Name: Pinkpearls62282
Age: 23
Sex: F
Occupation: Consultant
Type: GHSV-1
Year Diagnosed: January 2006

OBs per year: Only one so far…

Prodromes: With one, hard to say…itchiness, tingly feeling, achiness all over, burning during urination

Method of control: Valtrex – 500 mg daily, 1000 mg of Vitamin C, healthy diet

My Story: I’d been in a relationship for 5 years and finally decided th! at I wanted out. I can’t say that I was the most faithful partner, but I always thought I was being safe. (Thus, technically, I don’t know how long I’ve actually had H). After getting out of that relationship, I met a great guy in Colorado Springs while participating in a leadership seminar. We hit it off and started dating. From day one, we didn’t use protection and while that in itself was stupid, I was crazy about this guy. I don’t even think I asked his std status, he just asked if I was on birth control – which I was. We had a beautiful, yet short lived relationship that ended shortly after I was diagnosed.

I’d gone to visit him in Dallas (we dated at a distance, him in Texas, and me in North Carolina). He seemed distant the whole weekend, but we continued to have great sex and enjoyed our time together for the most part. On January 21^st, which would have been a Sunday, my body felt weird. I experienced mild burning during urination and, itchiness all night to the point I couldn’t sleep. It was that same night that he told me he wanted to slow down, that he was scared of his feelings and wasn’t sure if he could continue – I cried all night. Then when I woke up on the 22^nd, I noticed a couple of small bumps and a weird white discharge.  I told my boyfriend at the time that something wasn’t right with my body, but he said that it’s probably just a rash from ro! ugh sex.  I got on an airplane and traveled to the next destination. The entire time I could barely sit down and when I got to my meeting, it was all I could do to concentrate on the task at hand. Once I got to my hotel room, I did my first major crotch check and knew what it was immediately. I called my boyfriend and he told me to take a warm bath (no bubbles) and try to relax. All the triggers were in place – I’d flown in from Hawaii doing business so my schedule was off, lack of sleep, I’d gotten burnt, and now I was stressed. I did a couple hours of reading that night, crying the whole time, and barely slept a wink. I’d already made arrangements that night to fly home earlier the next day and go immediately to the clinic.

 

I was diagnosed on January 23^rd, 2006. My relationship with that guy ultimately fizzled out and I don’t know whether or not it was a result of herpes. He doesn’t like to talk about it to this day (we’re still friends) and claims that he didn’t give it to me even though he won’t get tested. In a lot of ways, I resent him and I think I always will because at least if he was tested, I’d know whether or not he was the gift giver.

I was pretty depressed for maybe a week. I didn’t dress up, I didn’t go out, I didn’t talk to many people. That didn’t last too long before I realized that it wasn’t the end of the world and really became a member of this community. I found a lot of hope and another family…thank you to all of those that were there for me in those early days. I’ve found therapy in helping others get through those early ! days since that time and spend a lot of time posting on the board and chatting in the chat room.

Telling:  My position is to educate others as I have the opportunity to do so. For those of you who have interacted with me, you know that I’m pretty open about who I am, and what is going on in my life. I initially told my best friend and my boyfriend at the time. I then told a close friend that works in the same building with me – he called every night for 3 weeks to make sure I was okay, and has since become interested in dating me- go figure. I tell potential partners and I’ve told two coworkers, one of which I’m currently dating. What I’ve found is a lot of support and further interest in who I am, and who I’m becoming. It also gives me a chance to educate people about what herpes is and is not. For me, it’s nothing more than a skin irritation, of which I have many.