Have Mononucleosis, New Job, Questions.

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Specializes in L&D; Post-Op Med/Surg.

Well fantastic. I was supposed to start the 2nd day of my new job today. Luckily I am between orientations so they were only going to have me sitting with a nurse going over discharges today and tomorrow and then I am supposed to start hospital orientation Monday. Yesterday I got dx with Mononucleosis.

Here's the scenario. My older son just got back from a Montana camping trip 3 or 4 days ago and he is sick, now getting better. He felt like he had a typical cold, without fatigue. I only went in his room once the day he got back and did not touch him in any way. The next day I started feeling like I might be getting sick, in the lungs (if you have asthma then you know what I mean.) The next day I felt better so I thought I escaped the sickness & yay for me because I had to go to my first day at work which luckily was only to follow PT for 4 hours because I was in between hospital orientations. Well yesterday I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a mack truck! I figured I'd better go to the dr to get on some meds to start nipping this in the bud since I was supposed to have my next 2 days going over discharges. To my surprise & extreme disappointment, they did the blood test & I have Mono. Then I get home and start my "lady" time. Double woohoo for me. My "lady times" cause severe h/a, fatigue, abdominal swelling, and cramping for about 2-3 days.

My questions.

1. I read in my Patho book the incubation period for Mono is between 31-50 days and so if that is the case then is there no way that is what my son could have and therefore could not have given to me?

2. The dr stated it should be better in about 4-5 days but upon reading it states the symptoms could last upwards of one month. Luckily when I called my manager, immediately upon leaving the dr, I informed her of the situation and told her I would definitely come in if she wanted me to but wanted her to be aware of the situation in case she wanted me to not sit next to another nurse for two days straight, to which she stated definitely stay home and rest. And then the next week is hospital orientation so that will not be too strenuous. But after that it is full-blown nursing on a busy post-op Med/Surg unit. So, how easy do you have to take it and for how long? Should I be in the clear?

3. My book states that it is rare once someone reaches 40 to get this and that in fact it is usually Cytomegalovirus. I am 40. What is the difference as the symptoms are the same?

4. What exactly do both Mono and Cytomegalovirus have to do with the Herpes virus? I am confused about that. Unfortunately I do get fever blisters from time to time and did recently have one that ended a couple of days before this all started. I just associated all this with the recent intense stress I have dealt with in the last week of putting in my two-week notice at my extremely stressful previous nursing position, but still steady, to my new nursing position with testing and a typical probationary period. Happy to move but still stressful nonetheless. Could that have been the cause of all this?

5. One of the symptoms that has been number one on all the lists is the one I have not had, fever. Does that matter? I have also not had lymph node swelling.

I hate to air so much dirty laundry but I cannot think of a better place to ask these questions and I did notice some previous posts about this topic but they were closed and I was hoping someone here may have some experience with this.

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1. I read in my Patho book the incubation period for Mono is between 31-50 days and so if that is the case then is there no way that is what my son could have and therefore could not have given to me?

Probably not, but it's hard to say. That is the incubation time for Epstein-Barr, but from what you said below, it looks like your infection is from CMV...

2. The dr stated it should be better in about 4-5 days but upon reading it states the symptoms could last upwards of one month. Luckily when I called my manager, immediately upon leaving the dr, I informed her of the situation and told her I would definitely come in if she wanted me to but wanted her to be aware of the situation in case she wanted me to not sit next to another nurse for two days straight, to which she stated definitely stay home and rest. And then the next week is hospital orientation so that will not be too strenuous. But after that it is full-blown nursing on a busy post-op Med/Surg unit. So, how easy do you have to take it and for how long? Should I be in the clear?

I really hope you don't have a bad case, but the symptoms you're describing are very similar to the ones I had. Mono is nasty. I got sick in college, took off a week, and got back up. Wrong answer!

I ended up in bed for 2 weeks and took off a semester (4 months) in order to fully recover. Surprisingly, the fatigue wasn't the worst part--it was the sore throat, the sore throat that made me wish I was dead every time I had to breathe. I got steroids to bring down the swelling because it was just unbearable--some of the worst pain I have ever experienced.

Despite the downtime, I still managed to get mono AGAIN (which is pretty much unheard of) a few semesters later. Mono is nothing to play with. It is quite contagious and can cause all kinds of cardio issues to boot. Please make sure you get your rest! In the end, it isn't worth it to push the envelope and get up before you're ready.

3. My book states that it is rare once someone reaches 40 to get this and that in fact it is usually Cytomegalovirus. I am 40. What is the difference as the symptoms are the same?

Epstein-Barr usually causes mono. Cytomegalovirus is the cause in a small minority of cases. Looks the the symptoms are the same from what I've read.

4. What exactly do both Mono and Cytomegalovirus have to do with the Herpes virus? I am confused about that. Unfortunately I do get fever blisters from time to time and did recently have one that ended a couple of days before this all started. I just associated all this with the recent intense stress I have dealt with in the last week of putting in my two-week notice at my extremely stressful previous nursing position, but still steady, to my new nursing position with testing and a typical probationary period. Happy to move but still stressful nonetheless. Could that have been the cause of all this?

EBV and CMV are both in the Herpes family of viruses. You may have had a blister because your immune system was under attack and your counts were low, or it may have been from stress, or it may have been from both. Difficult to say...

5. One of the symptoms that has been number one on all the lists is the one I have not had, fever. Does that matter? I have also not had lymph node swelling.

I didn't have a fever either. I had lymph node swelling, but those can be late signs. I also had liver inflammation because when I went into the ER, the doc diagnosed me with a sinus infection despite abdominal pain, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. :sarcastic: Thanks, doc.

You understand, of course, that this is all my personal experience. There is no guarantee as to how your particular case will run its course, but there is good reason NOT to treat this just as a normal cold, because it isn't. Be very careful about exerting yourself. If you feel tired, lay down and take a nap!

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

You need to discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider. As per the site terms of service members can neither request nor offer medical advice.

Feel better soon.

Thread closed.

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