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I contracted genital herpes in January of 2007. I always thought that i wasn't ever going to get anything. I had a very hard time that winter. I left my boyfriend and gave up all of my independence, and moved back in with mom. I went to a clinic to get my medications, and talked to a woman there. She had genital herpes also. She told me a story and it lighted up my life. It was about a clam with a grain of sand in it. The grain of sand irritates it and the clam secretes a mucus that covers the grain of sand and makes it a pearl. She told the sand was like my herpes. It is a thing that i could turn into something good. During December of 2007, i enrolled into college. Im getting my MA, then im going to work on gettin my RN. I also want to study micro biology, and hopefully, find a cure. I also would like to tell this story to other people in hope that it may help them like it did me.
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Add a Comment5 Comments
aperlstephens1987,
You've found a cure, just by sharing your story. You are not only helping yourself by opening your heart and your personal health issue. Look how your health situation has reshaped your life. Talk about turning things around..WOW! You are such a great example of taking something that isn't great and turning into something so positive. My grandmother used to say, from lemon to lemonade.
My bet is on you, to for find the medical cure for genital herpes. In the meantime, you seem to have the emotional cure figured out.
Thank you for sharing this story. This is what the site is for. To share, inspire, help, share resources and validate women and their health.
Be well,
Michelle
April 20, 2008 - 7:27pmThis Comment
Hi, aperlstephens1987,
I'm so glad you shared your story because this issue is such a big one, but unfortunately not many are willing to come out and talk about it like you are.
I have a really close friend who contracted genital herpes when she had sex her very first time while she was in college. She was on the pill at the time and thought she was "safe," but she was only focusing on the pregnancy issue, not on the possibility of getting an STD. She was devastated, needless to say, but, like you, she turned around her experience and became very involved on campus in educating people about STD's. She volunteered for Planned Parenthood and I'm sure she helped others avoid getting genital herpes.
You're awesome to bring light to this very important issue on EmpowHer -- I love your grain of sand story!
Kristin Park
April 19, 2008 - 3:58pmhttp://ppdsurvivor.blogspot.com
This Comment
One of the things that i hope to accomplish in my future is to open the subject of stds. Its been closed off for way to long. Most of the people who have it dont even know it. I think that if more people talked, and things got discussed people would learn a lot. Thank you for your comment also.
April 21, 2008 - 10:04pmThis Comment
aperlstephens1987,
One message I hear often is our illness can turn into something great, like a new life mission and aperlstephens1987 that's such a healthy way of looking at it.
I'm so proud of your ability to flip the negative into a positive.
What is it about nursing that interests you?
Please tell...
-Todd
April 19, 2008 - 7:35amThis Comment
I am intrested in nursing because it gives me the oppertunity to work with others. I want to be able to share my story in the hope that it will help someone who was in my place before. And thankyou.
April 19, 2008 - 7:00pmThis Comment