Jstar79

It can be difficult to remain positive. I have HSV-2 and I'm just so lucky enough that when I break out, it's on my face. I've had this for about 18 years now. I don't know who but I know when, because a co-worker told me once what it was and how I could treat it, and I denied what she told me for years. I was officially diagnosed about 10 years ago. It was tough, but not as tough as the emotions I would feel with a breakout. I still have those emotions sometimes, to be honest, but only with a brekaout happening. Otherwise I don't even think about it anymore. It's just the thing that happens sometimes and with suppressive therapy (1 G a day of Valacyclovir), they're so much smaller. Sometimes I just cover it with bandaid or it's become small enough to just be perceived as a pimple. I have about one or two small breakouts every 4 years. I actually am becoming more concerned about the long term effects of the drug than the disease itself. Anyway, the point is, I've been living with this for 18 years. I have an active romantic life with my hsv negative partner of ten years and he always tells me it's so much worse in my head than it is to everyone else. So if you think you can't have romance, or you think people will reject you always, I'm a living case that that isn't true. Just think of it as something that might be a turn off. Some people don't like red hair, some don't like HSV. But whatever someone says "no" for isn't about you, it's about them. You're who you always were and who you always will be, and there will be many many people in your life who you will tell and they will say "ok, so what? No big deal." One day you will be one of those people saying it to yourself.