I have been feeling under the weather for
nearly 3 weeks now. I went backpacking
over spring break and caught what ended up
being diagnosed as a virus from one of the
friends I was with. It began after I was
cold and in wet clothes for about 4 hours;
I was chilling and shaking, I had a fever
that kept coming back for a few days (I
don't think it was terribly high,
however...I didn't have a thermometer).
So the first symptoms began on Wednesday
3/19. I began coughing on Friday 3/21,
and it got really bad (people were afraid
to sit by me in class because I sounded so
sick). A week after coming down with
this, I finally went to the doctor on Wed.
3/26 and was diagnosed with a virus and a
bad cough. She said I could ride it out
and I'd be better within 5 to 6 days (so
let's about April 1st). I felt tired
during that week I went to the doctor, but
I figured it was from the virus and my
body was drained...coughing was also very
tiring. I stopped coughing sometime last
week (around the 1st or 2nd of April
probably) and the virus is definitely gone
by now. Sometime last week, though, my
lymph glands on my throat/neck area began
feeling swollen. Also, I've been more
tired than usual (even after the virus and
cough have been gone) and have been
getting more sleep than usual. Being a
typical college kid, I'd go to bed around
1 or 2 am and get no more than 7 1/2 hours
of sleep (if I got that much, that was a
lot!), and I'd be able to do things
normally. Now I'm going to bed usually
anywhere between 10:30pm and 12:30am, and
there have been several nights where I've
slept more than 9 or 10 hours, and even
after getting that much sleep, I felt like
I could sleep more (one night, I slept 11
hours, skipped my morning class, which is
very uncharacteristic of me, and felt like
I could've slept for a couple more hours).
I have no desire anymore to stay up till
all hours, because I cannot handle even
the thought of getting only 6 or 7 hours
of sleep, because I know that even on 9 or
10 hours, I might still feel tired.
I think I might also have a sinus
infection now, and today (Mon. 4/7) my
body felt achy.
I have been exposed to mono recently. One
of my best friends was diagnosed with
strep throat the same day I went to the
doctor (3/26), and then the next week
found out she had mono as well. She said
she had been feeling unusually tired for
at least a few weeks before that, so she
probably had it and didn't realize it. On
Tues. 3/25, I was looking in her throat to
see if it looked like strep, and she
accidentally coughed RIGHT in my
face....we also shared the same phone that
day as well (which is how another person I
know got mono last summer, from sharing a
desk phone). So I haven't been kissing
anyone, but I have had close contact with
someone who does have mono for sure (we'd
hang out together in her room, I'd use her
computer, etc.).
Also, I know that with mono, it's common
for the person's spleen to be
enlarged...what exactly does that feel
like? Today it's been feeling a little
funny on my left front side...I'm not sure
if it's gas or if it's my spleen...it
doesn't feel funny on my right side.
I'll have days where I'll feel good for
most of the day, so I'm not tired every
waking minute. My appetite has been good
until today, and I ate less than usual
today b/c I wasn't very hungry. I'll feel
tired after doing normal things, like
practicing violin, and I can't handle the
cold as well.
Is it worth getting this checked out,
especially since there really isn't
anything a doctor can do for mono? I tend
to worry about stuff, so maybe part of my
tiredness is me freaking myself out that
it might be mono.
Thanks so much!!
|
cahoward
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Feb 2008 Posts: 5
symptoms Posted: 04-08-08 17:56pm
Hi...I would definitely go to the doctor
and just ask if you can be tested for
mono. The symptoms do sound like it but
those same symptoms could be something
else too. It's best just to know for sure
and know what you have to do to get
better. Good luck!