.my.story.

by Jane
(Sa, TX)

I was out one thursday night with the girls at a bar having a couple of drinks. I was having a great time, untill I woke up the next morning with no memory of what hapend in a strangers house. I didn't know exactly what hapend after the bar but I had a feeling. I drove home as quick as I could. The first thing I did when I got home was take an extremley hot shower, scrubing my body like I hadn't showered in months. I felt so dirty, like as if no matter how many times I washed my body it wasn't enough. One thing I noticed was odd was that when I urinated it burned, so being that i'm a military dependent I called my primary care provider on base to set up an acute appointment to get an STD check. I ended up going that day, my doctor had me do a urin sample & pap smear. At that point in time I wasn't aware of the herpes. Being that I was scared, embarassed and ashamed I informed the doctor that if I did have anything it was from my partner. Not directly informing her of the situation that really occured. That friday before I left the doctor told me she'd call me if any of the test cultures came back positive. I left with the symptoms of "urinary track infection". The following friday after comming home from work around 10:30pm I felt like I was getting the flu which I had 2 weeks prior. I took a cold shower. As I dried my hair my body began aching. I checked my temperature which was 101.9 I found the situation odd so I drove to the ER at base. I was discharged with having chlmydia. Over that weekend I noticed sores appearing around my vaginal area, and I didn't really think much of it untill I read my discharge papers where it stated - "RETURN TO THE ER IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS:
- PAINFUL SORES AROUND THE VAGINAL AREA
- SWOLEN GLANDS IN THE GROIN AREA"
I returned to the ER that monday because of the unbearable pain I had from the vaginal sores & the swolen glands. It wasn't getting better. I litterally felt like dying everytime I had to urinate. I tried so hard to cry everytime I had to urniate, infact prior to returning to the ER that monday I refused to drink anything because I was dreading the visit to the restroom. When I took showers i'd cry because of the pain. Upon arival the ER sall me right away because of the amount of pain I was in as well as my symptoms, & after I had been seen the doctor & his nurse came to the conclusion that I had herpes and ontop of that I also had a Bartholin Cyst in my left labia. The procedure to drain the cyst was very painful. I was embarassed to tell the ER doctor what really happend, but I did. I cried because I was ashamed. She understood completley, & at the same time tried her best to comfort me.


One night that was supposed to be like every other night out, turned into something horrible. Something I have to live the rest of my life with. Not knowing the person who gave me this virus.
Every six months i get checked for STD's, & the last time I was checked was September of 2009, which I had came out clean. I had no sexual intercourse with any one from that period untill that thursday night. Some may say that i'm stupid for putting my self in such situation, however it could have happend to anyone. & I AM PROUD TO SAY that I did take matters into my own hands to take care of myself after the fact. I didn't wait.