Ryan's Mono Story

My morning sickness started a few days after our move to Northern California. It was so bad, I almost cancelled my flight to go to one of my best friend's weddings because I was just so sick. Ryan gave me a blessing and said I would be able to go and that the sickness would subside while I was away. It was a miracle! While I was in Utah I was OK! I was so grateful. But the day I got back, I was throwing up and so sick again. When Ryan came to pick me up at the airport we were both feeling like crap. I could tell he was not well just by looking at him. His eyes looked really weird. It scared me. I don't know how to describe it. He just looked really ill. He was complaining of severe headaches, back pain, stomach aches, eye pain, etc. The eye pain is what really freaked me out and I really wanted to take him to the doctor. We looked around for an urgent care but apparently all there is late at night in this area is the ER. Ryan didn't want to spend the money to go to the ER so he insisted on waiting until the next day and he would just go to the doctor.

The next day we headed to the doctor. She pretty much had NO CLUE what was wrong with him and thought he should be tested for meningitis that day. So, guess where she sent us? To the ER. Great! So now we are paying for the ER after all, and as a bonus we get to pay for a doctors visit too! Plus we get another bonus of paranoia that Ryan has meningitis. Anyway, we head over to the Emergency room and they had to do all of these tests and blood tests, as well as a spinal tap!! It was kinda freaky. They inserted this long needle into his spine and withdrew fluid. I felt so bad for my boy. 

We waited around the ER for a few hours and finally the doctor came in with good news- no meningitis. In fact, what Ryan had wasn't scary at all. He had Mono. Mono. Wait. Mono? We came to the ER for Mono? The kissing disease? We thought it was weird but the doctor just said Ryan had a really bad case of it and that we shouldn't kiss for a little while. (Dang). The doctor told Ryan to stay home from work until the fever went away. Well, the fever didn't go away, in fact it started to get worse. His overall condition was getting worse. I mean he was so tired, he had no appetite, he was nauseous, he had severe abdominal pain, he had horrible fevers of 103 degrees, night sweats, chills etc. He just kept getting worse and then one night he was tossing and turning all night because his pain in his abdomen was so severe. About 5 or 6 he started violently throwing up. I ran to the bathroom to check on him and I swear he was about to pass out! He looked so weak and dizzy and just so completely ill. I have never seen someone that bad before. It really, truly scared me. I could tell he was in so much pain and I was really concerned about what was going on inside of him. I helped him get dressed and drove him to the ER. Again. 

This time at the ER was different. We had to go to a different hospital because it was closer than the great one we had been to last time. Let me tell you, the staff was the lamest ever ever ever. Here we were in what we genuinely felt was an emergency and they were making us fill out all this paper work and asking us personal questions like what religion we were...all while my husband feels like he's gonna pass out from his abdominal pain and he can't stop vomiting. I mean seriously. He's throwing up the entire time the lady is putting his info into the computer. I'm like, "Hello! He is very sick!! Can't we do this later?" So annoying! I felt so bad for Ry! Then the security comes out and tells me I need to leave and put this parking permit in the window of my car. WHAT? Ok so I need to leave my sick loved one in the waiting room, by himself, throwing up and about to pass out, so I can put a parking pass in my car? I was really starting to get bugged. When we got back to the room, the nurse that was helping us just put me over the edge. We said that we were worried about Ryan's spleen and a possibility of it rupturing due to his mono. The nurse just rolled his eyes and asked, "Why would you think that? Mono is in the throat. You get a sore throat from mono. Your spleen can't rupture from it. And believe me, if that was going to happen you would be in a lot more pain." Oh. My. Gosh. I wanted to punch him so hard. So rude. You do not ever say something like that to a patient. And you never ever ever belittle someones pain or worries like that! The hospital also didn't have AC and here was my husband in this unbelievably hot room with a high fever. He couldn't stop sweating and was so uncomfortable in so many ways. I just felt so bad for him. I just wanted to make it all go away and the nurse just acted like we were overreacting and being a bunch of sissies. 

Ryan ended up getting a CT scan and a bunch of other tests and the first doctor who came in told us his spleen was very enlarged and they were worried it might rupture. They also said he had abnormal liver function and "he had never seen anything like this." OK not what you want to hear! I was so worried about my husband. Then another doctor came in. His exact words were, "It looks like someone has taken a baseball bat to your spleen." He also told us that a third to a half of his spleen was infarcted. This means that it was not receiving proper circulation and the tissue was dying or had already died. They said "Ryan needs to be admitted to the hospital for a few days so we can make sure his SPLEEN DOESN'T RUPTURE." Oh my gosh when I heard that... it's a good thing that nurse wasn't around or it would have gotten ugly. Real ugly. Seriously, I was fuming that our nurse was so rude earlier and told us that this "could never happen" and to basically stop being a paranoid baby. Then it ended up being the very reason that Ryan was admitted to the hospital! 

Ryan had to stay in the hospital for three days. The first day they put him on an IV. He was so dehydrated and couldn't keep foods down. I think the IV really helped a ton! The second day he had a clear liquids only diet and the third day they put him on a regular, liquid diet. They also gave him some morphine to help manage his abdominal pain, (caused by the enlarged spleen). He just took the time to rest and get the necessary medical help.

While in the hospital there were several tender mercies. The first was that we took him to the hospital in the first place. He was supposed to catch a flight to Texas that morning. I don't know what would've happened if he had gone to Texas and had this happen there. I would've died knowing he was in the hospital so far away and I couldn't be there.  It was also a huge testament to how great it is to be a member of the LDS church because no matter where we go, there is always a ward that can help us and give us aid in anyway we need. It's really like having family no matter where in the world you are. There were three men from the ward who came by to give Ryan a blessing. We also received so many calls and emails to check on us. Another tender mercy was that once again, Heavenly Father momentarily took away my morning sickness so that I could comfort and take care of Ryan. It was funny though, because the day they said Ryan would be leaving the hospital I ended up running to his hospital-room bathroom and barfing! It was back...

We both went home sick and I did my best to take care of him. But it was honestly a pretty lousy attempt. I remember one day we needed to run to the store to get a few things. I was so sick and throwing up and Ryan was in so much pain and felt so sick too that neither of us were in any condition to go to the store. So we both went. We decided to divide and conquer and get in and out of the store as fast as possible. Well, that ended up with me dry heaving over the trash can at the store, and vomiting in the parking lot. All while Ryan felt like he would pass out at any moment and walking around like a zombie. I tell you, that was a low day. We were so sick and tired and didn't have the other person to help take care of us. This went on for quite a few weeks.

Ryan ended up missing about two and a half weeks of work! Including the big conference he was supposed to fly to Texas for. I felt so bad for him. He really wanted to come to this internship and blow Saleforce away. It was kind of bad timing with me being sick, and him having all this pressure at his internship to perform. He felt a lot of pressure to do well and to impress them so that he could get an offer at the end of the summer. He honestly should have missed more work than the two and a half weeks but he didn't really have a choice. He had to get back. Needless to say, it was a very rough start.

Ryan is back to normal now. Took several weeks and he still gets tired but he's doing well and working hard. I'm so proud of him and so grateful that it wasn't something worse. I love him so much and seeing him sick was so hard. So happy he's doing better.

Oh! And another miracle- I didn't get Mono!! How did that happen? It was hilarious because while in the hospital, I asked another Dr. for how long we should wait to kiss. I explained that I was pregnant and didn't want mono on top of my other symptoms. She told me we should wait to kiss or "do anything else" for SIX MONTHS!!! hahaha I seriously started laughing when she left the room. Like I'm gonna go six months without kissing my husband?!?! Wow. so funny. Also, I can't write this here because Ryan might be embarrassed but I don't want to forget Dr. Sydorak's very "thorough" exam. hahahaha Oh man Ryan. You had to endure quite a lot while there didn't you? Love you babe.

Feeling so sick. Poor guy :(

This was Ryan's third day of meals. Tea, jello, flavored ice, juice, soup. Yum?