Motherhood with Mono

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The Diagnosis

In September, I was certain that I had strep. Classic symptoms, and strep and I go way back. I *thought* I was familiar enough to diagnose myself. I head to the doctor and hear two shocking things: Strep test is negative. We want to check you for mono. “WHAT?!” I literally said that to my doctor. “Mono?? Are you sure?” After some blood work, it was confirmed. I had mono. Yes, the kissing disease. No, I hadn’t been kissing anyone I don’t normally kiss, and none of them had mono.

What is mono, you ask? If you had time to read the link above, you will have come up with the same conclusion I did: mono sucks.

Mononucleosis, also called “mono,” is a common illness that can leave you feeling tired and weak for weeks or months. Mono goes away on its own, but lots of rest and good self-care can help you feel better. (WebMD)

My doctor confirmed that I would feel completely exhausted for four to six weeks. As a mom, all I could do was nervously laugh about that. How was I going to care for my family for up to six weeks? Would I need to stay home for the entire time? What about the toddler who vies for my attention 24/7?

Motherhood with Mono

Motherhood with MonoThe next four to six weeks went like this…. Laying on the couch. Snuggling the toddler. Easy meals, or hubby cooked, or we have amazing friends who totally went out of their way to nurse me back to health. Gallons of water. Minimal movement. Exhausted no matter what I did. It was really hard. But I just kept thinking, There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, unlike so many others who face illness every single day for months on end. It did help that my hubby works from home and could help me if I unexpectedly passed out or something. That was comforting!

What I Learned

I learned how to budget my energy. One day, I got really sad for Drake. I feared he was getting bored and missing his social life. (Okay, maybe I was just missing mine.) I would still attend my Tuesday morning Bible study and a meeting here or there. Just never after 6 p.m. when I felt like I might pass out at any given moment. My sweet husband gently reminded me, “You have the energy to play with him, you’re just using it to do chores or this or that.” Ahhh yes. I needed to hear that truth. How was I spending my energy? On things that others could help out with. Laundry, dishes, light sweeping. Those are things my girls can do. They cannot be mommy though. I learned to spend my energy being mommy instead of maid/servant/dishwasher….

That leads me to another point. I learned to delegate! I do not have to be everything to everyone every minute. That’s not my purpose. And that’s not doing anyone any favors! Dinner? Hubs knows how to cook! He can whip up a mean batch of spaghetti on a moment’s notice! Dishes? Cadee and Lili can team up and have that done in no time. Bath night? That’s okay, Dad’s got this! I am not the only person who can conquer these tasks. My house did not fall apart while I laid on the couch for six weeks.

I learned to appreciate my body. I hate on my body quite a bit…. It’s too flabby. It can’t run a mile in under 10 minutes. It can’t burn through the brownie I just ate before it settles on my hips. But, it CAN do a lot for this family in a day. It CAN carry a toddler around the kitchen while preparing a meal. It CAN get out of bed each morning, or survive a night on the couch with a babe. It CAN be a source of comfort to a girl who had a rough Monday. It CAN climb the stairs a hundred times a day (maybe that’s an exaggeration!). While on “bed rest,” I realized just how much I put my body through every single day. And I am grateful for its power and abilities.

I learned that my friends and family are one of a kind. I got numerous texts and calls from loved ones checking in, seeing if I needed anything. When people ask if you need anything, take them up on that! They want to bless you and lighten your load. Let them. Don’t be too prideful to accept help. If someone calls and asks for your address so they can deliver a meatloaf in an hour, give it to them! They made your family a delicious meal so that you don’t have to worry about it that night.

Besides being great helpers while I was sick, I was very pleased to see that my girls had sympathy for me. They were honestly concerned about me and prayed for me to get better. Not once… okay, maybe once… did they insinuate that I was being lazy or get mad at me for not doing more. They were very understanding and loving.

I am happy to report that I am free and clear of mono! Hallelujah! And I am even more grateful for my health day in and day out. Here’s to hoping my family doesn’t ever have to experience it themselves!

Have you ever had mono or an illness that kept you from going about your normal day? I would love to hear how you made it work around the house!

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Rachel Verzani
Rachel is the wife to an accountant, the mom to a sweetheart, Cadence (Dec. 2004), a sass-a-frass, Liliana (April 2007), a smiley little guy, Drake (May 2012) and a precious baby sister, Sophia (October 2015). She enjoys her days at home taking care of her babies, setting up play dates, being active in her girls' classrooms, blogging, baking and praying. Check her out at myspoonfulofsugar-rv.blogspot.com and desmoinesmomsblog.com.

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