OT- Just got back from the DR- my 6 yr old has MONO

[jenrein]

She started with strep on Friday and has been on amoxicillan. Yesterday her throat hurt worse and she got a 101 fever. I kept her home from school today and made a new appt for 4:15. About 2 pm she starts crying about her throat and her face was all pink. I took her temp and it was 103.6. I called the DR back and they had me bring her right over. They did another throat culture and a mono test (by pricking her finger while I had to hold her down ) and sure enough she has mono.

Well...we leave April 12th so I hope to heck this can clear up fast, not only because it breaks my heart to see her such a mess, but this is her first ever trip to Disney....or anywhere for that matter!

Any suggestions, tips, comments on the mono thing would be greatly appreciated as I have never had or known anyone to have had it. (My hubby did but wayyyy before we got together!)

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I don't know if she will be better before you go but make sure she gets plenty of rest. I had it as a kid and was out of school for over a month. Even if she says she feels better make her rest. My girlfriend was hospitalized with it. It can be very serious. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[jenrein]

Thanks for hoping she gets better soon- can I ask what made them hospitalize your friend? All they told me at the doctors was to not let her jump around or run to not let her fall (for injury to spleen) they said if her temp was 106 to take her to the ER and give her fluids. And thats about it. Fevers freak me out regardless and shes got the chills too.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Her spleen became very enlarged from the mono. She had a very very bad case and was extremely sick from it. She also was vomitting alot. I remember she lost so much weight from it.

 

[jenrein]

How did they know her spleen was enlarged? Thats what is scaring me the most. I'm kind of pretty much FREAKED OUT.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

Yikes! The poor kid! I hope she starts feeling well soon. I got it when I was 20 and on summer break from college. I just remember the initial sore throat, the fever and the unbelievable fatigue. I should have known something was seriously wrong when I decided to lay down on the floor in the waiting room of the doctor's office because I was soooo tired. I was in bed for about 2 solid weeks and spent the next several weeks in slow motion.

 

[jenrein]

Yikes! The poor kid! I hope she starts feeling well soon. I got it when I was 20 and on summer break from college. I just remember the initial sore throat, the fever and the unbelievable fatigue. I should have known something was seriously wrong when I decided to lay down on the floor in the waiting room of the doctor's office because I was soooo tired. I was in bed for about 2 solid weeks and spent the next several weeks in slow motion.

So if I let her rest and sleep and just do the fluids and combo of ibuprofren/acetiminophen that should do it?

 

[cedmonds]

She started with strep on Friday and has been on amoxicillan. Yesterday her throat hurt worse and she got a 101 fever. I kept her home from school today and made a new appt for 4:15. About 2 pm she starts crying about her throat and her face was all pink. I took her temp and it was 103.6. I called the DR back and they had me bring her right over. They did another throat culture and a mono test (by pricking her finger while I had to hold her down ) and sure enough she has mono.

Well...we leave April 12th so I hope to heck this can clear up fast, not only because it breaks my heart to see her such a mess, but this is her first ever trip to Disney....or anywhere for that matter!

Any suggestions, tips, comments on the mono thing would be greatly appreciated as I have never had or known anyone to have had it. (My hubby did but wayyyy before we got together!)

Poor baby... you have alot of time ..so make sure she rests and drinks tons of fluids. The spleen is what they worry about if it is enlarged you will know she will be uncomfortable and you can feel it. Keep her home from school until you come back and plan on going slow. It sounds like she is a first grader( I teach first grade) as long as you read with her when she is feeling up to it she should be fine!!!
The tricky thing with mono is that start to feel good and then crash and burn again. Lots of luck and keep in contact with your ped.

 

[Twingle]

Mono can be very tricky, because if you rest for awhile you feel really good, but then once you're up and moving around you can crash & burn!

Keep her in bed as much as you can, or on the couch. Rest, rest, rest! With your trip on April 12 you still have a bit of time, but she may not be 100% when you go on your trip - she may have to have a few extra breaks.

Good luck - mono is hard at any age, but she should do just fine.

 

[jenrein]

Poor baby... you have alot of time ..so make sure she rests and drinks tons of fluids. The spleen is what they worry about if it is enlarged you will know she will be uncomfortable and you can feel it. Keep her home from school until you come back and plan on going slow. It sounds like she is a first grader( I teach first grade) as long as you read with her when she is feeling up to it she should be fine!!!
The tricky thing with mono is that start to feel good and then crash and burn again. Lots of luck and keep in contact with your ped.

Yes she is a first grader - who loooovees school and loves to read. This is what I dont get- I asked her dr how long she should be out of school and she says if her fever is gone next week she can go back. I asked to make sure thats what she said and it was. I'm thinking this is super contagious and she would need to be out for a lot longer. I plan on keeping her out longer than the week if thats what she needs and I have a feeling it will be.

 

[jenrein]

Mono can be very tricky, because if you rest for awhile you feel really good, but then once you're up and moving around you can crash & burn!

Keep her in bed as much as you can, or on the couch. Rest, rest, rest! With your trip on April 12 you still have a bit of time, but she may not be 100% when you go on your trip - she may have to have a few extra breaks.

Good luck - mono is hard at any age, but she should do just fine.

My mother in law suggested I ask the doctor for a note for wheel chair use when we go. My mother in law is wheel chair bound with MS. But I know nothing about the whole wheel chair thing-

 

[dameodie]

My mother severed her Achillies tendon one year, before we were scheduled to go to WDW. She was in a walking cast by the time we got there, but obviously we still got her a wheelchair. Don't know if we got one ahead of time or rented one every day... but I DO know it was a huge benefit for our whole group. Most of the time, you enter the ride through the Exit line and get right on the rides. I would highly recommend getting one for your mother, both for her comfort AND for your own "use"

Obviously this isn't something that shouldn't be abused by those of us who arn't in need. But since you have a legitimate excuse, more power to you!

Sorry, just re-read your post... my main point is that it should be okay. Disney sees stuff like that all the time, and they know how to make accomidations.

 

[CampbellScot]

I had mono when I was 8 (it also started with a terrible sore throat) and I was literally down and OUT for a month. They wouldn't LET ME back into school until I had a note from the doctor clearly stating that it was medically safe to be back in school. I'm not trying to scare you, but it was a difficult illness. I was like a feeble little old lady. Brushing my teeth was exhausting. I fell asleep trying to go up the stairs. My dad would find me mid stairs where i had stopped to rest and just passed out. The doctor told my mom to keep me in bed...she didn't have to try very hard. I was up for maybe an hour or so a day. My spleen seemed to be okay though. I tended to get illnessess on the extreme end when I was young though, so it may not be that bad for your daughter.

The only other thing is that Mono is contagious. I can't imagine a school would want a six year old with mono in the building after only one week. Every sneeze and cough will have to be followed by hand washing and spraying down the area. Your daughter can't share ANYTHING as far as eating utensils or cups or straws with anyone else. Mono can be contagious for up to 18 months AFTER the inital infection takes place. You should go online and look it up so you can find out how to protect your other family members as well.

Whatever you do, don't push your daughter. If she says she is too tired to do something, believe her. Mono can be very rough and hard to recover from, especially if you push yourself to do more than you should. I was tired for months after I was back in school.

Once you get to Disney I would rent a stroller for her and just take it super easy. As long as she rides most of the time and gets naps here and there she should be okay. She may not even have the fatigue that usually accompanies mono. The only other yuck thing about Mono is that your daughter will have to get her blood drawn pretty frequently. I had a blood draw once a week for over a month.

I'm sorry your little one has mono. It's not fun. I wish you the best of luck. You can PM if you have any questions at all about it.

well wishes to your little girl and a speedy recovery!!

 

[jenrein]

My mother severed her Achillies tendon one year, before we were scheduled to go to WDW. She was in a walking cast by the time we got there, but obviously we still got her a wheelchair. Don't know if we got one ahead of time or rented one every day... but I DO know it was a huge benefit for our whole group. Most of the time, you enter the ride through the Exit line and get right on the rides. I would highly recommend getting one for your mother, both for her comfort AND for your own "use"

Obviously this isn't something that shouldn't be abused by those of us who arn't in need. But since you have a legitimate excuse, more power to you!

No, my mother in law isnt going- she is suggesting that we should get one for my daughter while shes getting over mono. I'm thinking since my mother in law is permanently in a wheelchair she may think of it differently. I am one who does not like to abuse the handicap thing or anything like that. So I dont know if I would feel comfortable asking them to let my daughter use one. If she really needed it, then yah, but it makes me nervous I guess.

 

[jenrein]

I had mono when I was 8 (it also started with a terrible sore throat) and I was literally down and OUT for a month. They wouldn't LET ME back into school until I had a note from the doctor clearly stating that it was medically safe to be back in school. I'm not trying to scare you, but it was a difficult illness. I was like a feeble little old lady. Brushing my teeth was exhausting. I fell asleep trying to go up the stairs. My dad would find me mid stairs where i had stopped to rest and just passed out. The doctor told my mom to keep me in bed...she didn't have to try very hard. I was up for maybe an hour or so a day. My spleen seemed to be okay though. I tended to get illnessess on the extreme end when I was young though, so it may not be that bad for your daughter.

The only other thing is that Mono is contagious. I can't imagine a school would want a six year old with mono in the building after only one week. Every sneeze and cough will have to be followed by hand washing and spraying down the area. Your daughter can't share ANYTHING as far as eating utensils or cups or straws with anyone else. Mono can be contagious for up to 18 months AFTER the inital infection takes place. You should go online and look it up so you can find out how to protect your other family members as well.

Whatever you do, don't push your daughter. If she says she is too tired to do something, believe her. Mono can be very rough and hard to recover from, especially if you push yourself to do more than you should. I was tired for months after I was back in school.

Once you get to Disney I would rent a stroller for her and just take it super easy. As long as she rides most of the time and gets naps here and there she should be okay. She may not even have the fatigue that usually accompanies mono. The only other yuck thing about Mono is that your daughter will have to get her blood drawn pretty frequently. I had a blood draw once a week for over a month.

I'm sorry your little one has mono. It's not fun. I wish you the best of luck. You can PM if you have any questions at all about it.

well wishes to your little girl and a speedy recovery!!

Thank you for the info- I was thinking the same thing about school and all. I couldnt believe the doctor said about a week. And considering I had to hold her down for a finger prick I'm sure getting blood drawn is going to be a fantastic event

 

[taximomfor4]

about the wheelchair use, perhaps ask over on the DISabilities thread...but I would say renting a stroller (they are large enough to fit a 6yo, no doubt about it) would bet much better for your niece. They are sized for children, so much, much, much more comfortable for them. Also, she would fit right in...lots of kids will be in them! AND they are cheaper than renting a wheelchair. You can get a multi-day rental on the stroller, which even gives a slight discount.

SueMN has great ideas about all this stuff, she is on the DISabilities board a lot.

I wish your niece a speedy recovery. My nephew had mono a couple of years ago. Right during sports season, too! After the first few weeks, he rested well at night, and took afternoon rests and was still able to be involved in some of his activities. Truly, younger kids tend to be less drastically affected than, say, teenagers.

Beth

 

[taximomfor4]

oops, forgot to address the school thing. Really, mono is caused by one of several viruses (I think Epstein Barr is one of them). They are NOT NOT NOT transmitted easily. Often, people in the same household don't even catch it...that is why schools are not ever heavily affected by mono outbreaks. It really takes pretty direct contact (kissing on the mouth, sharing a cup or straw, etc) to spread it.

HTH some.
Beth

 

[jenrein]

about the wheelchair use, perhaps ask over on the DISabilities thread...but I would say renting a stroller (they are large enough to fit a 6yo, no doubt about it) would bet much better for your niece. They are sized for children, so much, much, much more comfortable for them. Also, she would fit right in...lots of kids will be in them! AND they are cheaper than renting a wheelchair. You can get a multi-day rental on the stroller, which even gives a slight discount.

SueMN has great ideas about all this stuff, she is on the DISabilities board a lot.

I wish your niece a speedy recovery. My nephew had mono a couple of years ago. Right during sports season, too! After the first few weeks, he rested well at night, and took afternoon rests and was still able to be involved in some of his activities. Truly, younger kids tend to be less drastically affected than, say, teenagers.

Beth

Its my daughter actually And thank you for the insight. I will check that out

 

[taximomfor4]

Its my daughter actually And thank you for the insight. I will check that out

Where on EARTH did I get niece from?! Sorry! Probably because it was my nephew that had it a couple of years ago.

Anyway, Get-Well-Quick wishes to your dd!

ps: Not sure if the peds office mentioned this to you, so I will. Due to the possibility of enlarged spleen during Mono, don't let your dd participate in contact sports, rough-housing, etc. That is the ONE thing I remember from our chapter on mono last semester during my pediatrics rotation!

Beth

 

[CampbellScot]

Thank you for the info- I was thinking the same thing about school and all. I couldnt believe the doctor said about a week. And considering I had to hold her down for a finger prick I'm sure getting blood drawn is going to be a fantastic event

yeah the blood draws aren't fun, but some offices have ways of making it easier...they can numb the area with a topical anesthetic before hand. (You can ask for this if you know that this will be a regular thing...they may give you attitude but it's less traumatic for your daughter!)

It's true that mono isn't as easily caught as a cold, but it IS spread through saliva and 6 year olds aren't all quite past that "fingers in their mouth" phase or being sure to wash their hands immediately if they cough or sneeze. Here let me tell the complicated story of my catching mono...*ahem*

I contracted mono from a girl who was in my class.(Sheila) Her mom didn't tell the school Sheila had mono and once her fever was gone her mom sent her back to school without telling anyone why she'd been out for two weeks other than "she's had a very bad cold". We made cards for her! Another girl had gotten mono from Sheila as well.(Angie) Sheila had come back to school in November...Angie got sick in mid January and I got sick near the end of January. The school thought that strep throat was going around. When Angie's mom heard that I was sick with "strep" she called my mom and told her that Angie had mono, so I had to go back to the doctor for the dreaded finger stick and sure enough...Angie's mom being a germophobe traced it back to the Sheila who had been out before Christmas. Angie's mom was SO mad...Angie rode horses competitively and she missed three competitions they had already paid for...

Moral of this fascinating story is this: Mono may not be as contagious as a cold, but three kids with mono all in the same class screams "BE CAREFUL" to me!!!