New Here...please Help!!! Do I have herpes or not???

[Konfucious]

Hello to all,

 

I am new in this site and looking for more than anything to just express myself. I was recently "diagnosed" with herpes. The doctors can't even emphasize if I have herpes 1 or 2, and honestly they couldn't actually verify I have herpes period.

 

This is my story. Please hear me out, I'm desperate, overboard with stress and have even considered suicide. If I'm even on this site right now is because my only reason to live is my child.

 

Back in April I felt discomfort in my vaginal area,I think it was on a Tuesday) I ignored it thinking it was a cut or something due to rough sex a couple nights before. The discomfort continued until I decided to take a look down there and noticed it was a weird sore looking thing at the end of my vagina and close to my rectum area...so of course I panicked and started googling what it could possibly be. I decided to see if it healed soon and let a couple more days go by. By now, it is Thurs, maybe Friday and I noticed another odd thing on my vagina which was like a pimply thing that I popped--that's when I began to freak out. By Sunday (5 days after noticing the initial sore) I decided to go to the ER, they took a look-no swab done, waited there for hours and they told me I had herpes and that I would have this for the rest of my life since there is no cure for it. They prescribed Acyclovir which I began taking on Monday, the following day.I felt absolutely lost. "Was this really happening to me?" I was told to follow up with my OBGYN, so I did and by Wednesday I had an appointment.

 

Wednesday at my OBGYN, the doctor looked at my injuries and said that that did not look like herpes to him and that my sores (only 2) did not look like something he would demonstrate to a health class as herpes AND they were healing too fast and not as a herpes sore heals. Keep in mind that at the ER I was tested for all other STDs and were negative. He told me he would do a blood test but that he did not at all think that it was herpes. They drew blood and off I went a bit more relieved.

 

Three weeks went by and I assumed that the test was negative since I didn't get a call (very unprofessional) by then I check my mailbox and see a letter stating I had a positive result on my blood test. Again, I felt like my heart dropped to my stomach. So I called the OBGYN and followed their instructions to get a second blood test. Thursday, almost 2 months later since the whole situation came about, I got blood drawn again and the doctors looked at my vaginal area since I told them I thought I had herpes lesions-which ended up being hair follicles/pimples. You can understand that I'm completely paranoid of anything that may appear in my vaginal area now.

 

This past week, my 2nd blood test came back positive again with a higher amount of antibodies indicating that my exposure couldn't been more recent according to the doctor.

 

Now to my sex history. Within the last year I have slept with 4 different men. 2 unprotected, 2 protected. I have always gotten tested every 3-6 months (little did I know they don't test for herpes). Last July I had protected sex and oral sex with my boyfriend at the time. Then in November I had unprotected sex with someone else-one time thing. No sex nothing until Januray of this year with my sons dad who I've been on and off with since 2011. Recently in April I had a one night stand protected sex, no oral sex, but the condom did break and immediately he pulled out. And 2 days/3 days later after that encounter that odd sore appeared. I am absolutely confused as to who I could have caught this from if I really do have this. My sons dad has been tested twice since I've informed him and twice he has came back negative. If it is from my recent one night stand can it be possible the antibodies show in the blood within a weeks timeframe??? I feel terribly guilty and confused. Please help! I would love some feedback.

 

PS. No other symptoms have raised. Physically I feel fine, but this news has been an emotional turmoil for me.

 

Very much appreciated!

[Konfucious]

I meant to write (*exposure could've**** been more recent )

[2Legit2Quit]

@KonfuciousKonfucious I developed fissures 3 days after exposure, that turned into ulcers that same night. I think it's likely from you one night stand.

 

Some people take longer to build antotthan others. Just the way your body is handling thevob, sounds like you may develop them very quickly... Good immune system.

[WCSDancer2010]

@Konfucious

 

I answered you here:

 

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/6526/do-i-have-herpes

This is what I wrote:

 

 

Please go to another Dr and get re-tested and get better advice. Your Dr is WAAAAAAAYYYYY off the mark here.

 

For one thing, you should have got a paper copy of your test results. I tell people you should ALWAYS get a paper copy of EVERY test result run on you for ANYTHING. This is part of your health history and Dr's don't keep everything forever any more and half the time they don't look at your history anyway so it's up to YOU to take responsibility for knowing your past results and reminding them of them when you go in for an exam.

 

Second, your test *should* differentiate between HSV1 and 2.

 

So forget what this Dr said .. there isn't anything he said that is accurate. Get thee to an OBGYN (if you are a female ...can't tell from your post) or Planned Parenthood and get a REAL test and REAL advice :)

 

You can come on here with your results if you have any more questions and we'll help you interpret them :)

 

((HUGS)))

 

Also, you don't mention whether they did IGM or IgG nor what the results numbers were ... but IgM is not reliable and IgG would not work for a recent (less than 3 months) exposure.

 

Now, odds are from what you wrote, you got it from this last encounter. But I would say get thee to another OBGYN and get some better advice and testing ... and come here when you get the results.

 

And finally, getting Herpes is NOT at ALL worth killing yourself over ... and certainly not worth leaving a bunch of bewildered children over ... if anything this is your chance to create the image that you would want your children to LEARN from.... show them (even if they don't know what is going on for you) how to rise above what life throws at you. And maybe when they are much older you can tell them your story (my daughters both know ... it was part of my "talk" so they would actually *listen* to me when we talked about STD's).

 

(((HUGS)))

 

[Konfucious]

Thank you so much for your reponse. I had a fear that when I posted this someone would confirm my doubts with these doctors I've been seen by aren't so reliable. Also, I did not mention that when I *assumed* everything was okay since I never got a call back regarding the results, I went back and resumed my sexual life with my sons dad. (I'm a woman btw) so when I finally opened my mail and discovered the positive test results I urged him to go get retested. (He went to get tested 3 days after I initially was visually diagnosed w/H at the ER. He went to get retested about 2 weeks ago and came back negative again.

 

This is why I'm extremely confused and untrustworthy of my results. What type of blood test should I request to have done? Also, since my most probable exposure was in April is it too recent to get a blood test?

 

•I'm confused as to how I got a positive antibody test 1 week after my potential exposure, (do antibodies show up that quickly?)

•If I am H+ why is my sons dad not positive as well if he has had sex with me after my potential exposure?

 

PS: my OBGYN did not provide any specifics as to what type of test he performed on me or numbers or type specific, he said it really was irrelevant since both can cause either genital or oral.

 

Please shed some light based on your experience!

 

I immensely appreciate your response!!!!

[MMissouri]

You gave your sexual history for the past year but what about partners before that? There are instances where people carry this for years and don't know.

 

As for your antibody test, I would do what the others suggested and either ask for a copy of your results or get retested and request an IgG type specific test. That way you know which type and will have a confirmation on your status.

 

As for your sons dad, I think he's getting tested too soon. Usually it takes awhile for those antibodies to show up. (I think they recommend 3 or 4 months for an accurate result). AND something else to keep in mind, just because you have it doesn't mean he definitely will. He could very well be negative. Only time will tell.

[WCSDancer2010]

@Konfucious

 

Just tell your doctor that you want a paper copy of your IgG test - tell him you want to keep copies of all your health tests for your personal medical records.

 

If he won't give it to you, go to Planned Parenthood. Tell them you want to know which one you have because it DOES matter to know if a future partner has one and you have the other so you can try to protect each other from getting the other one ... and get a new OBGYN ... because you have a RIGHT to those test results. To be honest I'd get a new OBGYN anyway ... between them not calling you and not giving you your results, I'd say he's being horrendously unprofessional.

 

As far as the hubby, you could potentially carry this for quite some time and never pass it on .. Herpes is fickle that way ... if you are not shedding much and/or your partner just has a great immune system that could account for him not getting it. There are MANY discordant couples where the H- person never gets it ... just like you may have a family member who gets a cold and you'd think you were certain to get it and you don't.

 

And yes, you both have to retest at the 4 month point after your last interaction ...