7 months mono update and story - getting back on track!

Hey there everyone, I’ve been seeing a lot of people do updates and positive recovery stories, so I thought I would do one now as well. 

Starting September 2017 I started having odd things happen to me, such as heart palpitations, repetitive racing thoughts, and occasional anxiety while trying to fall asleep. Then the heart palpitations would come during the day. Not all the time, but enough to notice. I would brush these

strange things off as nothing because they didn’t occur often enough to worry me, and I am still a growing young adult so thought it might just be hormones. For months I went along as normal, went to school and felt just fine aside from the occasional recurrence of these symptoms. 

Finally, late February I went for a ski trip, and noticed on my last day of skiing that I felt very strange and off. I tried to push the feeling aside but when the day was over and I went back to my hotel room, I was anxious and on edge the whole time and I couldn’t shake it off. That night I had a panic attack, and I do not have a history of anxiety or panic attacks. Skip to two days later, I am back home and come down with the flu. This was the worst flu I’ve ever experienced, and I believe it also helped kick the mono into action. My anxiety sky rocketed, I would get horrible bouts of anxiety for no reason at all. I felt very sad for no reason as well. I only had a fever for one or two days, but I had this this horrible groggy feeling in my head, and was extremely sleepy. I lost my appetite and missed almost two weeks of school.

I thought the anxiety would go away when I got better, but when I went back to school it was still there. I struggled March through may with anxiety and depressed feelings which made it tough to go to school and concentrate on my assignments. I didn’t understand what was going on with me, I just knew I felt off.

finally, March 13th I was with my family for a Mother’s Day dinner and after eating we decided to go for a walk. While walking, I felt extremely spaced out, tired, and felt weak and as if I was about to fall over or faint. I came back home, had a panic attack again after experiencing these symptoms and my mood was very bad, I felt so depressed. I did not go back to school for the remainder of the year after that day. 

May and June were my worst months. I felt so horrible, with weakness, anxiety, lightheadeness, off balanced feelings, difficulty concentrating, loss of appetite, nausea, etc. I never had any lymph nodes swell up or any aches, but the rest of the symptoms were absolutely horrendous to experience. 

July and August my energy improved, but I struggled mentally. I could not shake the anxiety and I had a very bad episode of derealization for about three weeks caused by extreme anxiety and stress. Luckily, by the end of August and just in time for my birthday, I was finally snapping out of it and starting to feel like myself again- mentally and physically. I went to school to pick up my schedule, and was able to work for 5 days, and I didn’t feel too exhausted afterwards. 

Now I have just started my last year of high school, and i truly feel like my life is getting back on track. I still get tired after my school day and get occasional off balanced and dizzy feelings,but all I need to do is nap and relax a little to restore my energy. As I get better, the anxiety has started to ease of and I no longer feel it as bad anymore; in fact, it hardly bothers me now. When I do get it, I remind myself it’s just the mono lingering, and it doesn’t feel so bad anymore.

So that’s where I am up to now. For those of you still struggling with this horrible sickness, it DOES get better, not matter how long it seems, you will come out the other end feeling stronger and better than ever. You will appreciate your life and health even more, and that is a great gift. 

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