I’d like to preface this article by saying 1: no, the hit TV show Pretty Little Liars did not ACTUALLY give me mono, 2: no, this was not an ideal start to my 2024, and 3: this might be a little TMI.
As most of us know, Pretty Little Liars is an amazing show. I took the time over my winter break to start it over and actually try to finish it. Although I’m not done yet, I’m truly so invested that I just have to know how it ends.
In my eyes, I thought that I was binge watching the show so much that it was starting to make me physically ill. I would lay in bed all day, watch a bunch of Pretty Little Liars, take a nap, eat in between, continue my show, go to bed, and repeat. I started to think to myself, “Wow. You have been so lazy lately. What’s wrong with you?”
Little did I know the reason I was being so lazy is because I, in fact, had mononucleosis. Yay.
After a few days of headaches, I decided to finally go to urgent care, as well as switch up the shows I was watching for a little. Let’s be honest, I needed a short break from PLL.
After going to urgent care, they ruled out me having Covid-19 and the flu, so they sent me home to “take Advil and rest.” Now, I’m in no way a doctor or medical physician, but the way I interpreted this was that they sent me home to die. Or at least that’s what it felt like.
It wasn’t until I woke up the next day with 104 degree fever that I actually went to the emergency room and got the medical attention I needed. After sitting in pain for five hours with an IV bagged hooked up to me, they told me that I tested positive for mono.
Of course, with my luck, I found all of this out the day before I had to come back to school from winter break (as I write this at my dining room table in my family home). I will say that I’m so grateful all of my professors understood my circumstances and allowed me to do classes through Zoom for 2 weeks.
Most would think, “But you’re so lucky. Not only do you get to stay home longer, but you get to do class online and get extensions on work.” Not at all. I wouldn’t wish this situation on anyone ever. Between a headache that didn’t go away for five days straight, swollen jaundice eyes (yes, my family did laugh at me), full body rashes, nausea, five different medications, and constant fevers, it was not a very fun start to the new year.
Throughout all of these issues, my family was also very understanding and helpful, which I am forever grateful for because I found myself crying and praying that I wouldn’t die from this. I know it was a little dramatic, but for those that have had mono, you know that it genuinely feels like you’re going to die.
Now that I feel much better, I’m able to laugh at some of these things, even though they weren’t funny in the moment. Through all of that pain and trouble, all I can think is, “Welp. There’s always 2025.”
And 2025 is gonna be my year for SURE.