A post in which I am diagnosed

I got up this morning and started getting ready for work. I still wasn't feeling great, but I'm trying to hold on to the Christmas break I have planned. I'm supposed to be off from 12-24 through 1-3-10. The break over the holidays is usually the only "real" vacation I take. I'm more of a long-weekender usually. I took a week off in summer 07 to take a cruise, which was nice; and I took off a week last year to have surgery, but that hardly counts. That was why I got stuck working Christmas Eve last year, which pretty much sucked, but I digress.

I called my boss to discuss the contagious issue, but he's in Canada through Thursday. I sighed and prepared to stay home. I was really bored with that at this point, and I hated to use the time, but it wouldn't be fair to everyone else to give them some dread disease just before the holidays.

I was on the sofa and settling in when the doctor's office called. I have Epstein Barr syndrome. It's a complication of infectious mononucleosis (aka "mono") that I had when I was in high school. The virus has been peripherally implicated in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (aka CFS), there isn't any hard evidence yet. Basically, the virus stays in your body once you have it, and lies dormant. Periodically it activates to replicate a bit, but usually doesn't make you sick. In Epstein Barr, your body reacts with full immuno-response to the presence of the virus, whether it is active or not. Some people never have an issue, and some have a chronic problem. That accounts for the fever, aches, swollen lymph nodes, etc. Since I had mono over 20 years ago, and this is the first EB episode I've had, I'm hoping I can just get over this and it won't be a constantly recurring thing.

The good news is that they know what's wrong, and it could have been much worse. The bad news is that it's a virus, meaning there really isn't anything they can prescribe to make me feel better, and this can be a chronic condition. So you feel like crap, but there isn't much you can do about it. Additionally, since many insurance policies don't recognize CFS, many times related health costs are not covered. There is also a stigma attached to this as not being a "real" illness. The doctor told me to come back in two weeks if I don't feel any better. But I'm not contagious, at least.

So I got dressed and went to work. On the way there, I started thinking if they could do something in two weeks, they ought to do it now. I've been sick since before Thanksgiving, and I don't see any reason to suffer for two more weeks - through Christmas - before doing anything about it.

I set up a web profile on the doctor's website. They want to do everything possible online now, and with the way the phone system sucks there, it seems to be a good idea. It is damn near impossible to get anyone on the phone who can actually do anything, voice mails are routinely lost, etc. The nurse called me back eventually, and told me that the only thing they could really do in two weeks was test me to see if I had active virus at that time. I don't now. In the meantime, the only thing they could tell me was to get extra rest (in freakin December, right), eat well (pretty much already do that), drink lots of fluids (snore, they tell you that for everything now), and take Emergen-C. The way I feel, I was less than impressed with these options. But the nurse, whom I know very well, shared with me that she has Epstein Barr as well, and knows that this worked for her. So I'm going to try it. It's not like I have tons o' choice here.

My present to myself came today. It's a bear hoody I've been eying for a year now, but it's just too ridiculously expensive. With shipping it was $45(!!). But I always get myself a treat when profit-sharing comes in, and that was one of my treats this year. I'm also going to register for SELF, although Russ and Billy say that Frolicon is more fun. I haven't been before, and Beth will be there, so I'll probably do that.

It's kind of heady to be able to actually have my profit-sharing to spend. Even the practical stuff I'm going to spend some of it on will make life better. I'd like to get a new floor for the laundry room, or have the fireplaces tiled, or get the front porch re-vamped. I can't make up my mind which. I am going to finally rent a skip and get all of the former owners stuff out from under the house and the out building. I've been meaning to do that for, oh, only 12 years now.

They called about my windows today - they are in!! That is great, but that means I have to get the house ready for the window guys to come in. I have to pack up all the glass, move furniture, etc. I called dana, and she, angel that she is, agreed to help me on Sunday. They're coming to do them next Monday. I am excited, but at the moment the thought of all the work getting ready is putting a damper on it. Everything just seems to be piling up.

I invited myself over to Miss Kat and dana's house tonight despite how tired I was. I hadn't been anywhere fun this past weekend, and I wanted to see friends. I could rest sitting at their house, I rationalized, just as well as I could at mine.

Their house is all torn up because they are still working on their kitchen, bless their hearts. I know what a pain that is. But it looks great, and they were happy enough to take a break and visit for a while. It was great to see them. I'm burning the energy reserves I laid up this weekend, but right now it feels like its worth it.