Jump to content

New to this...


Lost321

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

I am thankful that this forum exists. I really needed a "place" and people to talk to about this. I found out a week ago that I have HSV 1 and HSV 2. I had several days of being depressed when I first heard, but I have progressed a little bit and have only ups and downs every day. I am trying to think of positive things, but it is hard. There is so much that I do not know or that I am uncertain about. I have been trying to get as much information as possible, but it's all very scary. Once again, I'm glad that this is here as I hope to learn to smile again and to help others smile on their dark days as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome, and hang in there. Its becomes clearer as time goes on. The mental stress of not knowing will get to you if you let it.

Its been 6 yrs of genital for myself, and I was a mess initially. I'm sure people here can answer just about ant question you could have. Just remember its a lil different with everyone. What affects and what helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lost321, it will not be as bad as you are thinking. This virus is extremely common and just held under the radar in society. Please visit us often and after you have posted twice you can join live chat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi i can relate to how you are feeling right now! i was initially diagnosed with HSV2 initially which i got from my ex-boyfriend who cheated on me! So out of curiosity i decided to get an IgG blood test after about 5weeks of my diagnosis just to reconfirm and i had antibodies to both HSV 1 and HSV 2 and i have never had a core sore on my face or lips in my entire life till now, which leads me to believe i have both genital HSV 1 (from oral sex) and HSV 2. When i found out this news i thought my life really had come to an end, even the nurse had made a joke that she'd be damned if my test result came back negative for HSV 1 as according to her everybody has it including her! I wanted to curl up and die literally but as time has gone by ive learnt to wake up in the morning and not have herpes as the first thing on my mind(its been 7weeks now since my first OB ever)and i'm on suppressive medication! i still have bad days and i still haven't figured out what my triggers are i doubt if i ever will, i try not to think about H everyday, i work in the medical field and i console myself with the fact that i don't have some of the conditions some of my patients have. I also make myself feel better by obsessively following up on HSV research which i really hope would be succesful within a year or 2, i just don't see myself living with this for 10 years or more like some of our members have(kudos to them). I would probably give up my career and find a damn permanent treatment myself! I guess all i'm trying to say is I understand how u feel, i don't think i could date anybody else i have literally shut everyone that had a romantic interest in me out of my life and have refused to so much as maintain eye contact with any one of the opposite sex, because i dont see myself ever discussing my HSV status and im worried i could pass it on even with condoms. But i believe that one day it would eventually get better, lets hold out hope for a better day! tkcare

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hello this is a married couple who just found out about having the virus.we are looking for support or any info pertaining to this.emotions are crazy dont know wwhat to think or expect uneducated to the disease.hopefully we can learn about it n find ways to cope n continue living normally.i am the husband who just found out when my wife did .apparntly could of been carrying this for alot of years never knew it .now we both have it.both distraught angry confused all of the above.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

heffsangel- I'm sorry to hear you're feeling that way :( I remember when I was diagnosed, I felt the same! It was news to the guy that had given it to me as well, and we both dealt with it together. It was great to have somebody to lean on. Thankfully for you and your wife, there are medications that you can be prescribed (Valtrex, etc) that will suppress the virus and help to bring down the number of outbreaks, symptoms, etc. I've been on Valtrex since very shortly after my diagnosis and have not seen any symptoms or outbreaks since my first! I'm new to these forums as well, but so far I can see that everybody is very supportive... please feel free to reach out if you need anything!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been sick all Christmas with the flu and my mum has just been diagnosed with swine flu. I have had a few outbreaks in the past but when I went to the clinic it was never in time and the results came back negative. I went in just before Christmas and had a test done on what I was hoping was a infected hair follicle. I was told it would take 10 days for the results, the less I heard, the more I blocked it out. I have been off work now twice this week and twice before Christmas and called the clinic this morning and the results were still pending. I got a call back from the health professional who was really lovely to confirm I had herpes. I had feelings of dispair prior to finding out and have a good friend who is being really supportive, but I feel disgusting, dirty, empty inside, confused, worried about how I will ever have a relationship with someone and tell them about this, scared about the prospects of having a child or ever getting pregnant now - I feel really really low. My mum is now concerned that I have swine flu - and I need to find out that for sure next week - but I feel disgusting like having a dirty secret. The worst thing is that I am not 100% sure who I got the herpes from. I was with my ex partner who totally ruined my life in more ways that one and he often had really bad facial cold sores, but I was naive and didnt realise that he could pass things on whilst having them - so I am thinking that he would be the prime candidate - as my friend says, is there any more that he can now do to me. Am going to head back to the clinic for another full screening next week and speak to someone - but I feel pretty alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

things that help

I have had it for a little over a year now and I got it from my boyfriend- the only person I have ever slept with in my life. I felt the same way as all of you when I first found out but I am doing a lot better now. I still get really bitter when my friends go out and have unprotected sex with people they barely know and still don't get any STDs, while I waited so long to even have sex in the first place, and the first person I am with gives me herpes. It was really devastating. Working through all this with my boyfriend (we have stayed together) is also tough. The thing that helps me the most is telling friends about it. Them finding out was a terrible fear of mine at first, but conquering that feels great. And, when people don't react with shock or disgust (no one ever has for me) that really helps too. I've told at least 10 people now, and no one treats me any differently. Why should I have to feel ashamed?? It's not like I did anything wrong or am a worse person for it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

go under newly diagnosed i posted a link to a video that will help you a lot to understaqnd herpies and there a free handbook on herpies as well. welcome to the board

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dinki,

Thank you for the kind words. I haven't had an outbreak yet; I started having some mouth issues but I wasn't sure if it was anything. I wondered if maybe I was just being a little paranoid. I've recently started acyclovir for suppressants, so I feel I'm doing what I'd have to do if I went to the doctor anyway. I had screwed up in my last relationship even though we were on a break, and thankfully my ex is still being my best friend and best supporter through all of this. Because of him, I got onto this forum. I don't think about dating so much. I am trying to be appreciative and thankful for the "wake up call" and the second chance to try to live and appreciate life a little more. I have thought about marriage and kids a bit, but everything is still so fresh and gets to be depressing because I just don't know what I don't know (does that make sense?). I'm hoping for a cure some day too; I try to be hopeful and positive because I've read success stories of people living with H for a long time and living relatively normal lives. Someday I will be able to wake up and not think about it as the first thing on my mind, and I'm looking forward to that day. :) I've been trying to get back to normal and not look at my future as bleak (even though I do have a lot of down moments still). I'm right there with you--to better days!!! :) Take care too

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Donate

    If Honeycomb has helped you, please help us by making a donation so we can provide you with even better features and services.

  • The Hive is Thriving!

    • Total Topics
      72.1k
    • Total Posts
      486.3k
  • Posts

    • sgt98
      Hey @WilsoInAus ok thank you, I will do my best to move on and stop trawling forums haha. 
    • WilsoInAus
      Hey @sgt98 but there is no feasible infection or outbreak to suppress and antivirals do not suppress an initial outbreak in any event 
    • sgt98
      Thanks @WilsoInAus I understand apologies for this but the only other thing I am worried about is that I did take a course of Famvir on day 1 as I felt like I was having an outbreak of cold sores and am worried that has suppressed the initial outbreak genitally 
    • WilsoInAus
      Hi @sgt98 it is not feasible to obtain a HSV-2 infection from receiving oral sex - only HSV-1 is feasible but you've already got that and immunity from any further infection with HSV-1. You do not need any further tests for HSV. You're feeling regret, try to forgive yourself and calm down, let the rational take over. You know the answer here and it won't be long until you believe it too.
    • WilsoInAus
      Hi @NerdP423 and welcome to the website. You raise a lot of points and I think the best way to address your concerns is add some comments at each key point. I've copied your note again below and added these comments in square brackets. I appreciate any insight (even speculation) as to what has been going on with me. I'm a 37y/o M. I last was intimate with a new partner on 2/11/2022, and a few days later started having a huge amount of discomfort in my face. [The first thing that happens though is that herpes causes lesions or at least some skin based disruption. Other symptoms are then related to the actions of the immune system responding to the virus. Without lesions, it is highly questionable that the ailment is related to herpes, yet testing is useful if you have concerns as you have done so.] About a month after that [herpes causes issues within days, if the first 'symptoms' are a month later - its extremely unlikely they are related to herpes], significant discomfort downstairs, however every test I have ever taken for HSV 1 and 2 has been negative. Here are the details: Face: Previously, some significant tingling and itching on the right side of my mouth, lips and chin (still there, but milder) [herpes does not cause general tingling and itching, it can cause a reasonably concentrated feeling of itch/throb from which a herpes lesion appears within hours]. Occasional hot flashes near my right eye, cheek and ear [herpes does not do this, it may be a immune response to something, or stress]. Sometimes it will feel like the skin is crawling on the right side of my face [herpes does not cause a general crawling sensation]. Never seen anything that looked like a traditional cold sore [that's extremely telling, even people with associated atypical symptoms will have experienced herpes lesions]. Occasionally, the left side of my face will have a momentary feeling of skin crawling, but it's so mild that I am not really worried about it. Downstairs: Thankfully, most of these are now milder than they were before. Occasional momentary pinch of pain at the base of my genitals. [herpes does not cause a general pinch feeling.] Aching pain in my boxer area (groin, leg folds) [nor this] Occasional feeling of cold in my boxer area, butt, or lower back. ( also in my shins and occasionally even my arms) [nor this] On 4/30/2022, I had been in discomfort for almost two months. I scratched an itch, noticed it hurt, and then checked - I did have an open ulcer down there. Took myself to the ER to get swabbed, came back negative. [If this was a PCR then this will be very conclusive.] Practitioner said it may come back negative because it was already open. However the lab report noted that it definitely didn't look like what you'd expect a typical first herpes outbreak to look like [how would the lab know??]. All blood tests negative so far. I had two western blots, the second one was nine months after exposure. [Two negative Westernblots!!! Many that's real convincing]. All other swabs also negative. I went to urgent care, because I know the timeliness of when the Swab is taken matters. One time, a swab was not done, because practitioner said it was folliculitis and wouldn't swab it (It was at my belt line). [Belt line is highly unlikely to relate to herpes.]   A blood test revealed I had low-ish B12 (technically in range, but at the very low end, especially for a man of my size). I had a series of B12 injections, and I am taking a B12 supplement. I am not taking any lysine or arginine at the moment. I was taking the Arganine to see if I could induce an outbreak. [This is irrelevant, there is no known linkage between herpes outbreaks and arginine/lysine intake - its a myth - and B12 infers nothing.] I think what I am asking is - has anyone here ever repeatedly tested negative over and over again over long period of time, before getting a definitive answer, be a positive test, or something else? [The answer to this is: Extremely few people with a HSV-1 infection and even more rarely HSV-2 test repeatedly negative on Westernblot and actually carry the virus. Of the cases that I know of that had delayed detection by a swab and negative blood tests in the meantime (and that's only 3-4 cases), they had some form of lesions within days of infection but did not obtain a swab for various reasons and then obtained a positive swab of a subsequent lesion with the record being 11 months later. A couple of the cases did have some 'background' symptoms they thought might be related to herpes but that isn't ascertained and some did not have any unusual symptoms at all apart from the lesions. Hence as you did not have lesions around your mouth or lips within days of the last sexual encounter as is exceptionally common for a primary oral HSV-1 infection, that pretty much rules out herpes orally as it is. The fact that you had no genital symptoms for a month also rules out genital herpes. I am not aware of anyone at all who has genuinely gone on to test positive by swab or blood in your specific circumstances. There are hundreds if not more than a thousand experiences on this website alone that are similar to yours that are truly negative for herpes I'm one of them!]  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.