Epstein-Barr virus: Getting Sick and Gaining Perspective
Saturday April 22 nd will mark four weeks of living with Epstein-Barr virus; a condition that has been both physically crushing and psychologically disorienting. This illness came with a litany of debilitating restrictions that tore away my goals and diminished my purpose. It left me devastated, confused, and faced with the insufferable questions of “what am I supposed to do now?” Immediately and completely disallowed from all athletic activity, it felt as though my identity was being laid bare. One blood test had simultaneously diagnosed me with Epstein-Barr virus and nullified thousands of miles spent training as I rode with singular purpose: come back from collegiate road nationals with Stars and Stripes. It felt as though this semester was tracing a path from one disaster to the next. Now, the goal that had given me purpose and the activity that provided me with emotional catharsis had been stripped from me. I was left feeling naked and uncertain of how to move for...