fitnessfanatic

I can only speak from the other side of this situation. My partner of 7 years went abroad for a year and carried on an affair for most of the time she was there. She admitted it to me early on but apparently did not cease to have interactions with him and on the last time she was with him she contracted ghsv1. She didn't know that she had it until we had already been intimate upon her return, she had an outbreak and went to the doctor and now I have been diagnosed with hsv1 on my chin and lips. She has been a long time proponent of going to a therapist when things in life get rough and has started seeing a therapist to figure out why she was unfaithful and to help herself deal with the guilt and shame that she is feeling after giving me hsv1. In spite of all that has happened, we are working to stay together. I was angry and saddened by the affair but I think that our relationship is solid enough and has enough good in it that we can get past this. I am also going to therapy because I feel like I don't have anyone that I can talk to about any of this since we have so many mutual friends and I don't want to turn my friends and family against her. Don't give up hope and find someone you can trust to talk to. People that really love and respect each other and themselves can get through hard times. You have made it this far. It's a long road and hopefully this is just a bump.

Thanks, I just am not really sure what to expect for outbreaks since this is my first one and it was a doozy. My partner told me last night that she had never seen a cold sore as bad as the one that I had but she just didn't want to say anything until it was almost gone so I didn't freak out. It started out as just a tiny dot but within 2 day was almost the size of a quarter and I never touched it except to apply ointment with a q-tip. I am hoping that that will be the worst one I ever get.

I was very recently diagnosed with HSV1 that I got from an unfaithful longterm partner. I took the news really hard after my diagnosis but was starting to feel better since my primary outbreak on my chin started clearing up/scabs started falling off but now I have another cold sore forming on my lips. I am kinda freaking out again because I have a lot of athletic interests that I pursue and feeling rundown like I have been the past few weeks has not been good for me in that aspect or mentally. I have been taking Valtrex for the last 5 days. How do you know if you should go on suppressive therapy? I have been a little OCD about treating this since I don't want to spread it to anywhere else on my body, changing my pillow case daily, only applying ointment with a q-tip, tons of hand washing. Anything else I should be doing? Are there any supplements that can help keep outbreaks under control? I've been taking lysine and monolaurin. My biggest question, because I have done a lot of internet "research" regarding most of my other questions: what do you tell friends and family when you have a giant outbreak on your face? I have a job where I have to talk to tons of people face to face all day and the giant bandaid on my face was not much better than the actual sores. I have not disclosed my partner's infidelity because we are trying to work it out and I don't want to turn friends or family against her. Her outbreak was on her genitals so it feels very unfair that everyone can see mine and not hers. I also want to avoid spreading it to her face. Obviously not kissing when blisters and sores are present, but what else can I do to prevent that? Thanks for all future advice and responses! I am very happy to have this group to ask all these questions to and to see how other people are living their lives with this diagnosis.