Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Money/Health

"I was too miserable to do a lot," she said. "I just wasn't feeling well … I would be so exhausted. I didn't socialize as much because I couldn't handle it."

At work, Schachtner said she felt tired and out of it. She was asked to leave work early a lot and had to quit her job at the Acoustic Café because of it.

Srock said she has had a hard time in school because of her mono.

"It's really hard sitting in class because my body gets sore being in one position in a chair," she said. "Sometimes I do get tired."

Olson said the amount of time people are sick with mono can vary between a week and a month, though people are still infected with the Epstein-barr virus for the rest of their lives.

"You'll still be a carrier for it and the virus can become reactivated from time to time," she said. "But usually once you have mono you shouldn't get the symptoms again."

Although it is rare to get mono symptoms again once someone has been infected, Olson said the virus could become active again if someone's immune system is weak for another reason, such as a severe illness.

There are many ways to catch mono, Olson said, because the virus is very contagious. It is easy to catch mono from being around children because they are often carriers for the virus, though they have no symptoms, she said.

Olson said the virus must be active in order for it to be a threat to another person, but "even drinking off the same cup as someone else can spread it."

"(If you have mono) try to relax as much as you can," Schachtner said. "If you're stressed out, it's just going to get worse."

< prev Page 2 of 2

Article Tools