Mono

[luvsJack]

Anyone with experience or any doctors or nurses: HELP!

Dd has been sick since Thanksgiving! She started getting sick during the week after Thanksgiving. The doc said she had a "flu like virus" and because of a bad cough he gave her Zirthomax (sp?). She took that for 5 days and there was no change so I took her back. The doc said we just needed to give the med time to work. 3 days later (Thursday) she tried to go back to school, got sick again that night and went back to the doctor the next day. He tested her for mono (positive) and just said to stay in through that weekend and hopefully go back to school that Monday. She went back the next Wednesday and the school called me saying she was sick, I went and got her and she was throwing up. Today is the last day before Christmas break and she is still on the couch and says she doesn't feel good.

Is this normal for mono? How can I help her to get well? I have started giving her vitamins with extra C (that's probably like shutting the barn door after the cow got out, but it will help at all I am all for trying it) and make sure she drinks plenty of orange juice and eats fruit. Its hard to really say I am making sure she eats right, because she isn't eating very much at all.

TIA for any advice at all.

 

[anniemae]

Sorry your dd is sick. I don't know about mono, but I thought I had heard it takes a while to get rid of and that it can linger. The best thing is for her to rest and sleep. Not sure about the throwing up, but I woud call the dr. to ask if it is normal for mono. It may be completely normal, or he may need to see her if she is unable to keep down liquids, but definately call them.

Hopefully she will be better by Christmas.

 

[leagirl12]

So sorry to hear about your DD being sick...especially here at the holidays.

As far as mono....it can be different for different people. I have never had it but both of my children have. When dd was 3 she got it and was sick for 2 1/2 weeks. DS got it when he was in the first grade but was only sick for about a week.

At the time that DD had it I worked with someone who told me she had gotten it in college and was sick for about 6 weeks and actually spent a few days in the hospital because of it.

I will say neither of mine were throwing up when they had it....just weak and tired. However I could see where maybe pushing herself and going to school might affect her to the point of throwing up. Maybe she thought she was stronger and better than she was. I say lots of rest and fluid.

I pray she feels better soon.

 

[MerMom60_94]

I had mono way, way back in high school when I was my DD's age. I still remember it vividly. One of the things I remember is that it took forever to get over and every time I would start to get better I would decide to do something like go for a walk and it would set me back again. I remember I became sick around Easter time and I didn't have to take gym for the rest of the school year. Mono is known for making kids sleep and the best thing you can do is let her get well rested. Even when she starts feeling better let her continue to take it easy for a bit.

I hope your poor DD feels better soon. I still remember the sore throat and the feeling of my spleen pressed up against my ribs. Your poor baby.

 

[ElizK]

DD17 has had mono twice in the last 14 months. The first time was pretty bad -- sore throat, extreme fatigue, achy. She missed two full weeks of school plus two additional weeks that she was not allowed to participate in any type of physical activity for fear of rupturing her spleen. All she did was sleep and watch TV. It was pretty bad. 2nd time was about 6 months later. Wasn't nearly as bad, only missed a week of school, plus the two weeks of physical activity.

She never threw up, though. A lot of kids with mono get strep throat, too, and that can cause vomitting. Was your daughter tested for that? Also, DD17's left side hurt a LOT, and her right side hurt, too (spleen and liver). Our doctor told us to keep her home a minimum of two weeks and let her sleep as much as she wants to so that it doesn't become a chronic problem.

Sorry to hear your kiddo is sick, especially this time of year. I hope she feels better soon!

 

[luvsJack]

Sorry your dd is sick. I don't know about mono, but I thought I had heard it takes a while to get rid of and that it can linger. The best thing is for her to rest and sleep. Not sure about the throwing up, but I woud call the dr. to ask if it is normal for mono. It may be completely normal, or he may need to see her if she is unable to keep down liquids, but definately call them.

Hopefully she will be better by Christmas.

Thanks. I called about the throwing up and they called in some medication for it (which was a HUGE issue and could be a whole "why I hate the WalMart pharmacy thread--let's just say that I sent an email to the district office and a gift card is on its way and I still will never use their pharmacy again).

Everything I read just says that all you can do is treat the symptoms, which is what the dr. said.

Its just worrying because most of the symptoms, she has never really dealt with before. In the beginning she ran high fever. She hasn't really ran fever since she was a baby. For whatever reason, she just doesn't run fever. And the throwing up was really different for her. The last time she got a stomach virus, she threw up twice over night and was fine the next day and she was 5 (she's 11 now).

 

[aprilgail2]

I had mono and it took many months to get better- I was in the hospital for a few days at the beginning too.

 

[luvsJack]

Thanks for all the responses.

Sounds like I just need to let her rest. After today school and work won't be an issue for two weeks for either of us, so that will help the stress level of worrying about 9 weeks tests and such.

She wasn't tested for strep this time, but actually was treated for strep in October and now we are wondering if she could have actually had mono then.

 

[tazdev3225]

I had mono years ago when I was in my early 20's. I don't remember much for the 1st two weeks because I slept the whole time. I do know my dr. called my mom 3 times a day to check on me because the spleen and liver can become enlarged with it and mine were. It took me almost 6 months to feel like myself again. I fatigued really easily. I had the worst sore throat in the world , my tonsils were extremely swollen. It could have been strep as someone else stated. You can have a mild case or very severe case depending on the blood counts according to my dr. Mine were at the limit which explained my symptoms. Ask your dr. how severe her case is. I hope your DD feels better soon.

 

[golfgal]

There was a girl in our high school that missed 3 months of school with mono. She kept trying to come back to school, would spend a few hours in school, go home completely knocked out. Don't try to send her back too soon, make sure she is 100% recovered or she will probably relapse. Make a bed on the couch, line up all her favorite movies and let her sleep as much as she can.

 

[krcit]

Thanks for all the responses.

Sounds like I just need to let her rest. After today school and work won't be an issue for two weeks for either of us, so that will help the stress level of worrying about 9 weeks tests and such.

She wasn't tested for strep this time, but actually was treated for strep in October and now we are wondering if she could have actually had mono then.

If she is throwing up I think they should test for strep. My oldest dd had strep 14 times in one year and she would get violently ill from it. To the point where she had to get a shot of antibiotic in her butt b./c she couldn't keep anything down. She may have never gotten over it from Oct. I would bring her back in. Hope she feels better asap!

 

[mhsjax]

Anyone with experience or any doctors or nurses: HELP!

Dd has been sick since Thanksgiving! She started getting sick during the week after Thanksgiving. The doc said she had a "flu like virus" and because of a bad cough he gave her Zirthomax (sp?). She took that for 5 days and there was no change so I took her back. The doc said we just needed to give the med time to work. 3 days later (Thursday) she tried to go back to school, got sick again that night and went back to the doctor the next day. He tested her for mono (positive) and just said to stay in through that weekend and hopefully go back to school that Monday. She went back the next Wednesday and the school called me saying she was sick, I went and got her and she was throwing up. Today is the last day before Christmas break and she is still on the couch and says she doesn't feel good.

Is this normal for mono? How can I help her to get well? I have started giving her vitamins with extra C (that's probably like shutting the barn door after the cow got out, but it will help at all I am all for trying it) and make sure she drinks plenty of orange juice and eats fruit. Its hard to really say I am making sure she eats right, because she isn't eating very much at all.

TIA for any advice at all.

I had Mono when I was 18, it took me abut 8 weeks to get over it. I am not trying to scare you but please don't rush it. I had a friend in college and she was determined to get back to school to finish finals, She isn't with us any more. Mine tuned into encephaletic menengitis and I was in a coma for 2 days.

I hate saying all of this stuff, I just don't think people realize how serious Mono can be. I didn't eat much either, I lost 20 pounds and got down to a size 2. A shower required a 3 hour nap. It is a horrible illness and really can leave you tired for years after.

Let her rest and eat what she wants. sending prayers and good thought your way for a quick recovery.

 

[golfgal]

If she is throwing up I think they should test for strep. My oldest dd had strep 14 times in one year and she would get violently ill from it. To the point where she had to get a shot of antibiotic in her butt b./c she couldn't keep anything down. She may have never gotten over it from Oct. I would bring her back in. Hope she feels better asap!

Good point and even if it isn't strep it isn't out of the question that she has 2 different things going on right now-especially since mono really runs you down.

 

[kacaju]

2 of my dd's have had momn. The first one was about 11, she was just dead tired and if I didn't know she had mono, I would have tohught she was depressed. She just laid on the couch all day and seriously lost interest in life itself. Slowly she came aorund and got back to normal.
My 16 dd just had it this summer. She got it two weeks before school started so she felt OK.
The first day of school she went thinking she was fine. She got hit so hard that day. Because she didn't do anything those last two weeks she thought she didn't have a bad case of mono. Oh boy, once she started school everything changed. She went to school half days, for the first month of school. One day she would go in early and I'd pick her up at 11, the next day I took her in at 11 and she stayed to the end of the day.
Her lymph nodes are still enlarged.
Your dd needs rest and lots of it!!

 

[luvsJack]

I had Mono when I was 18, it took me abut 8 weeks to get over it. I am not trying to scare you but please don't rush it. I had a friend in college and she was determined to get back to school to finish finals, She isn't with us any more. Mine tuned into encephaletic menengitis and I was in a coma for 2 days.

I hate saying all of this stuff, I just don't think people realize how serious Mono can be. I didn't eat much either, I lost 20 pounds and got down to a size 2. A shower required a 3 hour nap. It is a horrible illness and really can leave you tired for years after.

Let her rest and eat what she wants. sending prayers and good thought your way for a quick recovery.

Thank you so much for the prayers. And for your post! I had no idea it could get that serious! I will definitely make sure she is resting every day.




We went and did a bit of Christmas shopping tonight. She wasn't able to finish because she started getting tired. Luckily we have thought of something we can do pretty easy for her grandparents and I can run do that tomorrow and let her stay with her grandma and watch TV.

I feel so bad for her because she is not getting to do a lot of the stuff she enjoys for Christmas.

 

[luvsJack]

Good point and even if it isn't strep it isn't out of the question that she has 2 different things going on right now-especially since mono really runs you down.

I have been thinking that same thing. I am afraid that she is so run down that she is going to be susceptible to catching every germ that comes around. The vomiting has passed but I think I will call the dr. tomorrow because I don't want to have to try to find him over Christmas eve and/or day. Just to let him double check.

 

[mfd25wife]

I have been thinking that same thing. I am afraid that she is so run down that she is going to be susceptible to catching every germ that comes around. The vomiting has passed but I think I will call the dr. tomorrow because I don't want to have to try to find him over Christmas eve and/or day. Just to let him double check.

I vomited like crazy when I had it. Hugs to your DD.