You Rock, Let's Be Friends

Amber / 20yrs / College Student / Makeup Dork / HSV2+ / Wannabe Health Nut A blog about my life, I guess?

[lets-staypositive]

Hey, it's been a few years.

It's easy to slip away from herplr when life is good. You come to terms with your diagnosis on some level, and slowly stop checking the blog. It's not an uncommon occurance around here. That's what happened to me. I was with my partner who transmitted it me, and life was good. Everyday got easier. Eventually the outbreaks slowed down, herpes became such a small part of my life I didn't really even think about it. Fast forward a couple of years later. I'm no longer with my partner. We just weren't right for each other, and have been split up for over a year now. And it was fine. I was ready to be alone, grow on my own. Herpes was still not on my mind. I was happy. But it got lonely. Someone I briefly knew from high school messaged me. We went to coffee. We went to dinner. It was great, I was happy to be around someone again. And then he kissed me. Suddenly I wasn't okay with my herpes anymore. I felt that crippling fear I did back when I was first diagnosed. The stigma, the shame, the pain came crashing over me. He wasn't going to want me. I'll be rejected, not because of me, but because of this. I was angry. I was scared. Maybe I could just not say anything. Maybe I could pretend I didn't know. But I couldn't. I told him, over text, too afraid of his reaction. It didn't go well. It was a "shock" and "disappointment" because he was really starting to like me and was hoping to take it somewhere more serious. He said he needed to sleep on it. I didn't sleep. I went to work at 5:30 in the morning instead of 9:00. I took breaks to cry in my car. I tracked my mom down at work because I needed someone to tell me I'd be okay. She brought me dinner, wine, and flowers that night. I fucking love her. And then he messaged me. "So I've been thinking about this and doing some research. I have a lot of questions." I answered everything with blunt honesty. When was I diagnosed? Had I transmitted it to anyone? Did I take suppressive meds? Can we do oral? How does this work if we do decide to do this? What is it like for you? "Is it worth it for me to risk herpes for life when we might not last?" I don't know. That's not my decision to make. I didn't have that choice. You have to decide for yourself. He decided it was worth it to try. It's only been a couple of weeks. Maybe he'll change his mind. Maybe he'll disappear on me. But it gives me hope that it won't scare everyone away so easily. That someone out there will see past the bullshit, and just want me. I'm not okay with my herpes. But I'm not going to let that stop me.

[lunettecup]

Use COUPON CODE “aug05off” at checkout to receive $5 off and free shipping in the US only at www.store.lunette.com (Expires 5/31!)

[lets-staypositive]

Question about this: I have a menstrual cup and I love it but I switched back to Nuvaring a few months ago, does anyone have any experience with wearing both a menstrual cup and the Nuvaring at the same time? I could get it to work but I got tired of having to dig around my vagina making sure everything was in proper position all the time. I’ve gone back to cotton pads because it’s just been easier for me but would love to go back to the cup.

[unfriendlyhsvhottie]

People are hyped. I don’t blame them — I, too, may have been excited a few years ago. That was before I contracted genital herpes.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the STI-detecting (conceptual) condom, SO I WROTE THIS ARTICLE! & I’m pretty proud of it. 

CHECK.IT.OUT.

[lets-staypositive]

And of course the comments section has some idiots. -sigh-

[thisisnotasexstory]

HONESTLY

HSV isn’t even really a significant part of my life anymore.

2 years ago this was something I tried to kill myself twice over. Now it just makes me chuckle.    

Where does the time go.

[foryoursexualinformation]

Lawmaker Opposes Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Because IUDs Stop a 'Small Child From Implanting'

Citing inaccurate science, a leading Colorado lawmaker is signaling he’ll oppose providing funds for a state program that, during a five-year privately-supported test phase, reduced teen pregnancies by 40 percent.

Wow. Woooooow.

[lets-staypositive]

This argument always makes me laugh. The estimates around fertilized eggs naturally not implanting in the uterus hover around 25%-50%. Whether or not an IUD prevents implantation, it happens anyway. Apparently the female body is just a natural death machine for “small children”.

[lets-staypositive]

working in the drive-thru

me: and would you like a hot wheels or barbie toy with that, ma'am?

woman: uh... it's for a boy.

me: okay congratulations

me: do you want a hot wheels or barbie toy

woman: i want a boy toy please

me: haha dont we all

woman:

me:

me: so do you want a hot wheels or barbie toy you have to choose

[tristanjohnson]

Man watches his wife and child leave as he’s awaiting deportation.

[skankinevenwhenitwasntcool]

No human being is illegal

[incaseyuhnevaknow]

Funny how passports and borders didn’t exist when white people were invading the rest of the goddamn world…

[yoglitterbitch-deactivated20150]

mic drop

[lets-staypositive]

LAND, n. A part of the earth's surface, considered as property. The theory that land is property subject to private ownership and control is the foundation of modern society, and is eminently worthy of the superstructure. Carried to its logical conclusion, it means that some have the right to prevent others from living; for the right to own implies the right exclusively to occupy; and in fact laws of trespass are enacted wherever property in land is recognized. It follows that if the whole area of terra firma is owned by A, B and C, there will be no place for D, E, F and G to be born, or, born as trespassers, to exist.

[speleogay]

My herpes outbreaks are really triggered by my periods and after I went off depo I had a month long period. Got an outbreak about two weeks into that and I’ve had one since (this was in January). I don’t think they’re the same one. I had it on lock a hot minute ago and my sores were almost healed...

[lets-staypositive]

I went through this SAME transition starting in December. I got off depo, started the long process of spotting as my body adjusted, and had to deal with the herp the ENTIRE time.

Here’s my herpes survival kit:

witch hazel

lemon balm (I use this salve, but extract has worked for me as well)

baby powder

GENTLE baby wipes or a hot wash cloth

ice packs

acetaminophen

Every time I went to the bathroom, got out of the shower, or just had a massive itch fest, I pull these items out. I’d clean up with a baby wipe/wash cloth first, just to have a clean canvas. If you’re fresh out of the shower totally skip this step. I’d carefully apply witch hazel with a cotton ball to the infected area. DEFINITELY AVOID getting this near your vaginal opening, vulva only (it’s antibacterial, so you can develop a yeast infection if you aren’t careful)! This can really sting, so if that is too much feel free to skip it. I use it to keep the lesions from getting yucky and infected when I moving and sweating a lot. 

The next two steps are the more important ones that have really kept me sane during any OB. Once your outbreak spot is clean, apply the lemon balm directly to it until it is either rubbed in or completely dries. Extract can sting so be careful if that’s your weapon of choice (and once again vulva only, extracts can contain alcohol in them!!). THEN IT’S BABY POWDER TIME. Powder it up like there is no tomorrow! I use cornstarch based unscented ones for my vulva, less likely to have irritation. The powder keeps moisture at bay, helping dry out blisters and lesions. If you’re spotting and using pads during this time, this makes your life 1000000000x better.

Get your panties on, pop some acetaminophen, and grab an ice pack to sit on. I generally like to use ibuprofen but it gets processed by the kidneys, so if you are already using antivirals you can really stress them. Acetaminophen is processed by the liver, it spreads the work around your body stressing it less. Just a general tip for using multiple medications.

Keep in mind, I did this process 4-5 times a DAY. But it kept my OBs to minimal areas for shorter periods of time which allowed for the occasional sexy time. It honestly turned into a pampering routine after awhile, I started to enjoy the process of taking care of my body.

I hope you feel better soon, I know how terrible the post depo transition can be, it felt like it was never going to end, and I personally turned into a emotional wreck for a month or so. Just remember you will adjust! Good luck, and I hope this was helpful.

[hsvswag-deactivated20170402]

Ugh. Herpes came up with me and my bff. She kept saying that its disgusting and how bad it is... I have ghsv1 and I tried I really tried to be like please its nothing really but she was so adamant it was bad so I gave up... I really want to tell her but now... It made me feel shit even tho I've only ever had one OB and had it for a year today... Any advice?

Wow, what a little shit.

Ultimately, you have a few options. You can never bring it up and keep being her friend, in which case good luck with that because it’s always going to make you feel like crap and that’s not what you need in life. You can not hang out with her at all, which is legit because she did NOT show you a good side. Or, mature option number three, you can be super brave and do the following:

Sit her down and say I need to talk to you about something. You said xyz about herpes, and frankly that hurt me and disappointed me because I have GHSV. I realize you couldn’t have known that, but it still made me feel bad about myself and disrespected.

If she doesn’t apologize, which is what a real friend would do, might be a good idea to tell her to go fuck herself.

[lets-staypositive]

I've had the best experience just straight up telling people that I have herpes when they start talking shit. No one has ever expected it, so it shuts them down really fast. "I'm your friend, you think I'm cool, and I have herpes. Could it really be that bad?"

I know that's a difficult thing for so many people, and I wish it didn't have to be that way. Ugh. People are so shitty sometimes.

[fuckyeahsexpositivity]

I am 18 years old and tried to make an appointment with a gynecologist for the first time. I was told that gynecological exams are not available for anyone under the age of 21. Is that normal?

That seems odd to me. I mean, they generally recommend you start regular gynecological exams at 21, but I’ve never heard of restricting them to people over 21. I don’t understand why that would be, especially because some people might need an exam but aren’t 21 yet.

Since I don’t know why your doctor’s office said that, I can’t explain why? I wouldn’t worry too much about it (it’s not imperative that you go to a gynecologist before you’re 21), unless you have a specific problem that your regular doctor can’t handle, in which case you can ask your normal doctor for a referral.

—BB

[lets-staypositive]

I had a slightly similar experience when I scheduled my first OB/GYN appointment. It was scheduled as a well woman's and birth control consultation. They still gave me the birth control consult, but they didn't do a full well women's exam stating I didn't need to start until I was 21.

They didn't exactly refuse me service, but they didn't give me a normal check up either (excluded exam with speculum, pap smear, breast exam). But I did get a more thorough exam when I went in for STD testing. So it depends on your reason for going I suppose.

[thereputationera]

Rachel Semigran, Bustle

[hashbrownswift]

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE COVER EVER I THINK.

[survivingtoseethebeauty]

just casually reblogging this for the 48929294929th time

[taylorswiftville]

They have her in exactly the same pose as the men, and with an equally serious headline. This is my favorite magazine cover ever.

[stuffmomnevertoldyou]

gender in the magazine aisle: exhibit TaySwif

[imaginarycircus]

I’m not sure the millennial generation has the patience to watch twelve, thirteen episodes of an hour-long show—even a half-hour show.

Ynon Kreiz, the president of Maker Studios (The New Yorker)

I am really incredibly sorry for the dumb shit adults say, kids.

(via imaginarycircus)

not only can we do it but we’ll do it in one 24 hour period

(via alltheladiesyouhate)

Here’s the thing I find really funny (and by funny I mean pathetic) about this assumption that younger, digital-savvy generations today have no attention span. The thing is, yes, we will tune into a thing for five minutes and then flip away to another channel. We will turn to our phones for entertainment during commercial breaks and if we’re not interested in what we’re looking at we’ll go look at something else. This might be interpreted as a short attention span.

The thing is, what we have right now is what a lot of us and the generations before us didn’t have: a metric fuck-ton of choices. Sure, there’s a growing market for short, self-contained forms of entertainment: short stories and webisodes and other types of serialized fiction that you can consume in small doses, while you’re on your lunch break or taking your morning train. And that’s great. I love that stuff. Again, it gives you another choice, tailor-made with modern life in mind (but not exactly new, either; plenty of popular fiction used to be serialized in magazines and newspapers).

But if creators and network executives are looking at their audience and deciding that the audience isn’t paying attention to what they’re producing because “these kids today and their attention spans,” I’ve got a news flash for them: you’re not losing their attention because they’re not capable of giving it to you. You’re losing their attention because what you’re producing isn’t good enough and they’ve got better more interesting things to do with their time. They’ve got options. You want to capture their attention? Step up your fucking game and produce something that isn’t fucking garbage.

(via captain-snark)

I watched nine seasons of The Office in two weeks... LMFAO.

[thisisnotasexstory]

When I'm single nobody wants me

But all of a sudden, everyone’s trying to holla when I’m finally in a committed relationship. And not even attractive douchebags looking for a one night stand, but cute nice men who seem to actually have good intentions.

Where were all these people when I wanted them?

Theory:   This relationship has made me a better, happier person now. Since I believe we do indeed attract what we put out into the Universe, I am attracting all things good…which just so happens to include men. 

[lets-staypositive]

We need to name this phenomenon, because it's the weirdest experience! You are alone and miserable, then suddenly you start seeing someone and there is suddenly a line of guys ready to date. WHERE WERE YOU?

[tumblingdoe]

January 1, 2015  My first vlog entry on a  personal channel I call DoeEyes.

[lets-staypositive]

SO EXCITED

[micdotcom]

Women’s products cost more than men’s — and the French have had enough

It costs more to be a woman than a man.

It’s an infuriating and relatively unnoticed fact: Not only do women earn less than men, all around the world, they are essentially being “taxed” for their purchases. 

Sometimes called the “invisible,” “pink” or “woman” tax, this capitalism-induced phenomenon reflects the price difference between otherwise functionally identical products marketed to women as opposed to men.

Unlike in the United States, however, France has decided to do something about it. | Follow micdotcom

[lets-staypositive]

It's getting to the point to where there is so much misunderstanding and just plain ignorance on my facebook wall that instead of replying to each one with a rebuttal, I just do the quick research I need to justify my position and move on without replying.

I'd rather crush them face to face anyway.

It's going to be a GREAT Christmas  >:)

[lets-staypositive]

Saw this at Dillard's Outlet. Made me giggle, this is totally Herpblr in a nutshell!