My mother has Epstein-Barr. It was absolutely HORRIBLE in the 80's and she missed so much of my childhood because she had to sleep. However she did recover in the 90's(once you have the virus you will always have the virus, just like mono) and she has never totally relapsed since then. However I remember when I was a teenager every once in a while she would freeze because she lost all realization of where she was at. I remember riding in the car with her once on a main road that she drove every single day. All of a sudden she grabbed my hand and I knew instantly she had no clue where she was. I ended up directing her to where we were going and once were there she was fine.

If it wasn't for my step dad I don't know how she would have managed. She was dating him at the time. I know she could only work 4 hour shifts because after that she couldn't keep her head up. I was just a young child during this time so I don't remember any of it. Mom said that when she would go shopping, she would find the energy to go in the store but once she'd get in all she ever wanted to do was crawl on the floor and go to sleep. It took everything in her not to do just that.

My dad said there were times he had to take her around in a wheel chair because she just couldn't stay awake. My mother argues with him and says that never happened.

Ok I didn't write that all out to freak you out. Keep in mind this was in the 80's. At the time they were just discovering Epstein-Barr and really had no idea what it was or how to treat it. Of course I know they don't know much now about it even now... but they know more and there is more in the medical books because of the passing of time.