easy child has been sick...

F

flutterbee

Guest
....for about 4 weeks now. It has all the signs of mono. Severe sore throat, swollen lymph nodes (hurts to turn his neck), very large canker sore in the back of his throat and excessive tiredness - sleeping 12 hours at night and taking naps during the day. There is also a bit of a feeling of fullness on his left side under his ribs and that's where the spleen is, if I'm not mistaken. Mono will affect the spleen.

When he went to the doctor last week (I didn't go with him), I asked them to test him for mono when I scheduled the appointment. They didn't and said that with mono you only treat the symptoms anyway, so they wouldn't be doing anything different.

I understand that. But, he's been sick a lot since this summer and everything he gets hangs on for weeks. If it's not mono, I want to know what's going on with him that he's getting sick so much. Insurance won't cover testing for vitamin deficiency. That is just nuts.

He has vitamins, but was bad about taking them. I told him to put them somewhere he would remember and he did. I also put him on B12 and folic acid.

I'm going to see our doctor this week and am going to talk to her about it some more.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Definitely talk to the doctor about it more. If illnesses are hanging on for longer than normal there are a number of things to check, including checking for diabetes. I have a cousin who was not overweight, kept getting sick, took weeks longer than it should for any illness to go away, and her parents finally demanded the doctor check for everything they could.

It turned out she was diabetic. Once she was on a regulated diet and she was on medications she was fine - and was able to fight off infections more normally.

I hope you find out what is going on. Be SURE to remind him that he should NOT lift ANYTHING at all for about 6 weeks AFTER the mono is gone. He could permanently damage his spleen if he does. This happened to a college friend of mine.
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
Be SURE to remind him that he should NOT lift ANYTHING at all for about 6 weeks AFTER the mono is gone. He could permanently damage his spleen if he does. This happened to a college friend of mine.

He just got promoted to grocery at Kroger. He stocked 240 gallons of milk in 20 minutes. :(

I didn't realize it was with lifting things, too. I was always just told to cut out contact sports.
 
K

Kjs

Guest
EXPERIENCE HERE WITH MONO---both myself, easy child and difficult child.

When easy child was a Junior in High school he was sick like that. I sent him to the doctor. They did a blood test for mono and it was negative. Over the next weekend he had swollen lymph nodes. His neck, his face, above his eyes. Looked like Herman Munster. I phoned the doctor in the morning and TOLD him there is something wrong and he is coming in and that HE, the doctor WILL find out what it is.

It was mono. Will not show up if it is in the very beginning stages. However, MONO causes a swollen spleen. Any hit or blow to the abdomin can rupture the spleen. There was no rough housing, no jumping, be careful on the ice (was winter). He was not even allowed to go swimming incase he did a belly flop or fell. Not allowed in school. Against school rules, absolutely not. Very, Very contagious. Can cause fatigue up to 6 months. I would not want someone infecting my child with this, it is horrible.

True, there is nothing to treat mono. They didn't even treat the symptoms. They said if they did he may feel better but it wouldn't be gone and it is dangerous. They need the sleep and they need fluids and they must be careful.

difficult child was 4 at that time. We had no idea he was sick. Didn't have the noticable swollen lymph nodes. Ran a fever. Didn't even know he wasn't drinking or eating. He didn't complain. Finally took him into the doctor. Didn't need a blood test. his spleen was SO enlarged, and he was SO dehydrated and sick they admitted him to the hospital for a WEEK. Scary thing is the previous night we were at a carnival and he was in one of those jumpy houses. We didn't know his spleen was enlarged.

Consequently, everytime difficult child has gotten sick with the same symptoms since, bloodwork always shows positive for mono. I was told he always will. Since he has such a bad case he will always show positive.

I would go BACK to the doctor. Demand a blood test. Demand that the doctor check the spleen. You have to take precautions here or it could cause some very serious problems.
 
K

Kjs

Guest
Have his IRON checked. That can cause anemia, tiredness...easy child also struggled with that. He told me (he was 13 and in wrestling) that he was tired. Exhausted tired but not tired - tired. He could hardly walk up the steps. It was very low iron. Put him on iron pills, which in turn caused some awful constipation.

Do demand a full work-up.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Yeah, you do have to take precautions. My friend ended up having to have his spleen removed because he was trying to lift weights and he really messed up his spleen. He had been told that he was just "run down" and he needed to exercise to "build up" his system.

He had to drop out for a YEAR and his family sued the doctor who told him to exercise because he CLEARLY had mono when he first went in - he had been sick for weeks. And they actually won the malpractice case because it was so blatantly clear he had mono.

Anyway, be firm with the doctor about testing and getting notes for school and work. If he works for Kroger he is probably Union and they should protect his job for him until he is well. NO ONE wants someone sick working around their food!

Sorry he is so sick. LOTS of fluids. Power ade and gator ade are good as is sprite, but NO caffeine.

Hugs to MOM also, it is hard to see your baby sick. And no matter how old they are, they are your baby.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I'd be very frustrated with the doctor's office. Definitely go back and demand the blood testing.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Yep. I'd be irate. Mono is contagious and is nothing to mess around with. Even if it isn't mono, difficult child has something serious going on in his body and you need to know what it is exactly to correct it. Docs should not be blowing this off no matter what the treatment is. I'm shocked at their attitude. Push the doctor into finding the answer.

((hugs)) Hope easy child is feeling better soon.
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
difficult child was about 18 months when he contracted mono. I had just had pcdaughter. Took her to dr. for cold. husband came in with difficult child---he looked awful. Dr. diagnosis ear infection---it was an ongoing issue with him. The next morning woke him up to take pcson to school. On the way there his breathing was awful---and he looked worse. Back to dr. They ran mono test and sent us straight to the hospital. pediatrician. said it was the only time he had seen an 18 month old test positive---difficult child was in the hospital for a week. I had to find a nanny to keep he and pcdaughter home for the next 18 months---it took that long for his spleen to return to normal.
 

klmno

Active Member
I'd pursue having him tested anyway. I was under the impression that doctors and sd's want to know if it's mono, whether or not you only treat symptoms. Isn't it contagious?
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Cory had mono at 14. He was so lethargic he couldnt move off the couch. He lost weight like crazy. I was taking him to the doctor probably every other day and the weight was dropping off him. They had to discontinue his depakote cold turkey because his white blood count was so wacked out. It took him about 5 months to get well enough to go back to school.
 
B

bran155

Guest
Poor guy!!! That must be so horrible for him. :(

I hope you are able to get the the bottom of this soon so he can start feeling better.

Hang in there. :)
 
Top