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iamstronger

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  1. Holy kazooks! You can go to http://www.drugs.com/ - if I remember correctly (sorry it was a few weeks ago and I can't recall off the top of my head) that is where I printed off the drug discount "card", and it reduced the cost all the way down to about $14 for one month's supply of Acyclovir (generic) 400mg 2x/day (60 pills). I got my prescription filled at Rite Aid, but as the others have said don't be afraid to call around! Also at most pharmacies they have drug discount programs you can sign up for if you want - but with the discount "card" I gave them it took it down even lower than their own program did. If the discount card at drugs.com doesn't reduce it by a lot then try searching for the name and dosage of your medication at www.goodrx.com - that is where I got the discount card for another medication I take (not related to Herpes). :)
  2. One quick post before bed! I know your pain, Victoria - I had my wisdom teeth all taken out at once when I was 16 years old. At the time I hated going to the dentist, but they were the cause of my severe headaches because they were extremely impacted (basically they were laying *sideways* in my jaw! The x-rays were unbelievable.). If they gave you pain meds, take them!!! Don't feel bad because it's stronger than prescription-strength Ibuprofen - trust me, it's for the better. I had dry-socket on both sides of my lower jaw, too, so be careful and follow all the instructions about foods to avoid and the like. I know it sucks because dairy has a lot of Lysine (which I guess some say helps stave off our little viral friend?) compared to Arginine, but STAY AWAY from dairy.... One of the sockets on the bottom of my mouth took a LOT longer to heal because for whatever reason the milk I drank one time didn't flush out when I rinsed out my mouth and it was not a pretty sight. -_- Live and learn, right? And remember: when you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on! http://i.ebayimg.com/24/!BdwGDhg!Wk~$%28KGrHqEH-C0ErephKK-4BK6Rbpc0ig~~_35.JPG (cute kitten hanging onto a rope for dear life ^_^)
  3. One thing I don't like about our society is the typically-negative opinion on being selfish. @Mel_b -- I don't believe you're being "selfish" (as our society sees it) at all; rather, I think you're trying to come to grips you've got this new thing called herpes going on, and it's a LOT to process for anyone - let alone two people trying to cope with it and come to grips with it at the same time. Zyphen is right - talking helps. Trust me. I was diagnosed on January 22nd, and since then I've talked about it with almost all of my core support-people - the people in my life who are there for me NO MATTER WHAT. And only one person I've disclosed to reacted in a not-so-favorable way, so far. If you get nothing else out of this, remember these two things: One -- Herpes-2 is NOT fatal to adults; rather, it's a very manageable skin condition, like cold sores (most often caused by Herpes-1). Two -- You're going through a LOT right now. I'm right there with you. And so are a LOT of other people here. And a LOT more have been through what we're going through. So cut yourself a break, or at least try to. :) Do something you and your boyfriend like to do together.
  4. @WCSDancer2010 - public outcry, I can do. Let's do it! Where do we start?
  5. @Cyreyes -- it's never too late! This is an ongoing thread for folks who are looking for (h)buddies. Please feel free to send me a private message. I'd love to chat :)
  6. Hello, most recent posters - welcome. If you want to chat about anything, I'm here -- as are bunches of other awesome folks. I bet those of you who just found out your test results are positive are going through a lot of the same things I am... So just know I'm one of the many people here who are on a similar road. Looking forward to getting to know you and your stories! I Am Stronger (25 y/o woman :) )
  7. Yep. It's official. I'm ONLY making trade-offs for things I really really really want. Ashley... Gods. Where do I start? I started to cry when I read the part about the lymphoma. But you know what? You are gonna kick its ass. And yeah. I don't feel so sorry for myself anymore.
  8. Herry, you are really inspiring. Thank you. Reading your post made me smile and feel less angsty.
  9. That's really awesome, Victoria! Supportive partners are just fantastic. :)
  10. What does everyone think about suppresive therapy straight off my first outbreak? I dot want to go through this again but how necessary is it? Hi! Basically from what I've been reading, some people don't decide to take drugs for suppressive therapy, especially if their partner also has HSV-1/HSV-2 or if their outbreaks are very, very mild. Those that do decide to go for suppressive therapy (like myself!) do so for reasons such as having a partner who has NO traces of HSV-2 antibodies (me again ;) ), or because their outbreaks tend to be very severe and painful -- the meds help lessen the chance of having an outbreak, and lessen the rate at which the virus sheds without symptoms (called "atypical shedding", if I recall correctly). So really, it's up to you. This cool NPR tool to navigate their awesome FAQ answers the question about pre-existing conditions: http://apps.npr.org/affordable-care-act-questions/#search/pre-existing The Q&A they have for pre-existing conditions is: "I know that the insurance companies will no longer be able to turn down people with pre-existing conditions. But can they ask about them? And if so, will such people have higher premiums than those without them?" "In a word, no. Starting Jan. 1, 2014, discrimination based on pre-existing conditions will not be allowed. You can’t be turned down, and you can’t be charged more. This will mean that some healthy people will pay higher premiums to offset the cost of those sicker people who are paying less. But the whole idea of requiring most people to have coverage is to get more healthy people into the insurance pool and spread the risk more broadly." --- From the above-mentioned NPR Affordable Care Act Q&A thing ;) There's a lot more questions answered with that tool, too, and it's a really useful thing.
  11. Wow... Actually, @adrial you bring up a REALLY good point -- years ago, when I went in for my first STD/STI test EVER, I asked to be tested for EVERYTHING. Everything. Not just the stuff I *might* have, not just the stuff that was cheap to test for... and every subsequent time, I asked the same thing. But especially in 2009 when I had *apthous lesions* which were absolutely HORRIBLE (and I thought it was herpes, actually :( ) I asked to be tested for "every single STD/STI on the planet". Long story short, apparently they didn't test for everything! Aaaargh, what frustration, what outrage. So here's the next question, after we've cooled our heels: What do we need to do to get HSV-1 and HSV-2 on the get-tested-for-it-when-you-ask-for-EVERYTHING list?
  12. Thank you so much WCSDancer2010!!! :)
  13. Yep. Yesterday. I will never forget the moment the phone rang and I had that sinking feeling in my stomach. The clinician was really nice and told me as kindly as she could antibodies were found for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. The first thing out of my mouth was, "F*ck." Then I started crying. Not like, uncontrollable sobbing, but it was still a shock to my system. She was so awesome, and stayed on the phone with me until I could reassure her I was going to be okay. She asked me if I'd done anymore reading about herpes; and of course I had, I read about everything I can get my hands on if I think it might relate to me in some way (especially so if I think I "have" something). She reminded me about the prescription I had (but I hadn't really forgotten about it), and said to start taking it as soon as I could get it filled. One pill, two times a day. Easy. I have meds I take twice a day already, so it's just one more. She encouraged me to just call her back if I had any questions or side-effects to the meds, or concerns. The week prior, the day I got blood drawn for the HSV tests and the other tests (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV -- ALL NEGATIVE!) she'd given me a prescription for Acyclovir 400mg 2x/day, "just in case." That day, a week ago, I was freakin' terrified. Getting the blood drawn was the easy part; the harder part was driving home and trying NOT to think about what my partner would say. I knew I had to tell him. I didn't want to until the results came back... but I wasn't about to put myself through the agony of worrying and waiting a week, *alone*. It went really, really amazingly well. I told him how I thought I might've had an outbreak, and I just wanted to be sure, and it's a really small chance, and-and-and... And he said, "Okay." I laughed. I laughed as I sat there crying and in that moment I loved him even more than I did before. A huge boulder just vanished off my chest. He reminded me it could be a LOT worse, and there are LOTS of options now compared with years ago (Thank you, Modern Technology! Antiviral meds for the win!), and best of all he listened to me -- he listened, and he cared, and he empathized! He understood the stigma I was just beginning to grasp, but helped me not to internalize it any deeper than I'd already had by going through all the scary stuff in my head for hours on end, worrying myself into circles: "What if nobody wants to have sex with me anymore? What if my partners stop loving me? What if, this, what if that... What if, what if, what if?" He told me we would cross the bridge IF we got to it, because there was no use worrying when I didn't have the results anyway. So I waited, and was as chill as possible. Life went on like normal. I filled my Acyclovir prescription as soon as I got home, so I could begin suppression therapy right away. No use in waiting! The rest of the drive home today, after I found out, I talked (on speakerphone :P) with a really awesome friend of mine, and one thing she said to me really sparked a realization in me: "Okay, so take your meds every day and you'll be fine. The risk of passing it to someone else is there, but it's really slim, and it's not going to ruin your life. It's NOT going to kill you; it's GOING to be okay. Look at it for what it really is, honey... it's just a nuisance, nothing more." And she is absolutely right. This thing is just like chickenpox... a nuisance. That's it. Herpes won't rule my life; I won't let it. I AM STRONGER.
  14. Hi all, I'm a 25-year-old woman, and yesterday (Jan 22) my test results returned positive for HSV-1 (which I expected) and HSV-2 antibodies. I live on the east coast of the USA and I'd love to get to know some other great people who are overcoming this virus one day at a time. I'm realizing as I read and listen and watch, this virus isn't going to kill me. Things could be a LOT worse. I love to communicate with people. I love to become a better me. At first it was horrible to hear the test came back positive... but now? Now I'm beginning to realize this is just another roll-with-the-punches moment. I'd love to be a buddy to anyone... send me a PM. I chat with my friends mostly through Skype, but e-mail or PM here would be cool too. Hi. I tested positive for the herpes antibodies... But the virus doesn't define who I am. I Am Stronger.
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