To ask for your positive herpes stories (merrrrry Christmas to me)

[ChristmasGutPunch]

I have worried I might have been exposed by arsehole ex for a while but pushed it to back of my mind.

On Wednesday things felt a bit weird down there but I assumed it was my leggings. By Thursday there were numerous bumps. A bit like ingrown hairs but... Too many.

It hurts a bit but only like normal dermatitis. I can't see a doctor until next week but I just know what it is.

Google/Reddit have taken me into a spiral of despair. People with constant outbreaks even when on antiviral regimens. Pills five times a day. Christ.

Can anyone reassure me that it might be ok and something I can just manage?

To be honest the symptoms are fine at the moment (assuming this is as bad as it gets) but my new partner is immunocompromised and I think basically this is going to fuck our relationship. I'll take the antivirals long term but I don't think it's enough to protect him completely.

Worst Christmas in my 45 years on this earth.

It's a long time ago now OP, but mine took weeks to clear and for me to feel 'right' - the lovely lady at the GUM clinic said that might be the case as it's such a delicate area of skin that's had a trauma, and of course the vagina is so sensitive to disruption anyway, so additional problems during the initial healing are not uncommon.
I got BV directly after which I'm sure was connected, but I thought it was all part of the same thing so I struggled with it for ages stupidly - don't be afraid to go back and ask for a check if you are still getting symptoms, it may have triggered a PH imbalance etc which can be treatable. I also found the nerve tingling quite strong, but that feeling was half at the next time, then half again, then I barely felt it at all after that (more of a tickling)
Traumatised is right - I don't think I fully appreciated how much it affected me at the time, but it does get easier.
How's your lifestyle otherwise - eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, any other immune system stuff you can work in? Helpful to focus on stuff like that I think sometimes, speaking as a fellow anxious person - gave me a bit of control back (I definitely never gave up booze though, although for my health in general I try to avoid drinking several times in a single week as I think it lowers my bodies resistance to bugs, infections etc)

I'm so glad you came back OP and I'm even more glad things are getting better.
Thanks for the all the lovely things you said about GUM people, we don't get a lot of that and it means a lot.

I am absolutely sure your patients will be grateful forever for the things you've done for them @GaslitlikeaVictorianparlour I kept thinking about how Jesus was kind to the lepers when no one else would go near them (I am not at all religious but this has been an extreme experience!!).

Thanks vv much for sharing your experiences @Foxblue the nerve pain is maddening and it's a relief it might not be as bad again. I am usually in pretty good health but have felt too sick to go to the gym since this began. Should make an effort to get back into it a bit. I do have an apothecary's worth of herbal remedies and supplements. Unsure if any are working but like you say it's nice to have a sense of control!