I'm still alive and kickin' and read everything which other folks write in the comments section and try to respond to each of them. Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts. This morning, a comment came across my email and I read this post which I hadn't read in a very long time and got reinspired all over again by my own dang words. So a thank you to the commenter for bringing this topic back for me to read.

Every opportunity that I get to mention herpes to health care professionals, I do it now, because it amazes me how little some of these "Dr's" really know or understand about herpes. Many of them are still not even able to "look at it" and say to themselves "looks like herpes" and run a test for confirmation. Each time I "tell" it continues to give me more and more strength and I tell them too "it's JUST a virus" and they all agree and are amazed by my attitude. Mind you, I also tell them that yes, I do tell when I need to (except when I'm dreaming -lol-)

I'm currently 49 years old and still have never been married, but I have other issues which have gotten in the way (being overweight) and I believe that in the past, I used my being overweight to protect me from having to "tell" and no one showed any interest and I wasn't ready to deal with it quite yet anyway. I haven't given up hope, still want to spend the rest of my life with that "some man special" and have taken steps to improve my weight (have lost 134 lbs in the past year), so eventually, I'll be reposting again as my life journey, living with herpes continues. I'm anxious and excited, but as long as I hold onto my beliefs, I'll be OK and I'll still be able to hold my head high.

I agree, the stigma which surrounds herpes is definitely the downer. Big time!!

Hang in there folks. You'll be just fine. Fortunately, I can be proud, knowing that I have raised a very strong young man all on my own as a single mother. That alone gives me so much pride. I've paid for my life, all on my own, without the help of a man, but yet, I still miss the hell out of having that someone special in my life...

All in good time :-)