Apr 21 2009
Chronic Mononucleosis – How To Live With It
There are a lot of chronic mononucleosis sufferers out there who are doing it extremely tough right now. Feeling constantly sick, worrying about making ends meet, fearing for the future and getting little support or treatment options from the medical establishment. All these can add up to a very troubled and anxious existence.
So what can be done in the midst of turmoil to help achieve inner peace and joy? According to the German spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, rather than worrying about the past and future, we can all be brought into the present moment in order to find balance.
Dr John Demartini, author of “The Gratitude Effect”, agrees that dwelling on the past or in the future can cause negative states of mind that distract you from your current life. “Fear is an assumption about what you’re about to experience in the future: an anticipation of either pain or pleasure, of loss or gain”.
As bad as things get with chronic mononucleosis, we can hopefully find more comfort and joy in the simple things in life. For some people pleasures may be as easy as doing some cooking, painting, pottering around the house or garden, cleaning a drawer out, listening to music or doing some meditation or yoga. When I had chronic mononucleosis for over 15 years, my simple pleasures were sitting in the sun, enjoying a hot spicy chicken soup, relaxing in a hot Epsom salt bath and immersing myself in good books and music.
Starting to reflect on your day and seeing if there is anything you can be grateful for is a good step in the right direction. Savor the beautiful and special moments in your day. You can even write them down or photograph them.
An Australian photographer Hailey Bartholomew, has embarked on a personal project called “365 Days of Gratitude”. Every day for one year she took a single Polaroid photograph of something she was grateful for. Her photos range from the simple delights of her favorite food, autumn leaves in her garden, shells on a beach, her cozy warm bed socks, scented candles and images of her family. This simple daily act shifted her mood from one of melancholy and stress to one of appreciation, satisfaction and joy.
Teaching yourself to be grateful for the little moments in your life, can enrich your life and make your journey through chronic mononucleosis that little bit easier. Life will always have its ups and downs. Being grateful for what you do have is a valuable lesson for us all to learn.
If you would like more information about living with chronic mononucleosis then please refer to the e-book “Nature’s Amazing Mononucleosis Cures” by qualified naturopath Elizabeth Noble.
3 responses so far
Hi Jeri,
Sorry to hear you have chronic mono. It can be a very frustrating and confusing time.
Chronic mono responds well to immune-boosting nutrients, herbs and an anti-inflammatory, low carb diet. In many cases the liver is involved so liver cleansing is strongly recommended. Adequate rest, quality sleep and stress management is also beneficial. These therapies are discussed in more detail on my blog or in the e-book.
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, I am so grateful you are willing to help all of us trying to cope with and recover from mono. My question to you is, in your experience is it possible to make a full recovery once you have had a dx with resctivated Epstein barr. Have you experienced this in your practice. I am very close to trying your ebook as I would really like to move on from this illness. Does your ebook discuss ways of helping your digestion? Mine has been weird ever since this started. Also do you ever recommend valtrex and the like? Are there natural antivirals other than lauricidin? Thanks again for your help it is appreciated by everyone.
Hi Lori,
Thanks for your update. Yes many of my patients have made a good recovery from reactivated mono. It is often a matter of boosting immunity, repairing the adrenals and
cleansing the liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Your gastrointestinal tract is the forefront of a healthy immune system. The Epstein Barr virus can attack the gut causing symptoms of bloating, gas, loose stools and abdominal discomfort. My e-book has a chapter on digestion and liver and how to do a cleanse.
The evidence for Valtrex is not strong. It does seem to reduce EBV antibodies in the short term but once stopped the antibodies increase again. There are a lot of natural anti-virals including herbs, foods and nutrients that can be used to support your recovery.
Best Wishes
Elizabeth