MONO!!!! What the hell?

[ZeRo_C0oL]

What is the deal with mono? How many of you have had it before? I just found out about a week ago that I have it, and it's one of the most awful things I've ever experienced. My tonsils are swollen up to the point where they have literally touched eachother from side to side, and they are blistered in the most disgusting way. Went to the doctor last week, and he gave me a 5 day supply of steroids that was supposed to help reduce the swelling of my tonsils... I've tried just about everything, and even tried their "home remedy" suggestion of gargling Maalox and something else mixed together, and that doesn't help the constant pain.

...other than that, I feel drained as HELL! This is the third day of work that I've missed since I found out what was wrong with me, and I can't keep missing work--but I talk on the phone all day, so it's hard to talk with your throat closed.

Apparently a lot of people have been coming down with mono lately! I didn't get it from kissing, by any means, as the stereotype implies. I'm afraid maybe I got it from having dinner somewhere where maybe they didn't clean the dishes too well after an ill customer ate/drank. Likely?

It's fucking awful, and I'm told it could last 4-6 weeks in some cases.

[High_Revs_17]

Wayne said he was just really really bored...

[John712]

not only can it last 4 to 6 weeks, it can also land you in the hospital for a few more weeks. stay out of work until your 100% fine, last thing you want is a relapse because you think your feeling fine.

i sure hope you feel better fast though.
ice cream is your best friend!

[jcblitz]

I got it Sr year of high school. I felt fine but apparently I looked like shit. Two days before I was actually diagnosed all my teachers and friends made comments on how shitty I looked, more than usual. It was golf season and I played for the school, and apparently I almost burst my spleen from swinging. I didn't feel any different.

So in short, I felt fine, but I wasn't according to my doctors. But I've always been an "I'm fine" type of person even if my arm was falling off, IE my motorcycle accident.

I also didn't get it from kissing. The only thing I can think of was sharing a bottle of alcohol with some friends and their friends in the woods one weekend. But I don't recall any of the people I knew getting mono.

[ZeRo_C0oL]

not only can it last 4 to 6 weeks, it can also land you in the hospital for a few more weeks. stay out of work until your 100% fine, last thing you want is a relapse because you think your feeling fine.

i sure hope you feel better fast though.
ice cream is your best friend!

Thanks!

...and about work, I really can't. That's the awful thing. My employer has some ridiculous sick policies, but they'll surely be paying any sort of medical bills I may encounter if I end up in the hospital because I was at risk of losing my job for missing work for a medical issue. That was an awfully long sentence.

Anyway, they basically have very little tolerance towards sickness/absence. They, in a sense, expect you to prepare in advance to take sick time from work, or you're penalized for it. After you're penalized a few times, you're at risk. Here's the funny thing: unscheduled time off has to be scheduled two weeks prior to the date of absence, or it's a violation. How can you schedule unscheduled time? lol.... How can you PLAN to be sick? They give you time off, but penalize you if you have to use it.

Me in the hospital? See them in court :p

I want nothing more than to get better... Fast.

[High_Revs_17]

they basically have very little tolerance towards sickness/absence. They, in a sense, expect you to prepare in advance to take sick time from work, or you're penalized for it. After you're penalized a few times, you're at risk. Here's the funny thing: unscheduled time off has to be scheduled two weeks prior to the date of absence, or it's a violation. How can you schedule unscheduled time? lol.... How can you PLAN to be sick? They give you time off, but penalize you if you have to use it.

Who do you work for, the devil? I've never heard such a thing, as long as you have a Dr.'s note there shouldn't be any issues. Have you researched your NPTO, PTO and EIB policies closely? Maybe there's a misunderstanding somewhere with the fine print.

[ZeRo_C0oL]

Who do you work for, the devil? I've never heard such a thing, as long as you have a Dr.'s note there shouldn't be any issues. Have you researched your NPTO, PTO and EIB policies closely? Maybe there's a misunderstanding somewhere with the fine print.

Yes, unfortunately I do work for the devil... I work for a wireless company now. lol.

When I was with Allstate Insurance as a network analyst, I probably could have been sick for a full 365 days and somehow been paid for all of it... With this new company, I ask myself every day why I still work there.

[Qetesh]

Mono has definately been goin around. I know a hand full of people who are still dealing with it since finding out, back in November. Oh, and none of them got it from kissing either.

Here's a good write up about Epstein Bar Virus (that's what causes Mono) any anything else you didn't know ----> http://www.webmd.com/hw/infection/hw168636.asp

Your job sounds like it sucks. However, I know a couple places that operate the same way and in fact, know someone who got fired for taking a sick day.

Good luck and get better soon!!!

[Cakes206]

I work for a wireless company now.
Really? Which one and what do you do there? Sucks to have to worry bout losing your job because you got sick...that stress in itself can mess you up. Document everything.

[yb929rr]

if they won't let you take sick time. just go in tell your boss what the problem is then.....stay close to him/her and keep sneezing on them. then they should give you the time off!

[Barbi]

:LOL:

yeah anyway, I had Mono in 5th grade. I was out of school for a month :) but... I recall having to have blood drawn alll the freakin time!

And I didn't get it from kissing either. Although I gave it :naughty: J/K!!!

[ZeRo_C0oL]

Really? Which one and what do you do there? Sucks to have to worry bout losing your job because you got sick...that stress in itself can mess you up. Document everything.

Ntelos. You've probably never heard of it... Relatively small company in comparison to Verizon, USCC, Sprint, etc. We primarily service Virginia, West Virginia, and small portions of Ohio and Kentucky.


I couldn't agree with you more. I never have an attendance problem.. Never late.. Never really do anything to warrant any sort of grief or trouble from anyone, and I always work 110%. They have a problem with employee retention and things like this are a big part of that! Next time I accept a job offer and leave a great job, I'm definitely going to dig in the dirt a little bit more and ask some of the questions I should have asked. I asked questions, but apparently not the right ones. Not that it matters I guess, because half of the things they said in the interview have not been true as of yet. They lied about mandatory overtime, and they lied about our shift rotations. I was told I'd work every third weekend, but I work every other weekend... Urghh! Anyway.................

It seems like the employee retention could be solved with a little concern towards their employees! Not only do they have a shitty sick policy, but they have a terrible inclimate weather policy too. We never shut down, so it doesn't matter if there's 20 feet of snow and ice on the roads or not... If you don't make it to work, there's a strike for you.

[ZeRo_C0oL]

if they won't let you take sick time. just go in tell your boss what the problem is then.....stay close to him/her and keep sneezing on them. then they should give you the time off!

That's the thing... They all know. They've known since before I was diagnosed. I told them how I felt, and what was going on, and that I was going to the doctor before work... and then we found out what was wrong with me. I've been out of work for a total of three days and that equals two strikes for me. I have to go back today, despite how I feel, because I could otherwise be at risk of losing my job. The shitty thing is that I talk on the phone ALL day long; ALL DAY! It's painful to talk on the phone all day when your throat is nearly swollen shut and your tonsils are covered in blisters. It hurts to swallow.

[yb929rr]

seriously, like cakes said document EVERYTHING. even write down what they say to you.....most lawyers give free consultations.

hope everything works out!

[ZeRo_C0oL]

My concern is that I'm in the Commonwealth of Virginia... and it's a right to work state, which basically means you can be terminated if your ears are too big, and it be entirely legal, if they wish. It just seems unlawful for someone to be punished for a legit medical issue.

I will document everything... and see what happens from here. If I end up hospitalized, I intend to at least take the rest of the year off from working.. on their dime! lol

[Cakes206]

Pass out in your chair, WORKMANS COMP! :lol:

You guys GSM? What do you do there?

[Smokes35]

I had mono in college... i was down for the count almost 8 weeks... Nothing u can do but try to stay well fed and full of fluids... watch alot of TV and movies...

The only advice i can give is dont try to go back to your everyday activities to fast. I tried to get right back into coniditioning for baseball... set me back atleast another week.... Just take your time, you cant be in any hurry to get back on your feet.

[Mike295]

the chick on the real world has mono. I had it around 8th grade or something like that. Really shitty. I lost like 20 pounds.

[jcblitz]

the chick on the real world has mono. I had it around 8th grade or something like that. Really shitty. I lost like 20 pounds.

Yeah, I dropped 20 lbs and was so pissed. It was right when I got into weight lifting and was the biggest I ever was. 6 months of hard work down the drain :(

[ffejtable]

Sorry to hear dude... Does mono qualify you for short term disability benefits by any chance? I dont know know how things work down there in VA really. 8 months of living down there wasnt enough to learn such things. NJ is a right to work state as well, HOWEVER, if their is an employee handbook, that is essentially contains a contract between the employee and employee. So for example, if the book says in order to be fired without a written warning you must commit an illegal act, they have to adhere to that company set policy, regardless of what the law says. essentially at that point they "changed" the law with their contract (employee handbook) with you. at least that's how it works in NJ.

they seriously cant expect people to go to work under certain medical conditions, and mono is definately one of them.

like cakes said, document EVERYTHING, including every conversation you have with them. there are legal issues about recording conversations as well, so make sure they know you are recording, otherwise it may not be admissible when you sue their ass..

[pmdez]

wow, heard of mono, have never had it but never thought it was this serious. sick for 8 weeks :wow:

feel better soon!

[ffejtable]

wow, heard of mono, have never had it but never thought it was this serious. sick for 8 weeks :wow:

feel better soon!

and just imagine.. there are some people out there that get mono more than once. :P

the normal person eventually builds up antibodies, so the next time they are exposed their uimmune system knows how to deal with it... some people have broken immune systems and they never actually develope an antibody... while their body does eventually fight it off, things like stress can trigger it to come back... its rarely ever as severe as the original episode, thankfully....

thats the epstein-barr syndrome (cause by EB virus), as opposed to regular mono... for a while this was confused with chronic fatigue syndrome. not sure what caused CFS though...

[ZeRo_C0oL]

and just imagine.. there are some people out there that get mono more than once. :P

the normal person eventually builds up antibodies, so the next time they are exposed their uimmune system knows how to deal with it... some people have broken immune systems and they never actually develope an antibody... while their body does eventually fight it off, things like stress can trigger it to come back... its rarely ever as severe as the original episode, thankfully....

thats the epstein-barr syndrome (cause by EB virus), as opposed to regular mono... for a while this was confused with chronic fatigue syndrome. not sure what caused CFS though...


Are you in the medical field perhaps? I'm impressed with the knowledge. I've done a lot of reading since I was diagnosed, but you don't sound to me like you're reading it out of a book..

BTW, no, I don't qualify for any sort of short term disability or FMLA or anything. I've only been there for like 5 months now. You have to be employeed for 12 rolling months before you're eligible. I'm hoping, and literally PRAYING that this goes away in the next few days. This is the first weekend I've officially had off in about a month, so I'm going to try and relax the best I can within reason.. My girlfriend bitches if we just "waste a weekend" not doing anything, even though I'm sick. lol.. anyway, I'm just going to try and get better, and hopefully it'll be gone by Monday!

Yesterday was the longest day EVER! I had to work mandatory overtime, which means I was on the phone even longer yesterday than I normally would be.

[ffejtable]

Are you in the medical field perhaps? I'm impressed with the knowledge. I've done a lot of reading since I was diagnosed, but you don't sound to me like you're reading it out of a book..


lol, no.. just some personal experience... :P

stress is really bad for your immune system, and work certainly doesnt seem to be helping at all... or your GF....

id probably take lots of vit C... you will just pee out whatever your body doesnt absorb. but id ask a doctor first, it might overtax your liver/kidneys/whatever and make things worse.

btw, sexy bike! now i remember why your name is so familiar... yer on kawiforums :)

[ZeRo_C0oL]

lol, no.. just some personal experience... :P

stress is really bad for your immune system, and work certainly doesnt seem to be helping at all... or your GF....

id probably take lots of vit C... you will just pee out whatever your body doesnt absorb. but id ask a doctor first, it might overtax your liver/kidneys/whatever and make things worse.

btw, sexy bike! now i remember why your name is so familiar... yer on kawiforums :)

Thanks, and yep.. I'm on Kawiforums. :ride:

My last one looked almost identical to your avatar picture. Blue is the fastest color :D

[SAXON117]

if they won't let you take sick time. just go in tell your boss what the problem is then.....stay close to him/her and keep sneezing on them. then they should give you the time off!

+1

that is total :bs: ! If it is a "Right to Work State" is it a "Right to Get Your Ass Kicked State"? If they fire you for having Mono and taking time to get better... go to work when they fire you beat the guys ass and as you stand over him laying on the floor, gasping for air, drop a spit wod in his mouth (sharing the mono). Then :flip: and :fart: and just strut out of that shithole