48 hours since diagnosis and still completely devastated. HELP PLEASE!!

[hope29]

I got the news 48 hours ago. This is really happening to me. I have been glued to the computer researching everything I need to know. OK I have H it's not goin to kill me. I have hpv also but I never had anything happen with thar so it rarely cross my mind. This oh no you can't forget about it. It consumes my thoughts all day. No I have been freaking out because what if I have something else. What if I have hiv. I didn't know about this so it's possible right.. I'm sure I am working myself up. This first ob I had thought I'm working myself up. Wrong it was exactly what I had hoped it wasnt. So with that being said I can't go to the doc until Thursday hopefully to get tested for everything else. So presently I have been taking valtrex for 2 days. Symptoms are becoming less severe thank god because this hurts horribly. Happy I found this site to learn the spray bottle while using bathroom trick. Also thankfull that I have a fiance who is supportive. We don't know if he has H or not. Who gave it to who. He's never had any symptoms like mine. Guess we will find out soon enough if he has it to. Praying this is the last of the bad news.. any insight on this. I feel tingling in my legs unless my mind is playing tricks on me I feel it in my arms too is that normal? How easy is it to know if your about to get another ob? What do I do now? I've seen diet exercise.. the more I know the better off I am I suppose. Please help me. I am strigger get every minute to keep the tears at bay.

[seeker]

first off, take a big ole deep breath. its worse at the beginning. everything, and I mean everything just has to be herpes, hell my local football team being 1-5 is herpes right? I have been diagnosed for around 2 months, I figured its been a year since my first OB and it is slowly becoming better. it does become less of your daily thoughts and concerns. im not going to sugar coat it, does it suck? yes. would I prefer to not have it? yes. is it going to kill me? NO! its an inconvenience, unfortunately its one that has a ton of stigma attached to it here in north America, but at its base it is a simple skin condition in an inconvenient place. It is, as a friend of mine puts it towards gluten free, organic, vegan foods, a first world problem. only in the affluent west do we have the time and the media hype to worry about such things. back in the real, starve if you don't find food today world, they could care less. something I like to do is think how our ancestors would have perceived this. " oh I have a rash. wait its gone, no biggie. oh look I have a new rash, wait its gone." now as a male I cant really tell you some of the tricks of the trade in dealing with this but ive no doubt several of the ubber lovely ladies of our forum will be on shortly to help with more of the er, maintenance related subjects along with helpful links.

 

It isn't a world ender, that is first and foremost the most important thing. you have someone who is supporting you thru this and that is good.

 

 

[Chinup]

@seeker I love your posts!!!

 

@hope29 everything you are feeling is completely normal. I was just there two months ago myself. Everything seeker said is right.. While I do still have good and bad days, it's defintely something that you can LIVE with, which is much better than the alternative. Be very thankful for the support of your fiancé! A lot of us don't have that support and are coping with this diagnosis completely alone. You're already doing the right thing.. Getting educated and informed is key! I'm currently dealing with my second OB and have been down in the dumps for days.. But Thankfully this forum keeps me informed and people are always here for support and advice.. I'm sure dancer will be along any time now with links for med info, OB help, and so much more :-) keep your chin up hun.. Relax.. Deep breath.. Rest and keep yourself as healthy as possible!

 

As for what you're feeling.. We are all so different!! My first OB lasted 3 days.. Very mild symptoms.. I went straight on suppressives and stopped after a few weeks to see how my body would handle it.. I was med free for 4 weeks and just had my second OB which started Friday.. The entire time I was OB free I was super paranoid. I felt every tingle, itch, pain, etc down there that you could imagine.. I'm pretty sure most of it is in our head. A few days before my second OB, I had a very sore, red spot down there and a terrible pain in my left butt cheek.. I knew it was different than the other "tingles and pains" I had been feeling, but there was nothing visible there so I thought I was ok. That started on weds and by fri I found my first bump. Started on the meds Friday night and I think it's starting to clear up (fingers crossed). this OB was much more intense than my first.. A cluster of bumps as opposed to one bump and defibtely more pain.. But keep in mind that we are all different and out bodies will handle it differently.. My advice is to try and relax and keep your mind occupied. I wish I hadnt worried 24/7 about an OB when I was ob free.. After this clears up I'll likely stay on the suppressives for a while and see how I do. Good luck!! If you need anything, we are here for you :-)

[hope29]

Thank you both so much. I'm hoping that this first ob will go soon.. I can see the med are helping. I just moved to a new state & I have been having some relationship issues. Which looking back on them are extremely small. Which is probably what caused this to peak it's ugly head out of my girly parts. I know stress is a trigger for it so I'm trying to stay calm. Did anyone else panic & worry that there could be more?

[Chinup]

Every day of my life since my diagnosis. I have a tendency to be high strung and easily frustrated and stressed out. I've been working very hard to calm down and woooooosahhhh.. Bad traffic could literally ruin my day.. Is it worth stressing into an OB?? Absolutely not! I've taken up yoga and meditation too. I try to get at least 5 minutes of quiet to myself to just breathe every day (I have a 2 and a half year old so quiet is rare lol) and I do a few yoga poses whenever I can. You will find out what your triggers are, just as I am. I had family visiting from out of town and that stressed me out.. I also broke my toe and haven't been able to run.. I think all of these things contributed to my OB.. So I'm really focusing on my stress levels and trying to make sure I'm being as good to my body as I can be. Once the OB clears and a sense of feeling "normal" comes back, it will be easier to manage the stress, fear and anxiety. I was actually getting to a point where it wasn't on my mind 24/7... I'll get back there and so will you!!! :-) if you need anything, feel free to message me anytime!!! Support really helps a lot..

[hope29]

I wish I knew when I got this... I assume it's from an ex who use to cheat all the time. I am on implqnon for birth control. I am having this very dark discharge sorry this is pretty gross. I do spot with it. But I can't tell if it's period related or H related. Is that normal?

[Chinup]

no apologies or tmi here lol!! I am not on BC myself, so I really have no idea about that. Since the H diagnosis, I have noticed an increase in discharge, but it's normal colored.. As for when you picked this up.. Did you have a blood test done? How were you actually diagnosed?

[hope29]

No blood test. They said it wasn't necessary they looked and said yep that's herpes. I'm going to go Thursday or Friday to get a full std test done. But it is almost 100% herpes. I had two doctors say it was H. I have always had a lot of discharge. I get yeast infections a lot. I get bacterial vaginosis frequently. I have just moved 2 weeks ago half way across the country and am havin a hard time finding a doctor who will take me with no insurance. I lost my ins when we moved and he won't get his at the new job until december. So it's all out of pocket. My script for valtrex was extremely expensive. I was lucky to find a doctor to take me in the other day for the diagnosis.

[seeker]

hee hee girly parts. I like that better than lady parts, sounds more fun.

 

try the generic or go to planned parenthood. my acylivor rx is 24 for suppressive a month, 17 for episodic.

[Chinup]

Oh okay! The reason I ask about the blood test is because it could help you determine how long you've had h... My blood test was neg but my culture was positive, so they told me it was a new exposure.. But I knew exactly who it was and when it happened.. My first OB was literally DAYS after the SOB took advantage of me.. But thats neither here nor there at this point. You can get a discount prescription card online to help with the cost of meds too!

[hope29]

I'm pretty sure it's been here a while neither of us have cheated. So it is what it is I guess. Cant change it.. seeker I did get the generic starts with a V. I'll be going to planned parenthood this week I'm sure they can help me figure out a cheaper method. Now what do I do for suppressive keep pills on me in case? How many do I takeep if an ob is coming on

[Chinup]

My suppressive is 500mg of valtrex per day.. For episodic treatment, you just take it at the onset of your OB symptoms and hopefully knock it out before it turns into a full on OB or you at least get lucky and shorten the intensity and duration of the OB. When I was first diagnosed I was given a script of 1 gram twice a day so that's what I've been doing on my second OB.. Once it clears I'll go back down to my 500mg a day suppressive dosage. I also take 1g of lysine and a multi vitamin with immune support. Lots of people on here have their own little regimen they follow :-)

[WCSDancer2010]

@hope29

 

You've had a lot of good advice here ... I'll get back here later (it's 1am here) to answer anything you need to know that these wonderful people have missed, but I wanted to post the links for the things you can do to help to attack the OB from the outside.

 

Also, get a new Dr. While odds are they are correct that you have Herpes, a visual diagnosis won't tell you WHICH one you have, which is useful to know so you know what precautions you need to take with your fiance. BOTH of you should be blood tested ... odds are one or both of you have HSV1 orally so if you are diagnosed with HSV1 alone, then you won't need to be as concerned about giving it to him as he already has antibodies (he can still get it but his risk is lower.) When you get both your results we can help you understand how to approach things as a couple ;)

 

As for the cost of Valtrex, go online and look up RX or Prescription Discount Card. You get them for free and it can cut the cost up to 60%

 

(((HUGS)))

 

Treatments/medications

http://supporttruthanddialog.com/easy-simple-self-help-tips-for-relief-from-herpes-outbreaks/

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-treatment/

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-medication/

 

Links to some of the items suggested in the links

http://tinyurl.com/pmosahc Link to Alum

http://tinyurl.com/Aloecream

 

@seeker

You've come a long way my friend! Proud of you!

[seeker]

@ hope. my rx is 1 pill 2x a day so I take one in the morning and one with dinner. i was taking several supplements but stopped as i had some weird stuff going on and i needed to figure out the culprit. with just the antivirals no issues as of now, either the supplements were doing something, i was having some seriously ongoing prodomes , the meds and my body didn't agree at first but have come to terms or i was experiencing (yet again) a kidney stone.

 

 

[hope29]

Ok sorry I couldn't reply for a while it wouldn't let me log in.. I went to a doc today & they did full std testing but no blood or culture was done again. So I have no clue which form I have. That being said. Pretty sure fiance has H too. He found a small zit looking bump. He tried to pop but clear fluid came out. Doc said that's probably H. So lucky him for having it so easy. I'm still on meds so no sex for a bit... plus the pain keeps me from even thinking bout it. I'm having these tingling feelings down my legs. On my shin under my butt my calf & ankle area. Is this the H or meds? I think I feel it in my arms too. Is this normal should I be concerned. Anyone please help on this.

[hope29]

She gave me some pills in case another ob happens after this first one. She said to take that 3x a day for 5 days if ob comes on.. if I need more to call her and she will call them in and shold be less than $20. She was very nice & helpful. Just can't understand why Noone will test to see if it's 1 or 2. Ugh

[hope29]

@seeker I seen on a older post you are in the tamTampa area. Is this correct?

[WCSDancer2010]

@Hope ... so you are saying they are still going on the visual diagnosis??/ Sorry friend but time for a new Dr. That is totally unacceptable. Really. And to say by your description that it sounds like your BF has it too ... even more unacceptable. X(

 

I strongly suggest that you go to Planned Parenthood with your BF and get both of you tested there ...

[hope29]

I am going to call and see if they will test for it. I keep paying for doctor visits that won't test for the thing I want them too.. I don't understand why they won't. @dancer I know thar you have been dealing witH this for awhile. Do you happen to know if the tingling I described before is normal?

[WCSDancer2010]

Yes... some have different neurological sensations like tingling in the legs. Your Dr is probably right that you have Herpes, but you deserve to know which kind it is (50% of all new genital cases are HSV1 from oral sex) and to have a definite diagnosis. Again, go to Planned Parenthood ... they WILL test for it there. Or get an OBGYN ... tho your BF will need to go to PP... ;)

[hope29]

Ok thank you so much... yea I thought I deserved to know too I keep asking for the test but nobody will give it to me. 3 doctors and nobody will do it. Im self pay so why do they care its my money... I hope it's hsv1 I have heard that it's not as rough as hsv2 if I had to choose which form of herpes I wanted I suppose lol.. starting to find the humor again. 25 years old and never knew they don't test for herpes. Amazing. Ugh oh well can't go back. Bright side me & the old man call ourselves herpe buddies. So it's getting easier to accept

[WCSDancer2010]

Most people don't know that they don't test for Herpes ... In my opinion thats criminal.... I hope we can change that in the not too distant future :(

[seeker]

yes hope in tampa area

[seeker]

um, dancer, here in my area they only do a swab at PP. I had to go to a lab to get a IGG test. this was the Pinellas PP. when I went in for meds the doctor told me she doesn't like the blood test as it says what but not where, but mine being 2 and having stuff in my fun zone it was fairly clear where the what was.

[WCSDancer2010]

That's the frustrating part - they don't get that we want to know the WHAT ... because if it's HSV2 then there's a pretty good chance its down below ... it's only HSV1 that might cause issues .... SMH ....