probably overreacting

[ncguy]

Two weeks ago I received an "erotic massage" in a hotel room.  The only skin to skin contact was with her hand, however, I'm converned that I may have caught something from the bedspread while I was laying down naked. About 3 days after I noticed a slight discoloration on the tip of my penis, and the same day had a STD panel test done (all results came back negative).  However, the spot is still there, and I have mild discomfort in my genitals that comes and goes.  I'm pretty sure it's stress, but the spot worries me.  I was planning to get another panel test in a couple weeks (after a month). If they all come back negative, am I in the clear?

Thank you so much.

[auntiejessi]

Awww thanks.  That's cute.

Aj

[ncguy]

Not to sound too Orwellian, but it appears as though some could use lesser than others.  ;-)  You seem to have it figured out.  I'm still getting things sorted out so my viscera catches up with my intellect.

Thanks again.  You're a good [wo]man, Charlie Brown.  :-)

[auntiejessi]

Back at ya.  We could all use less melodrama.  :)

Aj

[ncguy]

You did.  You're a saint, really.  It's just a guilty conscience, I'm sure.  :-)

Happy Holidays.  Here's to a less melodramatic new year.

[auntiejessi]

Herpes doesn't go from the genitals to the mouth as easily as it does the other way around, and it rarely affects the roof of the mouth, or even the corners.  There is something called cheilitis that affects the corners a lot more than herpes.

She also wouldn't have gotten symptoms nearly that fast.

And besides - you couldn't have gotten an std from what you did.  Honestly.  

I wish I could find something to say to you to get you to believe me and move on from this.  

Aj

[ncguy]

Thanks.  I hope you had a good Christmas.  I'm off the cliff (really), but I wanted to hear you tell me so one more time if you'd be so kind.  :-)  My girlfriend just got back from the doctor because of a sore throat, etc. (roof of the mouth and at the side where the lips meet -- doesn't appear to be a cold sore). Evidently she'd been bothered since Christmas Eve in the late afternoon, which is significant because she briefly gave me oral sex that morning (with no orgasm and only for 30-60 sec in the shower).  The first question the doctor asked was "did you have unprotected oral sex with someone who has genital herpes?"

Now, I know I don't have any symptoms (sores), and you've convinced me that there's no way I could have contracted this a month or two ago (though I'm still waiting for 12 weeks just because I'm OCD like that).  But I need to hear that there's a perfectly reasonable explanation (food irritation is what the doc suggested and probably if something happened that morning, she'd not have symptoms the same evening, right?).  Anyway, the guilt now is immeasurably worse than when I just thought I'd messed myself up.

Hope you're doing well.  I'm going to watch a movie and be distracted.  Thank you much.

:-)

Happy Holidays.

[auntiejessi]

Oh I'm happy to hear that you are feeling better.  :)

And Merry Christmas to you, too.

Aj

[ncguy]

Well, I think the eye stuff is taken care of. It took a few weeks, but the worst was definitely the first week or so.  And since the antibiotic with steroid didn't make things go absolutely nuts, it's safe to say it wasn't anything serious.  Once again, you were right.  Thanks, and Merry Christmas.

[auntiejessi]

You have it in both eyes?  Nope, not likely to be herpes at all.

Aj

[ncguy]

PPS -- Reason #5 that this is probably not HSV... and this is just a wild-@$$ guess, but it makes sense to me.  I suspect it'd be very difficult for a virus to "move" or "reproduce" from one eye to the other.  The mechanism of their commandeering your genetic soup to reproduce (and the phenomenon of recurrent sores in the same spots all the time) seems to point to a virus staking out a location and sticking to it.  Bacteria, on the other hand, seem more likely to get into the other eye... then again, I'm not a doctor -- and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express either.

[auntiejessi]

Oh good point.  I'll be looking for those from now on.  :)

[ncguy]

PS -- yeah, off the ledge. You can tell because I'm listing the reasons why things will be OK instead of how they're falling apart.

[auntiejessi]

If I knew the meaning of life, I'd be rich.  :)

Good luck on Friday, and let me know what happens.

Aj

[ncguy]

Wow! Cross-posting.  That's kinda fun.  Thanks for the information.  I talked with a friend who had herpes in his eye about 20 years ago.  Evidently, the opthamologist ought to be able to see virus/non-virus when he does the dyed slit lamp.  (Somehow the virus picks up the dye but other stuff doesn't.)  That he didn't say "virus" a few days ago either means that it was so early that he couldn't tell (which seems unlikely since I felt something that prompted me to go in) or it wasn't a virus.  Either way, if it's a virus, he should be able to tell no problem on Friday.

Thanks again for all the help.  Do you do other questions?  For example, I've always wanted to know the meaning of life... any thoughts there?  :-)

[auntiejessi]

2b - Yes, I'd say its virtually impossible.

Yes, it sounds right.

Sure you aren't on the ledge?

[ncguy]

Follow-up:

(2b) Based on the phenomenon of the virus traveling along the nerve to the eye (and on other similar stories of, e.g., kids who get herpes in their eyes after having it on their face/mouth), is it safe to say that it'd be almost impossible to get herpes in your eye without already having it in your body?  In other words, if you believe the docs and the nice folks here who talk guys like me off the ledge, there's zero chance of HSV from a handjob and a towel (and more and more, I'm getting on board with the logic there, and further encouraged by no lesions).  In that case, my panel result from a few weeks ago says I'm negative for HSV-1 and HSV-2... so there'd be no herpes to travel up into the eye.  Sound right?  :-)

[auntiejessi]

If its getting worse, I'd stop using the drops.  You might be having a reaction to them.

1 - I have no idea.  I'd guess low, as ocular herpes is rare.

2 - Its possible, in theory, but unlikely.  I'd guess you'd have to touch an outbreak, and then immediately touch your eye.  I've not heard of anyone doing this.

Your doc should be able to get a sample of the secretions and find out what it is.

AJ

[ncguy]

Still off the ledge.  Logic is still winning out.  But the eye stuff is getting worse.  I can't see the opthamologist until Friday.  :-(

From what I've read, the condition can be caused by pretty much anything (bacteria, virus, dry eyes, UV... the list seems to go on forever).  The doc gave me a sample of some eye drops that contain a steroid (which I just read googling should not be used for viral infections)... so perhaps the drops are making it worse and indicating viral infection, or perhaps it was going to get worse on its own.

My questions are these (and it's for confirmation because logic has me off the ledge): even if we stipulate the HSV-1 vs. HSV-2 thing making it unlikely that it's HSV (and I realize that this is not your area of expertise, but I've had no luck getting stuff through internet searches):

(1) What fraction of viral infections of the eyes are HSV?

(2) Is it possible to get the HSV into your eye via contaminated hands?  (My guess is no since you evidently can't really infect, say genitals with HSV that you've touched with your hands; and furthermore you mentioned the virus moving up the nerve into the eye.)

Thanks again... (and, really, I'm off the ledge.  I'm just a bit bummed I can't enjoy solid ground with this eye irritation.)

[auntiejessi]

LOL ummm not shooting the messenger?

I'll take it.

Aj

[ncguy]

Ick... a sore *on* the eye?  Ouch!  In that case, I suppose it'd be obvious to someone looking at it to at least see if the tear stuff ought to be tested.

Good news... again.  What's the opposite of shooting the messenger?  That's what I ought to do for you.  :-)

[auntiejessi]

The test for ocular herpes is usually done on a sample of tears or any eye discharge you might have.

I'd doubt its caused by herpes though.  That would usually cause a sore.  

Aj

[ncguy]

PS -- for what it's worth... off the ledge for now.  :-)

[ncguy]

I didn't ask the opthamologist to look for herpes (as logically, it still seems unlikely I have it, despite my irrational fear based on anything with the word "incurable" after it).  But he got in there with some drops and some colored lights and was looking at it.  He did some sort of "scan" running the light back and forth and having me look in various directions as he did.

He described the condition as some sort of mild irritation (which I surmised based on the -itis) and suggested it may have been UV exposure.  I haven't been outside any more than usual, but perhaps it was driving for 6 hours coming home from Thanksgiving with no sunglasses because it was overcast.  Who knows?

Is there a specific test or is it more like looking at it and seeing something that's distinctly herpetic (is that a word?) like lesions would be in other places?

Again, thanks.  :-)

[auntiejessi]

LOL Glad you got to use the line, and better that you use it on me, than on some poor girl you are breaking up with or something.  ;)

Did your opthamologist give you any idea of what he thinks caused the keratitis?

The blood tests can take 4 months, but if you had herpes in your eye, that would be visible on the specific test they do once you got it in your eye.

And yw, yw, yw.

Aj