doubt anyone but your dh has had it. Mono is a tiredness like you've never known and has the characteristic lymph node enlargements, spleen and liver enlargements as well as sore throat, etc. It doesn't just "go away" in a week either. In adults it can last for months and there is risk of cardiac complications, so it MUST be taken seriously.

When I had it in college, it settled in my spine, and walking was very difficult. I'd sleep 17 hours a day, only getting up for my summer school class and then home and back to bed. Unfortunately I passed it to my best friend from sharing a soda...it's THAT contagious.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

Wow Chris, what a nightmare! Never had mono and never knew anyone who did, but it sounds horrible.

you all get better soon, whether what you and DD had was mono or not! If not, the you don't get it!

Originally Posted by CatMom2Wires

Chris,

I seriously doubt anyone but your dh has had it. Mono is a tiredness like you've never known and has the characteristic lymph node enlargements, spleen and liver enlargements as well as sore throat, etc. It doesn't just "go away" in a week either. In adults it can last for months and there is risk of cardiac complications, so it MUST be taken seriously.

When I had it in college, it settled in my spine, and walking was very difficult. I'd sleep 17 hours a day, only getting up for my summer school class and then home and back to bed. Unfortunately I passed it to my best friend from sharing a soda...it's THAT contagious.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

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Yup, we've been looking into it since we found out... both his doc and us are thinking that I had it.... I slept for a week, and it was a good 2wks after that before I started feeling better.

I never said it went away in a week either DH was off work for 3 days, 10 days for his headache to go away, and we're still waiting on the rest of the symptoms to go away.

We are taking it very seriously, sorry if anything I said sounded like we weren't.

We also know that it affects EVERYONE differently. Some people who get it don't even know they have it. After talking to DH doc this morning, he's fairly sure DD had a very mild case

I'm just "happy" to know a diagnosis.... it sure explains a lot

Here's a quote from a medical site to reinforce what I've said

Not everyone has all of the classic mono symptoms. There are cases so mild that they're barely recognizable as a disease. Many people just have swollen glands, and some just suffer fatigue. Other people may have a fever, a sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. In a smaller percentage of people there may be complications such as jaundice (a yellowing of the skin due to liver damage), enlargement of the spleen, and even rarer complications such as encephalitis (brain inflammation).

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from http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/chan...ation_id=70907

Symptoms can vary, from none, to minor, to severe..... I don't want anyone scared of your first paragraph..... because the statements aren't all true. Not all people are tired ( I was, DH wasn't, DD was...and I'm not saying we had it, just that theres a good chance), it CAN "go away in a week" and it CAN exhibit minor or no symptoms.

I definately encourage people to do their own research because of instances like this.

Sounds like you had it Chris. I was diagnosed with borderline Mono in HS. My head felt so heavy and all I wanted to do was sleep. My nodes were slightly swollen in the back of my neck.


I hope he feels better soon.

The doctors there sound like the doctors here. My boss went to the doctor last Monday and got told she had bronchitis and to be off until Wednesday. By Wednesday, she was just getting worse and went back to a different doctor and he said she had H1N1.

Thx guys....

And yes, the docs here stink. My doc is an idiot, the doc DH saw is an idiot.

His family doc is GREAT, so we're trying to see if he will take on my 2 kids.... then we'll see if he'll take on me. But for now, I have to stick with my idiot doc cuz of asst. reasons (monthly scripts, etc.)

We did learn one thing, DH's doc said that DH should have called him at home instead of going to our walkin clinic.... Now thats a good doc IMO. (his doc is an hour away, and not open on weekends which is why he went to our towns walkin in the first place).

Chrism so sorry to hear of this. Just sending vibes that you all feel better soon.

I had Mono when I was 16. I thought the older you were the worse it can be on your body. When I had it I was told to sleep it off and no activities. I was bed bound for 1 month and felt burned out for months after it was gone.

I had mono but didn't find out until 1 1/2 months after I developed the first symptoms. They tested me but never called me (well, I told them to call my cell phone b/c we no longer have a land line so maybe they didn't listen and tried to call a number that doesn't exist.) At that point my doctor said that I was no longer contagious and said I didn't need to get pulled out of work. I think I was though. My first symptom...high fever, which is what first took me to the doctor...showed up on August 12. I don't even remember the last time I had a fever. Probably when I was a child. It was terrible.

Then over the next month and a half I had the swollen lymph nodes in my neck, to the point I could barely move my head. I then had a SEVERE sore throat. Worse than any I had ever had before. Even after all of these doctors visits none of the doctors told me I had mono. Maybe they assumed I knew?? I went back 3 days later b/c my sore throat wasn't going away and saw my primary doctor and she finally told me. That was Oct 23. She said that I wasn't contagious anymore and wrote that on my note for work, but I think I was. I still feel terrible and have no energy. My liver and spleen are swollen, but not terribly so, says my doctor.

I don't think I've had a bad case though. If no one told me I have mono, I would have never guessed. I don't feel like I have the debilitating exhaustion like most people talk about. One of my friends that had it said that since I went so long without knowing about it I just learned to live with it. I've gone to work every day since finding out about it, but my doctor reduced my hours to 6 per day down from 10, for two weeks. I wish I could have stayed home, but I recently started a new job and had already taken 3 days off b/c one of the doctors said my sore throat was from hand foot and mouth disease even though he knew I had mono at the time.

I don't think you necessarily have to stop kissing each other or sharing drinks. If you were going to catch it you probably already have. I haven't changed anything with my family and neither my husband or my son have caught it. That's just my opinion, though.

Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon!!

you probably don't want my experience with mono.

DO NOT PUSH YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE MONO. I did. I had a bad fever, horribly swollen throat, was exhausted but pushed through and didn't really change my life and it almost killed me. My body totally shut down, I had a sustained fever of 104, my throat swelled almost closed and I went into complete liver failure, was jaundice (a couple other gross symptoms) and ended up in the hospital for a week.

It might not seem serious, but it can be if you don't take care of yourself!~