He asked a couple of questions about the outbreaks and how long I had dealt with it. Then he said, “We’ll deal with it together.”

I was diagnosed a year ago this month (Aug 2010). I cried daily and was depressed for months. Now in Aug 2011, I couldn’t be happier. I met someone in February (six months ago). We actually started talking on the phone in Dec before we met in Feb. He was the first person I dated after learning about my HSV. I was too devastated and scared and depressed to date. I wasn’t expecting the date to turn into anything…I was just thinking I’d get out of the house and try to be normal for at least one night, but we hit it off perfectly. A few dates later, our conversation got serious, and I felt like I needed to tell him. I got extremely nervous and just told him I had something I needed him to know. I was so afraid he’d run, be grossed out, mad, etc. I babbled for a while nervously before I finally got it out of my mouth. His response? “That’s it? That’s the big thing you needed me to know? Sweetheart, I’m interested in YOU. This doesn’t change anything about us.” He asked a couple of questions about the outbreaks and how long I had dealt with it. Then he said, “We’ll deal with it together.”

Six months have passed and we are totally in love with each other. I had my very first outbreak this week since I met him. He was so supportive. I cried and apologized for being “damaged goods” (in kind of a joking, yet not joking way) and he laughed. He said he was damaged goods! (Everyone has SOME imperfection, though I haven’t really figured out what his is other than he’s OCD about following the arrows painted on the ground in the Sam’s Club gas line. I like to drive in whichever way I feel like, and it makes him crazy! He says “without rules, there is chaos!”….so I now drive the direction of the arrows to make him happy! LOL) He told me he loves me, he doesn’t care about that, and to stop crying and being upset…he knows that stresses will make it worse. He wiped my tears and smiled and said, “Man up, Nancy! If you keep crying, you’ll be a wreck all day!” (because he knows me so well…if I ever start crying I AM a mess for the whole day!) And understand, this wasn’t an insensitive “Man up, Nancy” comment…it was him being funny (my name isn’t even Nancy) and him reassuring me that it makes no difference in our relationship.

Before this happened to me, I would have run away from someone that told me they had it. Obviously, no one gave me the opportunity to run. I am so thankful to have found someone DIFFERENT from me! I was falling for this guy before I told him, and I would have been heart-broken if he’d been like me (run away from the HSV person). Now I love him even more for loving me for who I am…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Comment originally published on the Honeycomb Herpes Support forums.