I'm in hell
It had been over a year since my boyfriend had mono, (we started dating 6 months ago) so I assumed it was safe to kiss him. Wrong!
I'm 19 and was about to start my new very physical job, and now I'm out for a whole week with mono and strep. I've had horrible cases of covid and flu in the past, I've had an ear infection that burst my eardrum and left me deaf in one ear for six months, I've had period cramps so bad I passed out, and nothing even compares to the pain I'm in right now.
Everything from my shoulders up is pure agony. My lymph nodes are so swollen I can barely turn my head! Both my eardrums hurt, my jaw is stiff and achy, but of course worst of all is the sore throat. I can't breathe at all through my nose, but the dry air just irritates me more. I'm not able to keep my mouth closed and I keep drooling. I'm still pushing liquids even though it feels like I'm swallowing glass and razorblades. I can't afford any complications, my last (unrelated) ER visit dug me in a hole financially. But jesus I just wish I could get into a clinic and get some steroids or a numbing spray or literally anything.
My tonsils are HUGE and look utterly disgusting. I was prescribed ezithromycin for the strep, but it hasn't done a thing yet. I've tried everything: salt water, honey, coconut oil, popsicles, ice cubes, hot tea-- literally nothing gives me relief besides ibuprofen, but I've already taken it so much these past few days and I'm worried about taking too much. NyQuil can only keep me asleep for two hours max. I've slept hardly a wink in the past two days because I keep waking myself up when I swallow. Oddly enough, I don't have a fever but I have some really awful chills.
I just can't believe how bad this is, and how nobody told me beforehand! I mean, when my boyfriend had it, he was hospitalized but I assumed that was because he also had adenomyosis at the time. Can mono really just be that bad? I'm in so much pain. Please tell me it gets better. I'm so scared it will only get worse and I won't be able to do anything about it. I'm so tired. I just want to be able to sleep.