EBV tigger long-term IBS? Or is this not related?

[KKunk88]

Hi! In September of 2015, on a Friday night I found myself to be extremely tired and achy are work. I ended up going to sleep around 6 PM and slept all night. I was also having right sided abdominal pain starting under my breast, all the way down into my right hip. It was tingly, burning and warm to touch and only on the ride side. I felt pressure and like I had to have a bowel movement but nothing would happen. I had just had a normal bowel movement the night before. At first I thought I was getting my period but when I looked at my calendar, I was actually due for ovulation. At the time, I was taking birth control (Natazia). I ignored the pain and just "suffered" through it for the weekend thinking it was ovulation pain.

That Monday (2 days later), I called out of work because the pain was so bad and I made a same day appointment with my ObGyn. She did a pelvic & transvaginal ultrasound and physical exam assuming I may have had an ovarian cyst. She said all was clear and that it was probably GI related and sent me on my way.

The next month or so, the pain subsided and never got worse, but it also NEVER went away. I was still super tired and thought maybe it was from my birth control/hormonal. I was desperate to feel better so I stopped my birth control completely but felt no changes. I dealt with the annoying pain and exhaustion until around November (started in September 2015). Early November 2015, I went to my PCP because I couldn't take it any longer, I began having extremely sore lymph nodes all over (they weren't huge, just EXTREMELY sore). They were about the size of a large pea. I noticed them on the inside of my elbows, behind my knees, groins, collar bone and around my tonsils. They were so sore, I was achy, fever-ish and I would sleep for hours in the middle of the day on the weekends after sleeping all night. I could barely keep my head up at work. I was also super emotional because I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.

My PCP ordered an EBV test and multiple other blood tests. The EBV test came back positive showing that my body was coming down from the infection. Finally I had answers! Mind you, I'm a 27 year old female, I just got married in May, how the HECK did I get EBV? Who knows! I also never had a sore throat. She told me to push the fluids, rest when needed, exercise to get my energy back, take multivitamins and just let it "run its course". After reading multiple posts online from other people experiencing the same thing, I waited and waited and still was not feeling better.

It probably took me about 6 FULL months to start to feel myself again, no joke it was around May 2016. I was SLOWLY getting better, but it honestly felt like forever. The hardest part about it all was trying to tell myself nothing else was going on with my body because I felt so bad I couldn't believe it was only EBV. Why didn't I have a sore throat? Why didn't I feel better after MONTHS?! The only things that made my exhaustion and body feel better was exercise, multivitamins and rest.

So here's my question. I STILL have annoying right sided abdominal pain. It's a weird annoying pinch feeling. I have burning, stinging and constant pressure on my ride side. I constantly feel like I have to have a bowel movement, but I go daily, or at least every other. My bowel movements look normal. No diarrhea. No foods trigger it. Alcohol doesn't trigger it. It's ONLY on my right side. I started taking a pro-biotic and I think it's helping SOME, but not making it go away. It's more noticeable when I sit for long periods of time. I feel FINE (if not better) when I exercise. Tight pants make it worse too! I also always feel bloated.

Should I be worried that it's something else? It'll be a year in September I've had this "pain/annoyance" and it all seemed to have started (I think) with the EBV. I notice the pain is WORSE around my periods. So if it is IBS, how is it IBS but worse during my periods/ovulation? Why have I yet to have 100% relief in a year? Can someone just get IBS out of no where and it never goes away? Stress definitely triggers it but is it weird that it's only on my right side? How can I get relief? Will it EVER go away for life?! Should I push for more tests?!