LongLife88

@HikingGirl Thank you for this link! It is really informative and easy to read as well. My stepmom really took to it. The separate dishes was a little disheartening but pretty funny in retrospect. Thanks again.

@outbreak_surfers Totally dude. I am happy I was able to unload the news to my dad and stepmom almost immediately after finding out. They have been really helpful and supportive (even though my stepmom treated me like the plague incarnate initially lol). She has chilled out and has even been reading that Terri Warren book. I think if I had tried to keep it in it would have torn me apart. I am really at peace at the moment. I was just accepted into this meetup.com group of H+ people in Southern California and it just struck me that were people from every race and background on there. There were a ton of beautiful girls who were members too so I was stoked lol. I'm not too bad looking either so I think I'm good to go haha. I hear you on the girl scene. I have never really been a player though and I usually have to develop a friendly relationship with a girl before I decide I want to get down to business with her. I think it is out of shyness that I could never seal the deal in an evening with a lady I just met. Although my year stint of one night stands would be the exception to the rule. I totally dirty dogged it and I cringe knowing one of those peeps gave me the gift. I am not nervous about disclosing and I am ready to get rejected even if it hurts. I don't care. I know the girl that would love me despite being H+ is a keeper anyway and I think I would cherish a girl like that till the day I die. Don't mind some casual encounters with people who are cool with it either haha. I definitely want them to be tested as well though. Contracting this has definitely put the fear of STDs in me and I don't ever want to catch something else. Not even HSV-1 (though that may be inevitable). I would love to meet someone else who is HSV-2 positive as well. I think there would be an immediate sympathy for each other knowing we both have this and it would be really easy to segue into a serious relationship assuming we like each other in other ways as well. We wouldn't have to worry about infecting each other either. Yeah I live in southern orange county and there are a ton of beautiful chicks. What is it like living in Cabo San Lucas? Have you always lived there? You sound well traveled. Where have you been? I honestly haven't really traveled anywhere outside the US except for Mexico. Dude...I wanna surf Tahiti so bad. What countries have you surfed in? Honolua Bay was like my home spot. I feel like it was so magical to grow up and surf that place everyday. It's like theres Jimi Hendrix lore behind it too. It's pretty psychedelic just being apart of that whole scene and the beauty of the location mixed with the characters and laid back beach vibe is just so unique. I have had so many dream sessions out there with perfect turquoise barrels and vivid colors of the sun, ocean, reef, and cliffs with cacti. Just epic sessions at all sizes. It's not hard to just live there your whole life and just work a waiter gig and surf Honolua Bay haha. I used to dance at Luau in the evenings and surf before work. It was the good life for sure. That sounds really interesting working as an engineer on a ship and traveling around the world. I gotta to look into that. Man I would love to get together if we are ever in the same area and chill and surf. Peace brother.

@MissLamentful Stay the road! Thank you for replying and just know that you will overcome this trial and live a happy fulfilling life. I wish I could bear your burden. If you need someone to unload on you can always private message me.

I'm probably being paranoid, but I am wondering how rare is it to have this condition being an HSV carrier? I'm guessing peeps who take antivirals are at a much lower risk. Thanks!

Hello, Does anyone out there know about correlations the IgG index values have with anything? Such as time virus was in body, how prone to outbreaks one is, if one is more apt to infect others, etc. I have a IgG index value of 10 since my last test which was a week ago and I am just trying to figure out our correlations. I've read others with index values in the 1-3 range that have gotten OBs. I have not experienced one yet. Thanks.

Was feeling pretty low this morning. Got up like at 4 am thinking about life in general. Shed a few tears later on, but I felt a lot better afterward. Have a great day y'all. @outbreak_surfers I feel you on feeling low even if you want to appear positive as much as possible. I'm glad I found this resource where I can talk to people such as yourself who know where I am coming from and likewise encourage you through tough moments. Peace dude. That's an epic profile pic btw.

@outbreak_surfers Thanks man! I love to surf as well. I grew up on Maui and got to experience some beautiful waves. Nice to know there is a fellow water man on the forums. Thanks for the encouraging info about the prevalence of virus and the fact that the physical symptoms are not so bad and that the stigma of having it at least in the states is as great if not a greater contributor to the psychological stress one experiences. I kind of wish I never found out, but I think it is a good thing that I did so that I can take the necessary steps to not infect anyone else. Peace brother.

Hey fellow optimist! I'm feeling surprisingly good today in light of the diagnosis. Just working on my studies, listening to a Stephen King audio book, and scoping out new horror movies to watch. That is a big relief that I can interact with others normally and that I really only have to take precautions when it comes to sex. Thank you both for pointing that out. I should point that little tidbit of info out to my stepmom so she will chill out. When I say 1 1/2 years ago I am leaving out the time with my first SO who was a virgin when we first met. I was also a virgin at that time so I think it is safe to assume at that point in life neither of us had HSV-2. If I include that relationship it I could have contracted it between 6 years ago to 6 months ago. Although getting the result yesterday was kind of traumatizing I have already compartmentalized those thoughts. I think staying informed about this virus while not obsessing over it is the best course of action for me. Have a great day.

That is good to know. My stepmom has designated me my own dishes and what not cause she is so freaked. Won't even hold my hand during dinner prayers at the table haha.

Hi all, Just wanted to introduce my self and my story. I am a 29 year old student who is just about to graduate from a great university with an electrical engineering degree. I noticed red patch on my groin area about a week ago that flared up and it had a hard spot underneath it. It was the same area that flared up a few months ago. I had a feeling it was an abscess, but I also couldn't shake the feeling it could be something worse like an STD. The reason I felt that way was due to the fact that I have had some seriously risky one night stands with around 8 different people over a 1 year period. It was mostly drug fueled and it was incredibly irresponsible of me. I guess I should be grateful I did not contract HIV, but it's also a bummer I caught one of the incurables. I was seen last Wednesday and had that spot checked which the MA determined was likely an abscess and also got a full round of test on all the standard STDs like gono, clam, syph, HIV, and HSV. So after having a couple panic attacks during the week at what I possibly could have and calming myself with the idea that I probably have nothing I finally went into the clinic this morning assuming I am just gonna go in and get the great news that I am all negative on my results and close this horrible chapter of my life for good and throw away the key. Unfortunately that is not how it panned out. I got the result that I was clear on everything except HSV-2. I had an IgG index value of 10 which I think is pretty conclusive that I am HSV-2 positive from reading about false positives and what not. She is very certain that what I had in my upper pubic area was an abscess which has since cleared up. If that is true it would mean I have had no symptoms as far as I can tell (though there has been some itching which I optimistically attribute to poor hygiene and it has stopped itching since I have been scrubbing down there much more thoroughly). The furthest back that I could have contracted it was about 1 1/2 years ago. I am wondering how long the virus would need to remain in the body in order to attain an index value of 10. Anyways I am just informing myself about the full implications of the virus, what precautions I need to take in the bedroom as well as precautions around close loved ones like my dad and stepmom, and crossing my fingers that I'll be one of the lucky non OB people. I am happy that I found this community of people today as it has made me feel much better just reading about other people going through the same mental trials as me and still others providing reassurance that everything is going to be fine. Life goes on and tomorrow is a new day. I'll post more later. If any of you have any thoughts to share I would love it. Thanks for reading.