How to soothe a teen with mono
July 12, 2017 1:13 PM Subscribe
Kid Ruki (15) tested positive for mono today. This makes for a crappy summer vacation. They're keeping themself well-hydrated on their own, and I have lots of Gatorade and ice cream bars. What can I do to make the next few weeks more comfortable for them?
Under things I'd do differently next time : Try to provide a couple of easy to eat sources of fiber so their diet isn't essentially 100% dairy and painkillers.
Netflix they can watch from bed.
And you can get numbing throat sprays that can make it easier to swallow.
posted by platypus of the universe at 2:32 PM on July 12, 2017
Netflix they can watch from bed.
And you can get numbing throat sprays that can make it easier to swallow.
posted by platypus of the universe at 2:32 PM on July 12, 2017
If they are a reader, stock up at the library for them--pick up P.G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie as fun reads by prolific writers for them to try in addition to their favorites. Buy them a set of t-shirt sheets for their bed--extra softness/coziness without extra heat. If you have NetFlix, hunt up some "Best Feel-good/Mystery/Horror/Romance" lists to pass on. Most of all, talk to them about what you do outside the house--the same four walls can get very boring, no matter how much entertainment one has. News of the outside world is key.
posted by epj at 2:34 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by epj at 2:34 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I'm taking FMLA time to be home with them, by the way. I'll be making a giant pot of Jewish penicillin (matzoh ball soup) tomorrow, but I'd love to hear about other easy to eat foods. We have throat spray, but it's not the numbing kind, so I'll be picking that up tomorrow, as well as the t-shirt sheets. They're usually always cold, so all their sheets are flannel, so that's an excellent idea!
posted by Ruki at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruki at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Honestly, all my dad and I did when we each got mono at the same time was fall asleep all day in front of the TV. Just remind them to eat. Take some cold meds. I lost a ton of weight in about 3 weeks because neither my dad and I were ever hungry. I don't remember it being super painful like a flu. Just literally exhausting.
posted by Crystalinne at 3:32 PM on July 12, 2017
posted by Crystalinne at 3:32 PM on July 12, 2017
When I had mono one summer in college I was as sick as I've ever been in my entire life for two weeks and then I bounced back to about 90% functional the few weeks after that and by the end of the summer I was doing well enough to do a planned three week NOLS course in the backcountry of Wyoming. Hopefully your kiddo's summer won't be a total washout!
The two weeks that I was really sick I honestly did not want anything. I wanted to sleep and eat wonton soup delivered by the local Chinese restaurant and be left alone. I could barely keep my eyes open and focus long enough to watch VH1's Pop Up Video let alone movies or books.
posted by fancypants at 3:42 PM on July 12, 2017
The two weeks that I was really sick I honestly did not want anything. I wanted to sleep and eat wonton soup delivered by the local Chinese restaurant and be left alone. I could barely keep my eyes open and focus long enough to watch VH1's Pop Up Video let alone movies or books.
posted by fancypants at 3:42 PM on July 12, 2017
I think the feeling of time standing still and not having much to look forward to in the near future is the worst part of being stuck inside sick for prolonged periods of time. Therefore I suggest:
An advent calendar with a different treat inside for each day (I'm sure you can find them off season, or make your own mono calendar daily small treat, you could use a weekly pill box). The surprise of seeing what comes each day is a small thing to look forward to.
A weekly magazine subscription or daily/weekly printed newspaper.
Start a scrapbook and you find pictures from different stages of childhood and present a new year to your kid each day to glue into the book. You can also reminisce together. Or if scrap booking is too labor intensive, just looking at photos together.
Plant some morning glory or other fast growing flower seeds in a pot in the window. They sprout within days and flower within weeks. Checking on the progress each day is fun.
Encourage one different relative (if your kid likes to talk to relatives) to call every few days. One each day so it's not overwhelming but a different one every few days for variety and feeling cared for.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 3:54 PM on July 12, 2017
An advent calendar with a different treat inside for each day (I'm sure you can find them off season, or make your own mono calendar daily small treat, you could use a weekly pill box). The surprise of seeing what comes each day is a small thing to look forward to.
A weekly magazine subscription or daily/weekly printed newspaper.
Start a scrapbook and you find pictures from different stages of childhood and present a new year to your kid each day to glue into the book. You can also reminisce together. Or if scrap booking is too labor intensive, just looking at photos together.
Plant some morning glory or other fast growing flower seeds in a pot in the window. They sprout within days and flower within weeks. Checking on the progress each day is fun.
Encourage one different relative (if your kid likes to talk to relatives) to call every few days. One each day so it's not overwhelming but a different one every few days for variety and feeling cared for.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 3:54 PM on July 12, 2017
I had mono in college during the summer. I was on my own and ended up losing about 20lbs. I looked like a skeleton person. Anyway, the issue was my throat (tonsils and lymph nodes) was incredibly swollen so that it was both painful and mechanically difficult to eat. Combine that with zero energy and you can see how weight loss occurred.
Mine got so bad that the doctor gave me IV steroids just to help with swelling and energy/appetite. So watch out for that and be willing to take your kid to the hospital if it gets gnarly.
Tips:
* Only call it the kissing disease once. It was awkward enough being teased by my mom about when I was 20. For a teen that would be real drag.
* Hydration is key. Have water and Gatorade handy. I liked it super cold to ease throat pain.
* Food ideas: thin oatmeal, instant mash potatoes, jello (both thin and set), shakes
* It was really easy/tempting to keep reaching for Ibuprofen or tylenol. Like 1200mg+ / day to feel better. Teach your child about the dangers of overusing both (ulcers, overdose, liver damage etc.)
* Don't be frustrated with lack of motivation. Just let them sleep and laze about.
* Do help with motivation towards the tail end of the sickness. My gf would come over help me get dressed and go for a short walk in the sun.
* Be extra vigilant about sharing utensils and cups, drinking from the carton, etc. with the rest of your family. Don't want them getting sick too.
* If you all have tooth brushes in the same cup or holder, Sick Kid gets a special spot for the next month. He/She also get their own tube of tooth paste and floss.
* Encourage their friends to come over and watch tv or play video games, etc.
* Buy a Nintendo Switch and call it an early birthday present or whatever.
* Assuming I could have summoned the energy, I would have killed to have blackout curtains and a floor unit A/C when I was sick. At the time, I was sleeping in studio in brick building, that faced south, no AC, and incredibly translucent blinds. So provide that setting for their sleeping spot.
* Now your kid will have a immunity during college!
posted by TomFoolery at 4:13 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Mine got so bad that the doctor gave me IV steroids just to help with swelling and energy/appetite. So watch out for that and be willing to take your kid to the hospital if it gets gnarly.
Tips:
* Only call it the kissing disease once. It was awkward enough being teased by my mom about when I was 20. For a teen that would be real drag.
* Hydration is key. Have water and Gatorade handy. I liked it super cold to ease throat pain.
* Food ideas: thin oatmeal, instant mash potatoes, jello (both thin and set), shakes
* It was really easy/tempting to keep reaching for Ibuprofen or tylenol. Like 1200mg+ / day to feel better. Teach your child about the dangers of overusing both (ulcers, overdose, liver damage etc.)
* Don't be frustrated with lack of motivation. Just let them sleep and laze about.
* Do help with motivation towards the tail end of the sickness. My gf would come over help me get dressed and go for a short walk in the sun.
* Be extra vigilant about sharing utensils and cups, drinking from the carton, etc. with the rest of your family. Don't want them getting sick too.
* If you all have tooth brushes in the same cup or holder, Sick Kid gets a special spot for the next month. He/She also get their own tube of tooth paste and floss.
* Encourage their friends to come over and watch tv or play video games, etc.
* Buy a Nintendo Switch and call it an early birthday present or whatever.
* Assuming I could have summoned the energy, I would have killed to have blackout curtains and a floor unit A/C when I was sick. At the time, I was sleeping in studio in brick building, that faced south, no AC, and incredibly translucent blinds. So provide that setting for their sleeping spot.
* Now your kid will have a immunity during college!
posted by TomFoolery at 4:13 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I had mono, my favourite activities were reading ebooks on my phone and playing Nintendo DS, because I could do them while lying in bed in the dark between naps.
Also: mono isn't The Worst for everyone -- I was only sick for about a week, and it sucked but I wasn't, like, too sick to walk to the next room or anything.
posted by noxperpetua at 4:52 PM on July 12, 2017
Also: mono isn't The Worst for everyone -- I was only sick for about a week, and it sucked but I wasn't, like, too sick to walk to the next room or anything.
posted by noxperpetua at 4:52 PM on July 12, 2017
When I had mono the second time as an adult, I survived only (barely) on Wonton soup from the local Chinese joint. Literally breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The wontons were slippery and easy to swallow. Buy lots of cheap wonton soup.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 5:44 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 5:44 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Anecdata to be sure, but after three weeks of being miserably sick (yet continuing to go to work, because my doctor's office at the time didn't return my calls to get my test results and I would've gotten fired without a note... ugh) the thing that made me feel better fairly quickly was taking large doses of vitamin C, like several Emergen-C packets a day. It brought my energy back and the rest returned gradually.
posted by notquitemaryann at 8:46 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by notquitemaryann at 8:46 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Freeze a couple of their favorite fruit juices into ice cubes so they can have something crunchy without having to swallow said crunchy thing because they'll melt.
If I remember correctly the wave of mono that rippled through my highschool resulted in a bunch of kids coming back having played through the entirety of Harvest Moon, sometimes twice. I can attest that the Harvest Moon games are perfect for a feeling of progression doled out in little manageable chunks with cute art and very little stress but plenty of motivation, perfect when I'm in a very depressed mental state. These days Stardew Valley is the spiritual successor and improvement upon the Harvest Moon games of yore.
posted by Mizu at 10:20 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
If I remember correctly the wave of mono that rippled through my highschool resulted in a bunch of kids coming back having played through the entirety of Harvest Moon, sometimes twice. I can attest that the Harvest Moon games are perfect for a feeling of progression doled out in little manageable chunks with cute art and very little stress but plenty of motivation, perfect when I'm in a very depressed mental state. These days Stardew Valley is the spiritual successor and improvement upon the Harvest Moon games of yore.
posted by Mizu at 10:20 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
I had the single worst case of strep throat of my entire life last year. It was...awful. Here is what helped me until the penicillin kicked in:
-It's only available by prescription, but if your teen is REALLY struggling with painful swallowing, ask a doctor about "Magic Swizzle". It'll numb your throat juuuuuust enough that eating isn't total agony.
-Listening to hella podcasts. It helped with the boredom during the times when I was too tired to do anything but lay down, but wasn't tired enough to sleep.
-Egg drop soup! It was super easy for me to make on my own and had more protein than just broth, but it also didn't have any large bits I had to swallow.
Such a summer bummer! Hopefully Kid Ruki will be feeling better sooner rather than later.
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:40 AM on July 13, 2017
-It's only available by prescription, but if your teen is REALLY struggling with painful swallowing, ask a doctor about "Magic Swizzle". It'll numb your throat juuuuuust enough that eating isn't total agony.
-Listening to hella podcasts. It helped with the boredom during the times when I was too tired to do anything but lay down, but wasn't tired enough to sleep.
-Egg drop soup! It was super easy for me to make on my own and had more protein than just broth, but it also didn't have any large bits I had to swallow.
Such a summer bummer! Hopefully Kid Ruki will be feeling better sooner rather than later.
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:40 AM on July 13, 2017
I had mono at about that age, but I don't remember feeling particularly sick or deathly ill. The worst thing about it was that my gums swelled up and I couldn't eat. Like others here, I lost a ton of weight and basically turned into a stick figure. When I finally felt better, I wanted to devour everything in sight, so maybe have some favorite foods available for when things start to turn around.
posted by Otis at 12:21 PM on July 13, 2017
posted by Otis at 12:21 PM on July 13, 2017
Ahhhh, the poor kid.
I also had mono as a teenager. My parents did almost everything right - they bought me a couple of computer games, made sure I had lots of cold things to drink, and brought me home endless quantities of hot and sour soup. You've got endless tips on the practical aspects of this so I'll leave you with the other comments.
My parents' one unhelpful response was a fairly constant stream of checking up on me. I understand they were worried, but mono is not a significant health danger at that age and I was generally too tired to interact with anyone - I just wanted to have a dark, quiet space to myself. The forced conversations and visits to my room were exhausting.
You're a good parent to take time off, but once a few days have gone by and things have settled into a routine I would recommend giving your kid lots and lots (and lots) of alone time.
Good luck! It'll be a bit of a dull summer for them, but it's nothing a 15 year old can't handle.
posted by ZaphodB at 1:21 PM on July 13, 2017
I also had mono as a teenager. My parents did almost everything right - they bought me a couple of computer games, made sure I had lots of cold things to drink, and brought me home endless quantities of hot and sour soup. You've got endless tips on the practical aspects of this so I'll leave you with the other comments.
My parents' one unhelpful response was a fairly constant stream of checking up on me. I understand they were worried, but mono is not a significant health danger at that age and I was generally too tired to interact with anyone - I just wanted to have a dark, quiet space to myself. The forced conversations and visits to my room were exhausting.
You're a good parent to take time off, but once a few days have gone by and things have settled into a routine I would recommend giving your kid lots and lots (and lots) of alone time.
Good luck! It'll be a bit of a dull summer for them, but it's nothing a 15 year old can't handle.
posted by ZaphodB at 1:21 PM on July 13, 2017
Response by poster: Kid Ruki is on the mend. They specifically wanted me to tell you that they needed me there to make siure they ate and took their medicine, because they're "a clingy needy mess" when they're sick.
posted by Ruki at 2:52 AM on July 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Ruki at 2:52 AM on July 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
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posted by bq at 2:04 PM on July 12, 2017 [9 favorites]