One February morning I woke up extremely tired.  So tired I literally couldn’t get out of bed.  I thought, “oh no. I have it again.”

Story time …

The previous winter I had gotten sick with what I thought was the flu.  But after several tests at the insta-care, I was diagnosed with mono.

Mono?!?

Somehow I had managed to stay mono free during all those germ-sharing school years when so many of my classmates were infected.  But as a responsible, hygienic, somewhat germophobic adult, getting mono was the last thing on my mind.

…

So when I couldn’t get out of bed a year later, I thought to myself “I know what this is.”  I immediately texted my supervisor to let her know I wouldn’t be coming into the office and booked an appointment with my GP. 

The first available appointment was three days later, and I was so lethargic I stayed in bed the whole time.  The doctor tested me for mono, influenza, and COVID just to be sure.  But to my utter surprise, all the tests came back negative.  Talk about confusing!  I knew I had something because this just wasn’t normal, and I told the doctor as much.

She said “let’s wait a few days and see how you’re feeling. Then we’ll do more tests, like a thyroid panel.”  Luckily, I felt better within a few days so I didn’t pursue more testing.

A couple weeks later I looked in the mirror and thought my tummy looked bigger.  Then it hit me.  Could I be?  No, surely not.  I took a pregnancy test just to rule it out.

I texted my boss…”Well, I know why I was so exhausted now.  I didn’t have mono, or flu, or COVID.  But I am pregnant.”  She thought that was funny.