Happygirl17

Hi all! An update for everyone. Trust the process with the antivirals. I’m definitely still not 100%, but I am now sleeping through the night, urinating without pain, and am just left with some residual pain and soreness/dryness. I’m on vacation tomorrow, and although I don’t think I’ll be able to walk for miles without breaks, I think I’ll be able to be present with my partner and enjoy good food and activities, and hopefully by the end my OB will be over. In some ways, it’s good to know the first is the worst, because I will only learn to manage it more from here. One bummer is no intimacy while on vacation… but there’s other ways to enjoy each other’s company! Rationalization and lots of self love and self care is what got me through this week! Best wishes to all 🙂

I tested positive for herpes 7-10 days after sexual intercourse with my partner. When I tested positive, he asked “how do you have herpes? We’ve had sex before and before you I haven’t had sex in two years, and ive never not used a condom and only been with two people”.he’s been nothing but supportive, but I fear one part of him thinks I was unfaithful within the last month. Meanwhile, I know for a fact I’ve never had symptoms like this until this last week after the previous encounter. So if we’re both being honest, how could this have happened? Was he carrying it the last few times we had sex and he didn’t transmit it? Regardless, I’m lucky enough to have someone so sweet. He did say, well if I did give it to you, we both have it and we’re gonna navigate everything together.

When I tell you this blindsided me, you have no idea. I’m prone to frequent UTI’s, yeast infections, hell any infection (I am immunocompromised). So when I started feeling itchy last Thursday, I thought nothing of it, used monistat and thought I’d be all set. Then things got weird. The itchiness on my vagina seemed to subside a bit, replaced by a dull ache and a few little lumps that I attributed to the monistat cream. Then, I started to get throbbing pain near my anus. I thought I had a hemorrhoid! In retrospect, I realize that these are cues that will tell me where my outbreak may manifest. On Sunday, I went on a day trip to the beach and I could barely even walk. My vaginal area became so swollen, I took off my underwear under my dress and started praying that the pain would go away. Sunday night, I took a hand mirror and saw clusters of red bumps on my Vulva and anus region. This is when I knew I had some trouble. In the last year, I got out of a 5 year long relationship, and have only had him as my partner. In the last few months, I have been monogamous with someone new, having sex maybe 5-10 times, somewhere in that range. Never had any issues after. So you can imagine my shock when I went to a GYN and she took one look and said “yup. Herpes”. I’m on Valtrex now, 10 day dose 2x a day. Today is day 2. I notice some easing of my symptoms. A lot of the blisters are weeping clear liquid, meaning they’ll scab over soon?? And one near my clitoris has already begun to scab. is it true that the worst may be over? I slept only 30 minutes on Sunday night, and 3 hours last night. The pain was unbearable. I’m noticing with the scabbing I’m having more stinging pain, but less “drive you up a damn wall” itchiness and discomfort and burning. Little bit just like salt on a wound now with some inflammation and vaginal discharge. I am going on vacation on Saturday, it is Tuesday. Is it a good sign I am scabbing? I don’t want to relive what I did last weekend, walking through a city having to stop every twenty feet to breathe through my pain.