Monday, May 4, 2015

Diagnosis = EBV



Today was my follow up doctor's appointment to learn my test results. I was fully expecting to go in and find that my thyroid levels were low.  Much to my surprise, ALL of my metabolic function levels were within fantastic ranges.  SCORE!  That just goes to show you healthy eating and regular exercise are GREAT for the body!!  Of course, because of the way I have been feeling, I knew there had to be SOMETHING wrong.  Turns out I get to join the ranks of those with autoimmune diseases (well, sort of).  I have EBV or Epstein Barr-Virus.

What is EBV?  Here is what the CDC says:

"Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), also known as human herpesvirus 4, is a member of the herpes virus family. It is one of the most common human viruses. EBV is found all over the world. Most people get infected with EBV at some point in their lives. EBV spreads most commonly through bodily fluids, primarily saliva. EBV can cause infectious mononucleosis, also called mono, and other illnesses.

Symptoms include:
  • fatigue
  • fever
  • inflamed throat
  • swollen lymph nodes in the neck
  • enlarged spleen
  • swollen liver
  • rash
Many people become infected with EBV in childhood. EBV infections in children usually do not cause symptoms, or the symptoms are not distinguishable from other mild, brief childhood illnesses. People who get symptoms from EBV infection, usually teenagers or adults, get better in 2 to 4 weeks. However, some people may feel fatigued for several weeks or even months.
After you get an EBV infection, the virus becomes latent (inactive) in your body. In some cases, the virus may reactivate. This does not always cause symptoms, but people with compromised immune systems are more likely to develop symptoms if EBV reactivates."

Don't worry, I'm NOT contagious.   I am far beyond that stage of the virus.  An average person will carry the EBV virus at a range of 0-18 antigens.  Mine was 600.  Yup, a little high.  I am not crazy after all, I REALLY was tired....all of the time!   The bad news is that I will ALWAYS carry this virus, and it is possible that it can reactivate.  There is no cure. The good news is that I can treat symptoms.

Today, the doc decided to start me on a pretty powerful antibiotic. Although the antibiotic will do nothing for the virus itself, it will kill off stuff that may have resulted from my immune system being compromised for so long.  Which in turn will help my body to be able to focus on the EBV.  I also received a nice B12 shot to help boost my metabolism and energy.  It has definitely helped today😉.

For the long run, I need to make sure I'm
Taking a good quality multivitamin (which I already have with my Activit), and increase my daily vitamin C considerably to keep my immune system up.  Regular exercise is recommended because it increases my circulation, thus increasing oxygen flow throughout my body.  ✔️ on that one!  I also need to stick with a high protein, low carb, low fat eating plan. ✔️ on that one too!  Although, I am going to research high protein autoimmune eating plans to see if I can really dial in my nutrition.

There you have it.  It is not great to be diagnosed with any sort of disease.  However, once you know the problem, you can start working on things that will help to correct the problem.  I am thankful that EBV is not a serious problem.  I am thankful that  I now have a name...SOMETHING...to work with.  Here begins the journey....

#MyEBVjourney #journeymelissablair


No comments:

Post a Comment