The beginning of "Cold Soar Above"

[Cold Soar Above]

Hello all, 

Today I was diagnosed with HSV1. The news brought pain & peace to my mind for I have developed paranoia from the moment I felt my first symptom. 

On 9/4/2015 I participated in risky behavior which is still a bit of a blank to me. After participating in an gallery (I'm an artist & poet) I decided to go out for a few drinks alone. A few drinks turned into a lot and I ended up blacking out. (I must say, I have a history of being a "coherent blackout drinker") I woke up the next morning & my mouth was on fire. It was instantly a red flag & I began to connect the dots in the picture that was & will be my last encounter with alcohol. I discovered that I went to multiple bars that night & potentially fooled around with a young lady. 

I had already scheduled a doctor's appointment for an unrelated issue & decided to request a STD test since my mouth felt like I was making out with lit matches. The doctor told me the test will check for multiple diseases but it did not include the H. I insisted on getting the H test & the blood was drawn. 

Immediately after leaving my appointment I decided to be pro-active and purchase natural health items (Neem Stick Chapstick, Coconut Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Oreganol, Proxide, Qtips, Gloves, Hand Sanitzer). Although I was not yet diagnosed at the time I had this feeling something was wrong. I've always try to keep a healthy diet and am very self aware so although I didn't know, I knew something was wrong. 

I broke the news to my girlfriend/future wife that there was a posibilty I have herpes as I had a blackout episode while she was away. She was crushed but her love for me allowed her to stay by my side no matter the results. She tried for days to keep me sane while I kept her at bay, not a kiss nor a hug or a handshake just in case. In 5 days I lost 10lbs due to stress. No food, no sleep, no dry eyes...just confusion, fear & regret about my blackout. 

Today after recieving the the news I shared it with my immediate family as they are my core society. I cried & seeked support & received a call from my younger sister & her husband who shared with me they also had H for 3 years now. Although it did ease my mind knowing people in my immediate circle dealt with this situation, it was just cold comfort for Cold Soar. 

I am on day 5 of my initial exposure and have not yet experienced my 1st outbreak. I don't know the extent of my initial contact and fear it will leave my face badly scarred. I am keeping positive listening to piano playlists & telling myself "this is my path & I must walk it with my head up" 

I have questions & concerns about HSV1 but I'm not sure where or who to ask. I guess I'll draft up a few questions & put them in another post. 

This is my beginnings & I look forward to sharing more soon. 

Thank you for reading this & remember to always "soar above". 

[WilsoInAus]

Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. 

Based on what you have written, I have a few thoughts. You can decide what to do with the information.

The most important fact to note is that you cannot test positive for IgG antibodies within a few days of infection. This means just like over 50% of the population, you were more likely infected in childhood by a family member with oral HSV-1. That's right, you've just about always had it. By adulthood, over 70% of the population has the virus. Hence it just isn't someone in your circle, it is most everyone around you. Your girlfriend probably already has it.

This means that there is no evidence you fooled around with a young lady, nothing to suggest you even kissed her!

Also, as you have no memory of any cold sores, it means your body addresses the virus very well and there is no need to suspect this won't continue... stay off the turps though!

[Sanguine108]

Some people may say you have latent HSV that was picked up during the test.  If you have the results then if IgM (innate immunity, first responders) are more present then it was a recent infection or IgG, where your adaptive immunity has taken the time(months) to build up antibodies.

 

But first off, relax.  I did not know what was wrong with me when I got infected.  Several days after my "exposure" I had a running nose and some congestion.  As much as I've read about symptoms of various diseases presenting "malaise", I didn't know what malaise was.  Well, I then knew what malaise was all about.  Then I felt like my head was caged.  And I just felt distended.   Now, I'm not trying to say this and have you express some psychosomatic thing but I never experienced burning lips.  I didn't feel anything tingle or erupt until the 3rd week.

 

So then began the frantic rush to treat this because I work with people everyday.  All that stuff that you listed is great... But just to save you some trial and error, Super Lysine Plus Cold Sore Ointment by Quantum.  Just get it.  CVS, Walgreens has it.   It's half the price online.  Don't screw with the synthetic crap.  It costs twice as much and it isn't a holistic approach to treating a cold sore.  The ointment, next to having all these nourishing herbs and substances, has goldenseal in it.  I believe the goldenseal really deflates/expels and cools a lesion down.  People talk about how their remedies or whatever chill out a cold sore in 3-4 days like that's an amazing feat.  Super Lysine Plus Cold Sore Ointment, seriously like 24hrs.

Check out the ingredients (these are copy and pasted.
Menthol, Zinc Oxide 1.2%, Olea Europaea (Olive) fruit oil, Beeswax, Lysine, Calendula officinalis extract, Echinacea angustifolia extract, Gum benzoin tincture, Propolis extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal), Melaleuca alternifolia oil, Melaleuca cajuputi oil(tea tree), Retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D), Honey.

It really is amazing.

 

Then there's treating the root.  The root is the nerves.  Nervines are herbs that target the nerves.  They soothe, regenerate and mend the nerves.  The super power is St. John's Wort.  Undisputed.  I knew of SJW in the beginning, but I didn't know SJW.  Just google St. John's Wort and herpes. And read the cautions about SJW, it's not for everyone.  But if you really do have HSV and you're about to go through the whole primary infection then just get it and have it in the cabinet.  Get SJW from Gaia Herbs, it's in liquid extract capsules and very good quality.   ...And SJW will help you with more than just HSV.

 

Another thing you can do is get a good face nourishing cream.  because hsv is an affliction of the nerves.  The areas on nerves that are frayed are going to be hotspots, which are vulnerable to breakouts.  Gotta help heal the nerves in order to stop the nonsense.  HSV lives in the trigeminal nerve.  So applying a cream that's very healing, nourishing and probably containing antiviral herbs in it will help combat any potential breakout.  

 

But just getting the Super Lysine Plus Cold Sore Ointment is very cheap ($5-10, depending on where you go).  And you can feel it out from there.

Everyone responds differently to HSV.  If you are to experience this then don't worry.  It's not the end of the world.  It's definitely a wake up call but it's not the end.  You're reborn.

[Cold Soar Above]

Wilso & Sanguine thanks for the info. I do believe it is likely I lived with this for longer than I think. It is really common & I know freaking out isn't the right way to deal with this. I'll give it time & be aware of my being while trying not to over analyze it. 

 

Thank you you for the suggested items I will look into them and move forward in a positive manner.