Search:

Personal Mono Story - The Athlete

Hearing other people's stories about their ordeals with mono can help you in many ways. It can give you strength to fight through the mono and also offer suggestions for dealing with your fatigue and other difficult symptoms.

Jim was 16 years old and an athlete. He enjoyed playing basketball and running track for school. During basketball season last year, he became sick. Everyone in the family thought that he just had a cold and that he should work through it. Little did any of them realize just how bad the "cold" really was.

Jim's Cold

Soon, the cold became worse and worse and turned into bronchitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis and tendonitis, all at the same time! When people get mono, other people often say that they are over blowing their symptoms and that they should just "get over" the issue. This can be a real problem for the person dealing with mono for a number of reasons. They come to believe that they really should be tougher and that they are just not dealing with their cold or other issue with enough strength. And, by convincing themselves of this, they usually over-exert themselves and end up making themselves even more sick.

Getting Worse

So, of course, this happened to Jim. Since his family kept telling him that he was blowing his sickness out of proportion, he wanted to prove that he wasn't a wimp. He tried to keep up with his studies, his sports and everything else, all to his detriment. He started to notice that he was getting worn out quickly during basketball games and that he couldn't keep his stamina up for as long as usual.

Eventually, noticing that he seemed to be struggling, his parents and coach told him to take it easy. Not wanting to look like a quitter, however, he kept pushing himself.

Diagnosing Mono

Finally, one night after a game, he was in bed and he got up to go to the bathroom. On the way, he became dizzy and almost passed out. He caught himself on the wall just before falling down the stairs. He got his mom out of bed and they went directly to the hospital. It was there that they finally diagnosed mono and then kept him for observations overnight.

Recovery

It took one month of constant rest and relaxation to feel better, and then another month before he could join in any sports. Doctors are often worried that athletes will overdo it when they start to feel better, and it's important for people with mono to be very careful. Doctors also say that athletes and young people are the most likely to get mono - two groups that Jim fell into! Athletes will often continue to push themselves when they should start to take it easy and to realize that there is a problem, and teenagers and young adults are the most likely to contract mono.

Even months later, Jim is still tired at times and need to rest more than his peers. It's very hard to have mono and to watch everyone out having fun, when you are exhausted and need to rest. Fortunately, Jim is over his mono now and is on the road to recovery!



About Us  Contact Us  Privacy Policy  Terms of Use and Disclaimer