HerryTheHerp

Oh, there's a special club? Geez, and I didn't even get my membership confirmation, yet. Do we get discounts at Sam's Club? Honestly, I think knowing that I haven't had a cold sore in 20 years is helping me mentally that my body can and (hopefully) will contain this nasty and slightly stronger cousin a little bit. I also fought off a really bad case of Shingles a few years ago, so my body has been through the wringer with the Herpes clan and knows how to kick its red little arse. That's part of why I decided to go with the natural treatments. Figured my body already has some weapons, just need to pull them out of storage and dust 'em off a bit...I'll keep the drugs in the background for the time being. Aloe, Lysine, sleep, and good food really seemed to help. The first prodome came on 12/9, 1st OB started on 12/13, one barely noticeable blister, healed up completely by 12/17. That was followed by another prodome almost immediately that lasted until 12/20, then gradual onset of blisters that healed yesterday/today. So, even without the drugs I'm getting roughly the same healing times. I also know that I've got about 3 days from tickle to "Hello Herpes Day!" And, I'm going to admit that I was smoking like a chimney through it all and I'm not in the best of shape. So, now that I have the knowledge I do, I'm a little more motivated to quit and get to the gym. Both changes should help a little in the future.

I completely understand. We all do and you're not alone. However, you have to pull yourself out of that frame of mind. Want a big boost of confidence? 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 6 people in America have HSV2. Now, go out to a sporting event. Go to the mall. Go to work. Look around. 1 in every 6 people you see are dealing with this, too; and you can't tell which just by looking at them. What's more, 80% of the people who have this don't even know it yet. That thought helped me enormously. It's a big adjustment to your life learning you have a lifelong virus inside it. While it's a virus that will change you, it's not a virus that will kill you. It can only kill your ego, your self-confidence, your personality, your friendships, your dreams, and your hopes if you let it. Don't let it. The easiest way to do that? Read. Read everything you can about The H Man. He is your enemy right now, but the more you learn about him the less frightening he becomes. In time, knowledge will make you a lot more confident. That confidence will translate into a healthier body. And that healthier body will translate into one where the H Man chills out and leaves you alone most of the time.

I know strange, huh? I work at home and wear a kimono while sitting Indian style and the danged feet made their way up under the covering. Gosh, I wish it was something else... I go to the doc today. We'll see. I'm abroad right now and I don't know whether they'll go for that or not. I sure hope the whole thing quiets down, it's been having quite the party this past week. Maybe I'll get lucky and the hangover will last a decade or so. ;

Thanks. More to read which is always appreciated. It's been a week of googling and I've read more this week than in 5 years of college. Unfortunately, I know it's 2 I've got down there. I've had 1 since i was a kid. Oh well. Thanks again. Good to be here.

Hey, me too! I'm actually buying mine a Christmas gift to celebrate our first outbreak (OB) together. That's right, Harry the Herp (that's what I've named him) is getting flowers, a box of aclovir something or other wrapped up nice and tight, and a card that says "Welcome to the Body." I'm trying to butter him up hoping we'll get along well over the years to come. Psychology 101; Be nice to your herpes and they'll be nice to you. If they fail that course, enroll them in Psychiatry 213: Drugging your happy herpes butt back to Woodstock. We've all been right where you are. Trust me when I say that the next few days are going to determine your long-term handling and coping with this. Smile. You'll feel better instantly. For me, I went, looked in the mirror, and had a chat with my new friend. I laid the ground rules down. It felt great and it knows I'm in charge. There's a lot to be said about the power of the mind and you can in fact use it to control your bodies functions. Things that stress you out can take over your life and your body and cause you to forget that. Take charge right now and don't let this nasty li'l bodyguest take over your life. Pretty soon you'll see just how much of a puny pink pimpled tiger he really is.

Thanks for the hug, and right back at ya'! It's good to be able to let some of this out in a forum that is safe, closed, and free from judgment. It's like a pressure valve and it feels great to get it out. Our H friend and I are having a disagreement right now. He wants to set up little colonies all over my legs, ankles, thighs, and groin. I'm negotiating a settlement right now; he can have everything to the left and the right if he'll leave the middle alone. I'm not a big Paris fan either, but I do find it funny that people find her so attractive knowing she has the H, but anyone else, well, we're not. It's a rather interesting psychological phenomenon. Same with Hasselhoff, Rodman, etc. Guess it's ok to have the H if you're famous. I'm happy to write, just let me know. I have herpes, it doesn't, nor will it ever have me. PS: Is 4-days into an initial OB too late to start meds and prevent these little autoinoculations from taking root?

Also, and because I sit Indian style in my shorts at my desk, I have somehow managed to autoinocculate my ankles since my first OB began 3 days ago. I wish I was joking about this, but the blisters are plain as day. Anyone have a suggestion?

Newly diagnosed guy here, and the woman I received my Christmas present from this year has never had herpes symptoms. Now, I know everyone's body is different, but has there been any research done, or does anyone know if that might make my recurrent outbreaks any easier on me? I'm reading about strains right now and can't find anything on it...but I'm hoping it might make a smidgen of difference.

We all deal with this in our own ways. One of the first things I did was to look in the mirror and name mine. I figured if women can name their periods, well, I'm going to name my virus. We had a discussion. A sit down reminiscent of a scene from The Godfather ensued where two tough and seasoned warriors come to terms with their relationship. After our talk, I decided that Harry The Herp just seemed appropriate and fitting in a repugnant kind of way. Harry is allowed to reside in my body provided he only makes infrequent appearances (preferably once every decade.) If he does that I'll stick with the herbal, diet, and lifestyle therapies so he has a comfortable place to retire. But, I promise you this; if he gets out of hand I'm going to drug him back to Woodstock. Like all of us, I went through the stages. I've been through a lot in my life and so I tend to go through them rather quickly. My downer, angry, hurt, sad, depressed, scared times rarely last more than a few minutes before I spring back to reality and start plowing forward again. Was I angry at first? Yeah. Angry at myself for being so hungry for love and female affection that I took a chance. Angry that the protection we used might as well have been a sock. Angry that she didn't know she had this virus. Angry that I actually care for this woman even though we hardly know each other. In fact, I've tried to get mad at her for this, and all I could do was hug her when I had to break the news to her. Somehow, I understood just what she was going through and it bonded us. I don't know if it will last, but I don't think I'll ever be angry at her. I don't ever want her to be angry at herself. I've "known" for two weeks now and it hurts like heck; emotionally and physically. My once proud pee pee is hanging at half-mast right now looking like he mouthed off to a platoon of Marines. Part of me wants to give him a closed casket funeral because looking at the damage just makes me want to weep. I've actually considered holding a funeral for my sex life, which was almost DOA anyway. In this time I have bargained with God, researched tribal medicines from African Shaman, consulted Buddha, looked-into the herbal realm (thank God for Aloe and Lysine that really are helping!), and considered strongly the various antivirals out there and the benefits of maybe letting my immune system fight this battle Chuck Norris style for a while in the hopes that it will make any recurrences minor. I've also done the vaccine/therapy searches and while I'm optimistic, I'm also realistic. I'm drawing strength from all over and noticing that when I look up, instead of looking down, I feel better and the symptoms improve dramatically. About an hour ago, Sgt. Pee Pee was waking up and while seriously bruised, he showed me he wasn't down for the count. We'll see, but it's gonna be a while before I even think about intimacy again. It's a sore subject between us right now as he got us into this mess to begin with. I also keep in mind that 1 out of every 6 people in America is dealing with this too, and we are far from alone. If only Wilford Brimley were still alive, we might be able to raise awareness for a virus that affects twice as many people as diabetes. It's also too bad someone like Paris Hilton won't put the scarlet "H" on her shirt and serve as a spokesman like Magic did. Can you imagine? I'm seeing a whole line of educational products, fundraising campaigns, maybe even a TV talk-show entitled "The Herps of Hilton" where she can bring other celebrity "H-Pos" guests on to discuss the issues. In the meantime, I'm coping by writing and laughing, contemplating and pondering. A few years ago I was doing some research for articles I was writing on HIV/AIDS, and while "The Herps" is bad enough, we have to keep it in our minds that there are worse things. It sounds trite, but it's true. And, it really does help with the psychological/emotional distress to put it into perspective.