YAY - Mono!!

[Dilnad]

So I have Mono. Dr has told me no physical activity at all for at least the next 3 weeks after which time we will re-evaluate it. He told me I best just drop out of fall training and the fall race series as trying to catch up will be some rough running and is likely too be way too much way too soon. No lifting. Maybe some biking next month. I'm also told to expect large losses in my running endurance/performance. I am maintaining a rock solid diet and my weight has maintained or dropped a couple pounds.

 

Anyone else had to recover from mono with their fitness?? Any words of wisdom? Expectations?

[Trixie Falsae]

Follow doctor orders! Mono sucks. I had mono as a kid and watched a boyfriend have it as an adult. I remeber having intense stomach pain for a long time. Mono causes swelling in the spleen so a huge danger is it rupturing. My ex was bedridden for a couple months, but his refusal to get out of bed only prolonged his recovery. Trying to get up and at least walk around helps, even when the exhaustion makes you want to sleep constantly. 

[Guzzi]

Mono?  I've never even heard of that, what is it?

[Dilnad]

1 hour ago, Guzzi said:

Mono?  I've never even heard of that, what is it?

Basically a virus that makes you sick for a week or two, followed by weeks if not months of extreme fatigue and tiredness. Your spleen becomes inflamed and is at risk of rupturing (A medical emergency), You can't do anything physical for a good 3-4 weeks until that is resolved and then pushing back into fitness too hard can bring the whole thing back. It can take months to fully recover. In a nutshell, I'm essentially screwed. Have to give up running, lifting and biking for awhile and replacing with sleeping and extreme diet control followed by a slow recovery and basically a reboot of habits. All I do now is work and sleep. 

 

When I'm at work (like now), all I can think about is sleeping. My body is heavy, eyes are heavy, non stop yawning. SUCKS!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_mononucleosis

[Guzzi]

As I was reading that I thought to myself "that sounds a lot like glandular fever".  Then I clicked on the link...

 

Infectious mononucleosis (IM), also known as mono, kissing disease, or glandular fever,

 

In which case, I've had mono.  But it was when I was about 15-16 and although very active I wasn't involved with any sports.  Yeah, it's horrible.  All you want to do is sleep. I remember bunking off school so that I could sleep, and I would do that wherever I could - on park benches, in other people's houses, on busses. 

 

I got over it (obviously) but a few years later became ill again, this time with Coxsackie virus, which you can catch after having mono (apparently). 

 

Coxsackievirus is a virus that belongs to a family of nonenveloped, linear, positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, Picornaviridae and the genus Enterovirus, which also includes poliovirus and echovirus.

 

It was a very slow thing, I didn't notice when it all started, but I experienced exhaustion like never before.  I couldn't even think, it was as if someone had packed the crevices of my brain with cotton wool and every thought had to fight to get through.  Eventually I was so exhausted and downtrodden that I remember feeling that if I could simply stop breathing and let myself die I would do it, just to escape it. 

 

When I finally went to my doctor I was diagnosed with Coxsackie by blood test  but it was a "we will just take some bloods to rule anything else out" before putting me on antidepressants for my "depression".  

 

Just wanted to share so you can keep it in mind, I doubt you will experience the same thing (and you won't be a dumb 17yo who it never occurred to her to go see a doctor) but it's good to know anyway.  I sincerely hope you make a quick recovery and get back to your training.  I know the frustration of not being able to train, or even just be active, but that's a story for another day, lol!  

 

Just remember that you WILL get back to where you were before, your body will recover and you will get there much faster than it took to get there first time around. Not being able to train doesn't change who you are, you are still that guy who trains and competes, this doesn't change that. Don't let a temporary, enforced hiatus affect your sense of self.  Once you recover to the point where you feel you can do things again (but still can't train properly) then maybe you could work on something low impact that is relevant to your training?  Yoga and Pilates are great, but even something like seeing a physiotherapist and finding out if there is anything that you are unaware of that could be having a negative impact on your training (or life in general).  Is your posture good, do you have any weaknesses that you are unaware of, do you walk with one foot slightly turned out, etc, etc.  It could at least give you something positive to focus on while rehabbing. 

 

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.