1yr later.

[babykate]

A yr ago I came here looking for support. I was very upset over my gHSV1 diagnosis and I didnt kno wat to do. My partners were both of them negative for HSV1 and HSV2. I just knew my life was over and that I would never be able to have sex with partners again and I also worried that they'd get tired of me and leave me bc they couldnt deal with my diagnosis either, or just couldnt deal with how it had affected me mentally and physically. I was just in a really low, bad place. I was very depressed when I 1st came here; I was even suicidal at one point during the grieving process I was goin thru. I realized pretty quickly that I was most likely goin to have OB's every month to every other month bc that was the pattern I seemed to be stuck in. I talked with my partners after about 6mons of being gHSV1+ and we decided together that I should go on Valtrex. I hated the OB's and I hated not being able to have sex with my partners whenever I wanted to bc of the OB's. And we also hoped that the medication would help relieve the HSV1 oral I had (I get canker sores in my mouth; always have).

 

I started the Valtrex over the summer and to the best of my knowledge, I've been OB free, eversince. I can take 1 pill a day and live a pretty normal life while being gHSV1+..My life, turns out, wasnt over afterall. I am happier and I have come to terms with being gHSV1+. I read 1x that having gHSV1 was no different really than having HSV1 of the mouth..it's still just a skin condition..it's just that you get it most often from being sexually active with someone..and that really changed my negative viewpoints..nobody thinx much of you having oral herpes, ya kno. So to me, I applied the same thoughts to having gHSV1 and I said to myself: "Stop being silly about this. Stop wallowing in your own anger and depression. You have a skin condition. You're not dying. You just have to be careful and remember that it's contagious, is all. Take your meds and keep your doctor in the loop and everything will be ok." (I had really beaten myself up over the diagnosis, I needed to stop doin that)..

 

Eversince I had that tough talk with myself, life has been a lot better for me. I want to be involved with helping other ppl understand HSV1 and HSV2 since it's pretty common and I want to educate ppl instead of scaring them (honestly b4 I got my diagnosis, I didnt understand everything about HSV1 or HSV2, I was very miss-informed and pretty ignorant about things when it come to that STD, particularly, everything I thought I knew about it, I really had no clue!!) I've even thought about talkin with the health dept in my area and seeing if they can let me be involved with educating young ppl (heck, even older ppl) about the risks and such that comes to HSV1 and HSV2.

 

I have come a long way in the last yr..From sitting in my gyno's office, scared to death and crying bc I knew in my heart that I had HSV (I hadnt been told which strain at this point) and I just knew my life was over -- my marriage was over -- and that nobody would ever want me again. And now, 1 yr later, I'm ok. I'm living with it and my life really hasnt changed all that much tbh. I just take my medication and keep in the back of my mind that I do have gHSV1 and I shouldnt be ashamed of it. Infact, if ppl are talkin about STD's I'm pretty quick to tell them the facts about HSV. Soo I'm educating ppl, not wallowing in my own self-pity now and that's a gr8 place to be if ya ask me!! :)

 

P.S. Thank ya'll for your continued support and your vast knowledge. If not for this site, I dont kno where I wouldve turned (or been). I plan to stay a member of this site as long as ya'll will have me :P and I may not post often but I kno that if I am ever in need, I can come to ya'll and trust me, that helps a gr8 deal <3

[WCSDancer2010]

So glad to hear how well you are doing... and yes please, do help to pass on what you have learned... we need people like you to help us with educating others ... education is power ... and ignorance creates fear and stigma.

 

I'll add you to my list of people who want to help ... we have some things in the pipeline that we will likely need others to help us to get the info out to the public :)

 

(((HUGS)))