I'm convinced that my throat feels about 10% better today than it felt yesterday. I was able to eat some lunch without crying like yesterday, even though I had soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oh and a strawberry, banana, and pineapple smoothie. I was delicious. Better than soup.
Now I know there are literally millions of people in the world that have it worse than me, and that's why I feel absolutely horrible about complaining about anything. This is just miserable for me - but I am seriously trying to keep the outlook of "at least it isn't worse" and "somebody has it much worse. This is helping me. My mom and step-dad are also being really helpful but constantly telling me if I stay patient that I WILL get better.
My doctor told me on Monday that he wants me to call him at the end of the week (tomorrow) and let him know what is going on. I plan on telling him that I have a horrible sore throat and that my side is really bothering me. I also want to ask him about random chest pain that I'm feeling. I'm pretty sure it's related to the mono, but I just want some piece of mind. I have a feeling he is going to re-prescribe me Prednisone for the horrible swelling I have. Everything I have seen says that Prednisone is prescribed for serious cases and then everyone comments and says, "DON'T TAKE PREDNISONE!!!" My mom took it for like three months when she was pregnant with me, and I've been taking it for five days and haven't noticed anything. All drugs affect people differently. Don't believe everything. Your doctor will weigh the risks and benefits of your specific situation, and will ultimately make the decision. That's something I have had to learn recently.
Today I slept, watched TV, ate soup, and laid in bed with my mom while my step-dad rubbed my back. My step-dad had mono, so he understands. And my mom loves to watch TV with me and that's just about all I feel like doing. I think one of the most difficult things to deal with is the fact that I can't do anything by myself. Usually I am so independent and I do everything on my own. I'm always running around, taking on responsibilities, getting ahead of the game - and now I have to have my sister get me a popsicle from the freezer. My mom wouldn't even let me carry my laundry upstairs. I am grateful that they are willing to help, because I honestly need it right now.
I'm going to go watch Pretty in Pink until I fall asleep. Hoping and praying that things just continue to go up from here. And that maybe tomorrow I can drink water without cringing.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
What's Today Again?
I still don't know why I'm writing a blog about this. I know that no one wants to read it, and I know that most likely no one is even reading it. It's just nice to have a place where I can complain and write down what I'm thinking and feeling because I'm pretty sure that my boyfriend, mom, and sisters and fed up with hearing about it.
About two to three weeks ago, I came down with a horrible cold for like five days. I had horrible congestion, a headache, I was exhausted, and my throat was killing me. That went away, and I traveled to Vegas with my boyfriend for the first weekend of Spring Break where I became really sick again. I immediately went home after Vegas (home to my mommy, I mean) and I proceeded to lay in bed until Spring Break was over. I attempted to go to class, but I could barely sit through one full day of it. I went back home and started going to the doctor...blah blah blah. I was exhausted and finally found out it was mono.
Now, to this morning. I woke up with the worst pain in my throat I think I have ever experienced. Imagine strep throat times two. Or even three. It's weird because it isn't my throat that hurts the most. It's like...one of my tonsils is hurting the most and it even tastes weird when I swallow. I think I cried in bed for 45 minutes before I actually got up and attempted to eat. I had to basically take shots of chicken noodle soup to fill my stomach enough to take my medicine. And I discovered...that I can take Tylenol with my other medicines! MY SAVIOR. It didn't help as much as I wanted, but it definitely helped a bit. I'll take it.
I convinced my mom to take me the ENT doctor because I was really worried about how my tonsils were looking. Of course they're going to be gross...but they were turning purple. The strange doctor told me, "Oh that's normal. I've seen tonsils of every color. Sometimes they're even bleeding and we just let them heal right up!" Uh, I'm pretty sure that's not normal. I told him, "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that!" He sprayed some strange numbing spray in my throat that didn't really help, and he sent me on my merry way. I spent the rest of the day watching TV and playing games on my phone. That's been passing time.
I kind of wish I had a coloring book and some crayons. That would be so fun. Maybe even my old lady knitting would come in handy right now. I have a brand new corn bag though! You know those bags that you stick in the microwave for like three minutes and it's super steamy. It is made out of a really cute sock monkey fabric which basically just makes my life. I love sock monkeys. I'm kind of obsessed actually. So here I am in bed with a sock monkey bag on my spleen. Having an enlarged spleen is a very strange feeling.
I hope that tomorrow my sore throat gets a lot better so I can at least swallow. I just really want to start feeling better already. I am in this rut where I feel like I've been sick for so long and it's never going to get better. Trying to stay positive! My absolutely wonderful boyfriend is doing a great job of helping me stay positive and listening to me complain. I love him so much, I don't know what I'd do without him! It will get better. It always does.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Journey of my Tonsils
A monodrama is a play with only one actor - right now, that is my life. Or at least that's what I feel like.
I've been sick for the past three weeks. It got better for about a week, and then it got worse. I went to and from the doctor about three times before finally figuring out I had mono. Awesome! I have about a month and a half left of school and it's the end of my junior year...it's pretty important for me to be regularly attending classes and turning in all of my assignments. That is pretty much impossible now. Luckily all of my teachers are being really lenient and they seem to understand that mono is pretty serious.
Honestly, I didn't even know how serious mono was until the doctor told me. Some of my sorority sisters have also experienced it and have some words of advice - "Don't try to get back into things too soon! It's easy to relapse!" "Worst experience ever!" Apparently mono can turn into some pretty serious things if you don't take care of yourself. Sadly, there is nothing you can really do for mono other than rest, drink a ton of fluids, and make sure you're getting nutrition! I was trying to remain optimistic, but I don't seem to be feeling any better so my hope is slowly fading. I am not surprised at all that I got mono. Well I'm surprised as to how I got it because I don't know anybody with it, but I'm not surprised that it was me of all people that got it. My life right now consists of me running around between classes, fieldwork, sorority events, homework, shopping, and work. I never catch a break, and neither do any of the other students at my University. Word of advice, take care of yourself. This is worse than any other thing you will have to deal with school-wise.
I've been taken out of school for the week, and at this point I don't think I will even be able to go back next week either. Showering was a workout today. So was walking up and down the stairs and sticking a pizza in the oven. Complaint time. I am constantly exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, but my tonsils are so swollen and disgustingly infected I can't swallow. My side is hurting because of spleen enlargement (cool) and I have a horrible headache. I'd say the worst part of it all is the medicine. Even though there is no cure or medicinal treatment for mono, sometimes it's necessary to help relieve symptoms when they get severe. I'm on my second round of amoxicillin for tonsillitis/strep/whatever is happening to my suicidal tonsils, and apparently you aren't supposed to take this specific antibiotic with mono because it reacts with the virus and causes a head to toe rash. However...I haven't gotten it yet so I'm hoping I fall in the small percentage of people that do not get the rash. I'm also on prednisone because my lymph nodes were so swollen I couldn't even turn my head to the side. I was really afraid to take all of these medicines at once because of stuff I read online...don't believe everything you read!
These are fun times! So right now it's midnight and I'm lying in bed watching The Secret Life of the American Teenager (all seasons) and I am so restless! Probably because I've been sitting on the couch all day anyways, so I'm not exactly sleepy yet. Soon. Soon I will sleep! I'm hoping I don't wake up feeling worse than I did today. Optimism people!
Well I've decided to keep this blog because I have absolutely nothing better to do. It will be fun for me to look back and say, "Oh I'm still feeling this way and it's been two weeks!" or "Wow, look how much better I am!" And if you're reading this still...thanks for sticking around. This should be a fun read for you and a fun thing for me to do when I'm watching entire seasons of shows on Netflix and Dance Moms on TV.
I've been sick for the past three weeks. It got better for about a week, and then it got worse. I went to and from the doctor about three times before finally figuring out I had mono. Awesome! I have about a month and a half left of school and it's the end of my junior year...it's pretty important for me to be regularly attending classes and turning in all of my assignments. That is pretty much impossible now. Luckily all of my teachers are being really lenient and they seem to understand that mono is pretty serious.
Honestly, I didn't even know how serious mono was until the doctor told me. Some of my sorority sisters have also experienced it and have some words of advice - "Don't try to get back into things too soon! It's easy to relapse!" "Worst experience ever!" Apparently mono can turn into some pretty serious things if you don't take care of yourself. Sadly, there is nothing you can really do for mono other than rest, drink a ton of fluids, and make sure you're getting nutrition! I was trying to remain optimistic, but I don't seem to be feeling any better so my hope is slowly fading. I am not surprised at all that I got mono. Well I'm surprised as to how I got it because I don't know anybody with it, but I'm not surprised that it was me of all people that got it. My life right now consists of me running around between classes, fieldwork, sorority events, homework, shopping, and work. I never catch a break, and neither do any of the other students at my University. Word of advice, take care of yourself. This is worse than any other thing you will have to deal with school-wise.
I've been taken out of school for the week, and at this point I don't think I will even be able to go back next week either. Showering was a workout today. So was walking up and down the stairs and sticking a pizza in the oven. Complaint time. I am constantly exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, but my tonsils are so swollen and disgustingly infected I can't swallow. My side is hurting because of spleen enlargement (cool) and I have a horrible headache. I'd say the worst part of it all is the medicine. Even though there is no cure or medicinal treatment for mono, sometimes it's necessary to help relieve symptoms when they get severe. I'm on my second round of amoxicillin for tonsillitis/strep/whatever is happening to my suicidal tonsils, and apparently you aren't supposed to take this specific antibiotic with mono because it reacts with the virus and causes a head to toe rash. However...I haven't gotten it yet so I'm hoping I fall in the small percentage of people that do not get the rash. I'm also on prednisone because my lymph nodes were so swollen I couldn't even turn my head to the side. I was really afraid to take all of these medicines at once because of stuff I read online...don't believe everything you read!
These are fun times! So right now it's midnight and I'm lying in bed watching The Secret Life of the American Teenager (all seasons) and I am so restless! Probably because I've been sitting on the couch all day anyways, so I'm not exactly sleepy yet. Soon. Soon I will sleep! I'm hoping I don't wake up feeling worse than I did today. Optimism people!
Well I've decided to keep this blog because I have absolutely nothing better to do. It will be fun for me to look back and say, "Oh I'm still feeling this way and it's been two weeks!" or "Wow, look how much better I am!" And if you're reading this still...thanks for sticking around. This should be a fun read for you and a fun thing for me to do when I'm watching entire seasons of shows on Netflix and Dance Moms on TV.
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