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greenstormThere are a lot of things that can reduce me to tears, I'll be the first to admit that. Mostly, though, they're not unhappy tears - I might be upset, but on some level I'm usually enjoying it. Today, though--
--well, here's the situation. I've always got these sores in my mouth, once or twice a year, when I'm stressed. It goes as far back as I remember. When I first started dating Juggler and Mouse, I got one, and the possibility of herpes came to my attention for the first time. They were like, 'is that herpes, and if it is you know it's transmissible?' So I was pretty upset about that, and did a lot of research. At that time, I came to the conclusion that what I got was canker sores (imagine a link to google images: canker sore here) and not herpes sores (imagine a link to google images: herpes mouth here) because of info on the medical sites I'd looked at, as well as the images.
I never did go in to get tested, because herpes I testing (to be reliable to some degree) requires an open sore, and I don't have those often.
This week, during the move, I got another sore. Today, Chris did some research on herpes (we'd been discussing its transmissibility in talking about our safe-sex polyamory stuff) and got scared. He was like, hey, what about that sore you have? And so I went in to the doctor, more to my mind for reassurance (because I still stick to one set of medical symptoms and not the other) than because I was scared, but I did have the sore and so why not?
I get in to the first doctor. He doesn't even look at it. I ask for a herpes swab test. He says, 'you've given me your medical history, it's herpes, don't share cups with people, here's a prescription'. I say, could you do a test, please. He says, 'I was at a conference today where there was a doctor who took 45 minutes taking the medical history of patients and with that he didn't have to spend much time examining them. We don't like to waste resources at this clinic, we're going to get lots of specialists here in time, but we'll only do that when the nasty patients go elsewhere. People who come in here demanding this and that, they're nasty patients and we say, go elsewhere.' At this point I was almost in tears - I've been told I have a very transmittable disease, he said he was one hundred percent sure, but he wouldn't even look at it, let alone do the test that can only be done when I have the sore. So, I leave with the prescription and immediately go to the clinic down the block.
(To you Americans, isn't medicare wonderful?)
I don't get the prescription. I wait for an hour or so for the doctor, because this clinic, unlike the other, was crowded. I go in to see the doctor, who comes up to me and takes a look at it. This doctor says 'it's just a canker sore, you can tell by where it is, inside the mouth on the fleshy parts. Herpes is on the lips'. I say, can you do a test anyhow?
The doctor does the swab test. I'll have my results in two weeks. He says, if you get any more, come in and we'll take it off with silver nitrate, it'll hurt but be gone quickly.
I say thank you, and go grocery shopping, which is a calming thing to do on commercial drive.
The whole thing made me so angry. Two dignoses in the space of two hours, one without the guy willing to do the test to back up his opinion, being called a nasty patient for wanting proof, being diagnosed without the thing being looked at, being upset at thinking I'm gonna have to deal with this (yes, common, but) very contagious thing and then the sudden reversal by the second doctor... jeeze. Tough day. I am not happy with doctors, given that and last summer together. Not happy. And my best doctors are always in very busy walk-in clinics.
Plus side: my furniture's all moved into final spots in my room. Mom's going in for citizenship tomorrow, to be sworn in as a Canadian. My own citizenship application's being mailed to me, and I can send out for it without needing more paperwork than I currently own. My brother loves me. I have good snack food (mixed bean sprouts from the store, not mung bean but the kind that come in plastic packages, they're good). I get to spend time with a bunch of wonderful guys. It's seed-starting time.
T'care, y'all. :)
--well, here's the situation. I've always got these sores in my mouth, once or twice a year, when I'm stressed. It goes as far back as I remember. When I first started dating Juggler and Mouse, I got one, and the possibility of herpes came to my attention for the first time. They were like, 'is that herpes, and if it is you know it's transmissible?' So I was pretty upset about that, and did a lot of research. At that time, I came to the conclusion that what I got was canker sores (imagine a link to google images: canker sore here) and not herpes sores (imagine a link to google images: herpes mouth here) because of info on the medical sites I'd looked at, as well as the images.
I never did go in to get tested, because herpes I testing (to be reliable to some degree) requires an open sore, and I don't have those often.
This week, during the move, I got another sore. Today, Chris did some research on herpes (we'd been discussing its transmissibility in talking about our safe-sex polyamory stuff) and got scared. He was like, hey, what about that sore you have? And so I went in to the doctor, more to my mind for reassurance (because I still stick to one set of medical symptoms and not the other) than because I was scared, but I did have the sore and so why not?
I get in to the first doctor. He doesn't even look at it. I ask for a herpes swab test. He says, 'you've given me your medical history, it's herpes, don't share cups with people, here's a prescription'. I say, could you do a test, please. He says, 'I was at a conference today where there was a doctor who took 45 minutes taking the medical history of patients and with that he didn't have to spend much time examining them. We don't like to waste resources at this clinic, we're going to get lots of specialists here in time, but we'll only do that when the nasty patients go elsewhere. People who come in here demanding this and that, they're nasty patients and we say, go elsewhere.' At this point I was almost in tears - I've been told I have a very transmittable disease, he said he was one hundred percent sure, but he wouldn't even look at it, let alone do the test that can only be done when I have the sore. So, I leave with the prescription and immediately go to the clinic down the block.
(To you Americans, isn't medicare wonderful?)
I don't get the prescription. I wait for an hour or so for the doctor, because this clinic, unlike the other, was crowded. I go in to see the doctor, who comes up to me and takes a look at it. This doctor says 'it's just a canker sore, you can tell by where it is, inside the mouth on the fleshy parts. Herpes is on the lips'. I say, can you do a test anyhow?
The doctor does the swab test. I'll have my results in two weeks. He says, if you get any more, come in and we'll take it off with silver nitrate, it'll hurt but be gone quickly.
I say thank you, and go grocery shopping, which is a calming thing to do on commercial drive.
The whole thing made me so angry. Two dignoses in the space of two hours, one without the guy willing to do the test to back up his opinion, being called a nasty patient for wanting proof, being diagnosed without the thing being looked at, being upset at thinking I'm gonna have to deal with this (yes, common, but) very contagious thing and then the sudden reversal by the second doctor... jeeze. Tough day. I am not happy with doctors, given that and last summer together. Not happy. And my best doctors are always in very busy walk-in clinics.
Plus side: my furniture's all moved into final spots in my room. Mom's going in for citizenship tomorrow, to be sworn in as a Canadian. My own citizenship application's being mailed to me, and I can send out for it without needing more paperwork than I currently own. My brother loves me. I have good snack food (mixed bean sprouts from the store, not mung bean but the kind that come in plastic packages, they're good). I get to spend time with a bunch of wonderful guys. It's seed-starting time.
T'care, y'all. :)
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no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 04:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 04:58 am (UTC)*hug*
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 05:01 am (UTC)I wish I had his job. What med school?
on a more serious note, just be glad you didn't go there for something serious. Its scary. What if you were really sick and he told you to go home and keep warm and drink fluids but inactuality you had cancer????!
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 05:11 am (UTC)Just swish salt water around you mouth, focusing on the area. Dont use listerine! IT BURNS ARRG.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 05:57 am (UTC)Here's the thing with oral herpes tho: most people have it (including me) and a lot of people don't have outbreaks. I get cold sores ever so often, and yes, it's nasty and highly transmissable. The only safer-sex concern one has is to not perform oral sex on people (which can give them genital herpes, ouch) when you're having an outbreak.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 06:22 am (UTC)First it was the flu, which is probably what is started out as. Then, by the same doctor, it was migranes, no testing given. Then, to another clinic, a recomended one (very very stupidly busy), to get tests to find out I have Mono.
You just have to find the right doctor, a good one, when dealing with clinics. They are few and far between.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 03:14 pm (UTC)Long-winded essay from personal experience
Date: 2005-03-03 09:25 am (UTC)I was complaining earlier today about the Western approach to medicine. Physicals tend to treat you like a broken machine instead of a person. I have often found that doctors don't like patients who ask questions about their illness, and want to comprehend what's going on in the body so they can self-manage it. I've often wished I could afford to go to bonifide holistic physicians with real MDs in addition to 'traditional' doctors. I hate the Western fast-food approach to medicine. "NEXT PATIENT, PLEASE!"
Anyway, enough about me. It sounds to me like you definately have canker sores. I get both canker sores and herpes 1 on my lips, which doesn't make me an expert by any means. My canker sores are typically tiny white puffy dots with redness around them. They appear on the inside of the lip, cheek and tongue, and are really sensitive to certain foods. For the love of God, stay away from pineapples!!! Unless you're an extreme masochist. :) Acidic foods are generally bad.
Herpes sores, as Tillie said, show up on the lips or directly around them. Or sometimes around the nose. They generally start as translucent or white blister-like thingies, and then become red and inflamed and sometimes crusty as they heal. I know, ewwwww.
Canker sores can be treated with various medicines. You can put gel-type stuff on then or use a special mouth rinse. However, doing so hurts like a motherfucker, and it doesn't give a great deal of help to some - well, not me anyway. Staying away from certain foods and not putting certain things in your mouth can help.
If you do have herpes or ever get herpes, don't kiss your partner and NEVER give head. BTW, you can transmit it from mouth-to-mouth by kissing. As well, try not to touch children. Children are highly susceptible to the herpes virus. The virus can be transmitted through touch, as in someone touching your herpes sore or the area around it. It can live on skin and fabric for up to 72 hours. So, if a kid touched your sore and then touched their face or nether regions, they're pretty darned susceptible to getting the illness. And it's nigh impossible to keep small kids from touching your face. Herpes 1 and 2 can be treated with acyclovir, valcyclovir or valtrex. You take the medicaiton every day, and it prevents outbreaks, or if you do get an outbreak, it helps you heal quicker. I know this because I take valcyclovir, and as long as I don't skip too many doses, I don't get cold sores. (Side note: I'm not highly contagious to all the vanpoly folks out there! The meds keep it under control, but I have to stay on it permanently due to having a weak immune system due to arthritis and being on a whack of immuno-suppressants.)
So, if you have or get herpes 1, which doesn't seem likely in your case, avoid touching the sore, or letting other people touch the sore. Wash your hands a LOT! Don't touch your genitals without washing hands first. Be extremely careful about sex with your partner, or abstain altogether if you're really nervous. Go on a proper medication, and the virus will stay dormant.
And if it ever is a concern for you, maybe going to a gynecologist or STD clinic might be a good option. They tend to be pretty knowledgable about this stuff. My gyno is great! I asked her if my herpes 1 could be accidentally transmitted to my genitals via touch, and her response was: if it hasn't by now, it more than likely won't, ever. Isn't that great?
I hope all this info sets your mind at ease. Good luck!
Re: Long-winded essay from personal experience
Date: 2005-03-03 03:10 pm (UTC)I pretty much know this info, also that canker sores can be burnt out with silver nitrate (hurts, but they're gone in a day) if you go into the clinic with them. Hadn't thought about transmitting it to your -own- genitals, yeow! But yeah, the transmissibility issues are mostly why I want a good, solid diagnosis with the test.
From what I understand, the swab test on the sore is the only way to be sure, that's why I went to a close-by clinic -- the STD centre has wonderful, wonderful people in it, but the two-week wait to get in would mean the sore cleared up before I could go in.
The medication info is good too.
Man, I can't imagine getting canker sores plus something else. Ow, ow, ow!
The number of people who don't understand the way transmission works (the kissing thing, that it will transmit a little before and after each outbreak as well as when there's actually a visible sore, etc) or who don't care if they transmit it orally to other people via kissing makes me really nervous!
Re: Long-winded essay from personal experience
Date: 2005-03-03 03:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-03 09:25 pm (UTC)I don't tend to get vaginal yeast infections much, the canker sore is sort of my stress response.