Mano a Mano (Mono)

It's been a while, and for a reason. Remember this photo from my last post?

You see how I look like hell? Well, that's because I felt like hell. I had just run 12 kilometers, a distance I had not accomplished since 2011, and I assumed this is why I felt so terrible. During the race, I had to stop a few times to walk because I kept getting dizzy. The weather was hot for early May, so I figured it was a bit of dehydration. However, four days and a hot dog later, I still felt like hell. My throat was hurting, I felt dizzy all the time, and I was overwhelmingly fatigued.

I was worried because I have felt this way in the past. These symptoms were side effects of a medication I was taking that had my doctor thinking I might have suffered from a mini stroke. Said medication is now part of a lawsuit.

The doctor did a few tests to see what could possibly be causing these symptoms...

Surprise! You have MONO.

So I've been laying on the couch and staring out the window for almost 2 weeks, too exhausted to get up and grab the remote to turn on the television. Here's the tricky part...I have a 5-month-old. There is no room for being lazy and relaxed when you have an infant. Period. Even when you have mono. He still needs to be fed, changed, bathed, cuddled, and kissed (on top of the head only).

And I know you are all wondering, Everett is 100% fine. I confirmed with 2 doctors that breastfed infants don't really catch mono. One more reason I'm glad I persevered despite the madness in the beginning.

So how did I get mono? You tell me, because you obviously gave it to me when you drank out of my glass that one time. Or maybe I was slutting around like my friend G in college (sorry G, but we all know you're a slut). Or maybe I caught it making out with a sailor during Fleet Week like my friend K.  

However crazy this may seem, I think it has been a blessing in disguise. Lately, I have been feeling like my life is slowly spinning out of control. It is as if I am running next to a merry-go-round, trying desperately to keep up, but never quite managing. The first day I was home, I was laying on the couch with Everett playing on the floor next to me. He would look up at me with his big brown eyes, coo, then we'd smile at each other.

Eleven days after my appointment I still don't feel like myself, but I feel grounded. Jeff took Everett and me to a greenhouse the other day (my first outing as an invalid), and my soul felt rejuvenated. When was the last time I was able to literally stop and smell the flowers? [I think it was that time I made the mistake of smelling daisies...seriously, never smell daisies because they smell like a college boy's dirty laundry basket.]

Anyway, even though I am physically exhausted, even though I have consumed 9 liters of Gatorade in the last week, and even though typing this makes me dizzy, I am thankful I finally have some time to focus on my health. And since I can only stare at the things which surround me in my living room, I have had plenty of time to focus on the love I have for my family.

Signing off! I'm going to take a nap now.