Diagnosed yesterday morning and looking for a bit of advice

[lolonicole]

Hi, I'm 18 and was diagnosed with HSV-2 yesterday. I'm not upset or angry about it at all, just kind of surprised. I acknowledge that it's something a lot of people live with and can be very manageable.

 

My biggest frustration is that my first outbreak is atrocious. I'm a freshman in college and it has prevented me from going to classes both yesterday and all of today because my right labia is swollen about 3 times the normal size and I can't walk without pain. Especially if I attempt to wear anything other than extremely loose sweats, and it still hurts so badly that I am limping horribly. I can't take baths because I live in the dorms, and have two roommates so my time in the bathroom is already limited. I'm obviously keeping my diagnosis a secret from them because they are both very conservative young women and would be terrified if I told them.

 

I am on a prescribed pill that I take 3 times a day as well as numbing ointment. This helps, but really only when I'm laying down. Walking is still excruciating. I wasn't stressed out by my diagnosis, but missing classes because I can't walk across campus has me stressed.

 

I'm also concerned about my boyfriend. My gyno believes that I contracted HSV-2 from his HSV-1 (cold sores) when he performed oral sex on me last week. I never even knew he got cold sores, so when I called to tell him that I had contracted GH, he was absolutely devastated. In fact, he's coping far worse than I am. He feels absolutely awful and keeps saying it's "his fault" even though it's nobody's fault. He has struggled majorly with depression in the past and I can tell that this has him depressed.

 

How long do you think my first outbreak will last without me being able to have any personal time or ability to bathe? I can't continue to miss classes. And does anyone have any idea what I can say to my boyfriend to make him feel better? I've tried everything.

 

Thanks so much.

[MMissouri]

First of all, you can't get HSV2 from HSV1. Two completely different strains of the same virus. It sounds as if your gyno is misinformed, or something got lost in translation. Did she specifically say you have HSV2 or are you assuming that because it's genital? HSV1 can be genital and can be caused by oral with someone that has cold sores. I just wanted to clarify that genital does not always mean HSV2, because what you posted makes no sense.

 

Your boyfriend needs to get a herpes type specific IgG test. It's a blood test that will answer whether or not he has HSV1 or HSV2. He may be an asymptomatic carrier. However, if you've had partners before him, it's possible that you may have been carrying it yourself and just didn't know. I'm a big believer in having test results in hand before assuming anything.

 

As for the symptoms, search the threads. WCSDancer2010 (I believe thats the right screen name) has put a ton of information on things you can do to ease the pain, etc.

[optimist]

@lolonicole Did the doctor takes swabs and then get back to you with a diagnosis of HSV2? Or did she make the diagnosis strictly visually? I ask because it sounds like there was some miscommunication around how this was transmitted to you. HSV1 doesn't change into HSV2 when it is transmitted from mouth to genitals. It remains HSV1 but in the genital area.

[MMissouri]

I didn't think of a visual diagnosis. Hmm.. that would make a little more sense. But I agree, something wasn't communicated well.

[Katidid]

@lolonicole that's correct you can't get hvs2 from hvs1. It sounds like you showed symptoms pretry quickly. I've always wondered about the incubation period stats. They seem all over the place. I think I would suggest bf to get tested so you know what you are dealing with for sure, but hopefully you can keep your positive attitude and have a beautiful life!