Life With Herpes

[video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9ZeVNqSV9US3RPdw==[/video_player] Ask, Answer & Get The Facts About Herpes Welcome to episode 17 of Life With Herpes! This show is another terrific #AskAlexandra edition, dedicated to answering one question from a listener. Britney from Birmingham, Alabama wrote in to ask if the sores only appear on genitals. Terrific question Britney, thanks for sending it in. To hear the answer join me on episode 17 of Life With Herpes. More About Life With Herpes Again thanks to Britney from Birmingham for this question. She wants to know if the herpes sores only show up on genitals during an outbreak. I like this question because the answer is different than what I thought it was before I had herpes. Before I got herpes and was diagnosed, I thought the sores would only be on a man's penis and near the opening of the woman's vagina. Anywhere else I didn't think the sores would appear. Now I know differently. The short answer is no, the sores don't just show up on your genitals. To give you a longer answer let’s breakdown what the sores look like: you can have a single sore or you can have clusters of sores (a group of blisters). The sores are painful, some can be extremely painful. And they can get to the point of being filled with fluid. In men the sores can appear inside the penis (inside the urethra, the hole where a man urinates or ejaculates from). Sores can be on the penis, the scrotum, thighs, around the anus, groin and buttocks. So for men, genital herpes sores can show up anywhere in the genital region. For women these blisters can show up on the labia (the outer flaps/lips of the vagina), inside the vagina in the vaginal canal, on the groin, the thighs, buttocks and on the anus. It's not as common to have the sores inside the vaginal canal but it can happen. And because of oral sex it is possible to get genital herpes inside the mouth, on the lips and on the tongue. Again it's not very common, but it's possible. When it's inside the woman’s vaginal canal it can be very painful, it can inflame the cervix and it feels extremely uncomfortable. I assume the same is true for men when they have blisters inside their penis! If you think about evolution this all makes sense: the herpes virus wants to survive so while it prefers the genitals, it will also pop up around the genitals, too. Tweetable:  “The herpes virus wants to survive.” - Alexandra Harbushka   Which gets us into the big myth of condoms stopping the transmission of herpes. The sores are on other areas of the body and if that area comes into contact with another body they can be transmitted that way, even if you're using a condom on the man's penis. If he has a sore on other areas aside from his penis those sores can transmit the virus. Have questions of your own? If you want to send them to me go to LifeWithHerpes.com and scroll down to the bottom where you'll see the #AskAlexandra section and click on that. Fill out the Google form with your question. Remember you can remain anonymous if you want;. I only use your first name and your city, but if you want complete anonymity I will do that for you! Want to join the conversation about this or any other herpes-related topic? Join the secret Facebook group and continue chatting there, after you’ve listened to episode 17 of Life With Herpes.   Episode Resources

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit
• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Life With Herpes Podcast
016: #askalexandra Are Cold Sores, Fever Blisters, And Herpes The Same Thing?

 

Ask, Answer and Get The Facts About Herpes

 

Welcome to episode 16 of Life With Herpes, I’m excited to share this #askalexandra episode with you! These shows are your chance to have your question answered, and I love being able to interact with you directly so thanks for writing in!

Our question for episode 16 comes from Michaela in Houston. Thank you for reaching out with your question about whether cold sores, fever blisters and herpes are all the same thing. Join me for the answer on this edition of Life With Herpes!

 

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Are all of those names - fever blister, cold sore - the same thing as herpes? Yes they are one and the same. I personally believe the word herpes is a word people don’t want to use so instead we say cold sore or fever blister, but it's all the same thing.

 

It's really HSV-1, oral herpes and is generally in the mouth area but it can go to the genital region. Be cautious of that fact so you don't pass it on to yourself or anyone else.

 

But how common is it? Very common. Most people have HSV-1, it's estimated 2 out of 3 people in the US have it. However it's not considered an STD because it can be passed through social contact like using someone's cup, taking a bite of someone's food, just a quick hello kiss from a family member with an outbreak.

 

The reason we've called it a cold sore is because when we have an outbreak we might feel like we have a cold or we feel like we're coming down with some thing that could be a cold.

 

A fever blister is the same thing: we feel like we're coming down with something, our bodies are tired and fighting off some kind of infection. But for a lot of people they say fever blister because when they are in the sun and they don't use sunscreen or chapstick with sunscreen they will get an outbreak.

 

Personally I got HSV-1 when I was coming home from a date and my date kissed me when he had a cold sore. Two days later I had an outbreak and it was so bad I had to go to the hospital! I couldn't eat, sleep, or do anything because the outbreak was so severe.

And that pretty much sums up the answer to Michaela’s great question! If you want to be one of the cool kids like Michaela and submit your question go to the Life With Herpes web site and look for the #askalexandra link, click it and fill out the form. You can stay anonymous just check the box, otherwise I’ll only use your first name and your city when I air your question.

 

A big thank you to Michaela again for her question and thanks to you for joining me on another episode of Life With Herpes, see you next time.

Tweetable:  “2 out of 3 people in the US have oral herpes.” - Alexandra Harbushka

Episode Resources

• Life With Herpes website
• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Life With Herpes Podcast
015: You Are Not A Slut If You Have Herpes With Alexandra Harbushka

 

Philanderers, Hookers, & Sluts Are The Assumption

 

Welcome to episode 15 of Life With Herpes, thank you for being here! Today’s show is about a topic that has my blood boiling! It pisses me off and I was so riled up when I was researching and recording this show.

 

So what is the topic that has me so fired up? The idea that if you have herpes you must be a slut, a swinger, or a philanderer. Obviously that’s not true. But where did this rumor, this stigma start? I dig into the origin of this topic and why this myth is wrong, and what to do about it on episode 15 of Life With Herpes.

 

More About Life With Herpes

 

The first and foremost thing I have to say about this idea that you are a slut or a cheater or are “dirty” in some way because you have herpes is that it is bullshit. I mean who cares! Who cares who you slept with, why you slept with them, when you slept with them, how many partners you've had - who cares?! The virus doesn’t care!

 

But why does this idea persist? I think the reason these derogatory names are associated with herpes dates back to an article written by Time magazine in the early 1980s. The cover story proclaimed herpes as the new scarlet letter.

Now before this article came out herpes wasn't that big of a deal. But after it was published all of that changed - keep in mind that the drug companies needed to create a need for their drug. I mean herpes isn't life-threatening, it doesn't change anything. it's basically a skin disease, but the media created a whirlwind! And that whirlwind put people in a category and made them feel terrible for getting it.

 

Since then a stigma has been created about people with herpes, which as I said before is complete BS. The virus doesn't care who you slept with, when you slept with them, or how many people you slept with. It only cares about having a new host, and absolutely nothing else!

But this stigma has been thriving because of the idea that there’s something “wrong” with someone who has herpes, so that person needs to keep it a secret. When you get herpes you feel that stigma attached to you and you want to keep your diagnosis secret.

 

However if you stop and think about it any time we have sex there's a risk of pregnancy and there's always the risk of getting an STD of some sort whether it’s HIV, herpes, gonorrhea, etc. Even if you wait to have sex til your wedding night you can still get an STD if your partner has had sex with other people before you.

 

You could be a virgin and the first time you have sex you could catch herpes, if your partner has been with others before you. So it's not fair to call someone a slut for getting herpes or any other STD, you are not a slut if you get herpes.

 

I dug into this article a bit more and found a quote from a woman who was married and got herpes from her husband who cheated. Someone told her she'd never get married again because she has herpes! Can you believe that?! That’s complete nonsense and is a terrible thing to say to another person.

 

In fact, it’s that kind of attitude that perpetuates the stigma of herpes which makes fewer and fewer people want to talk about having it. And the more people with herpes keep silent the more it strengthens the stigma and allows the virus to continue to spread! It's a vicious cycle.

And that’s one of the reasons I have this podcast: to stop the stigma, to educate people and to help them educate their partner, their children and their loved ones on how to avoid getting it. I also want people to know you can still fall in love, get married, have children and have all of your dreams come true. Herpes does NOT make you a slut, a prostitute, a swinger, or brand you with a scarlet letter.

 

Now I want to hear from you - what do you think? Join our secret FB group and let me know your thoughts after you listen to episode 15 of Life With Herpes.

Tweetable:  “There is no reason to feel dirty, or shameful.” - Alexandra Harbushka

Episode Resources

• Life With Herpes website
• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Life With Herpes Podcast

Welcome to episode 14 of Life With Herpes, I’m excited to share this episode with you! This is another of my favorites, the #askalexandra show - it’s your chance to have your question answered. I love that we get to interact, it’s one of the reasons these episodes are my favorites.

Our question for episode 14 comes from Nick in St. Louis; he wants to know if you can give yourself herpes. Great question Nick! Ready to hear the answer? Join me for the answer on this edition of Life With Herpes.

 

More About Life With Herpes

 

The short answer to Nick’s question is yes you can give yourself herpes. As you know, the virus is spread from skin to skin contact, and it is also spread through semen, vaginal secretions and saliva. And it can be passed on without you having an outbreak.

 

But here’s how you can pass it to yourself: during an outbreak when you touch an open sore and then you touch another part of your body, you can spread it.

 

So you want to be sure you wash your hands immediately and thoroughly after touching any area where you have an outbreak and open sores. To be sure you are washing your hands thoroughly sing happy birthday in your head, it takes about 20 seconds to do so. Washing for 20 seconds with warm water and soap will kill the virus and stop you from spreading it.

Also, especially ladies, look at your nails and keep them clean. Be sure to wash underneath your nails when you wash your hands, and remove any dirt trapped under your fingernails.

 

But if you don’t wash thoroughly and you touch a sore and then touch another part of yourself, like your mouth or your inner thigh area, you can pass it to yourself. Or if you have an open cut and you have the herpes virus on your hands then you touch the sore you will pass it to that part of your body.

Obviously you can also pass it to someone else in this way. If you have an open sore and don't wash after you touch it then you shake someone else's hand you can pass it on to them through the skin to skin contact of your handshake.

So be conscientious about washing your hands when you have an outbreak, and clean your hands after touching any sores you have on your body.

Thanks to Nick for this great question! If you want to be like Nick and have your questions answered go to the Life With Herpes home page and look for the #askalexandra section, click on it and fill out the fields with your question! You can remain anonymous if you’d like, just let me know. Otherwise I’ll only use your first name and city like Nick in St. Louis!

 

Thanks for joining me on another episode of Life With Herpes, see you next time.

Tweetable:  “This virus has been around since man has walked the planet.” - Alexandra Harbushka

Episode Resources

• Life With Herpes website
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

 

Welcome to Life With Herpes, thanks for joining me! Today we’re talking about what happens when you visit the doctor, the dentist or the chiropractor, and you have to check the box for herpes.

 

I’ll be sharing my personal experiences doing so, what it was like for me emotionally and mentally the first few times I checked that box and why it’s important to do so. Join me to hear all about it on episode 13 of Life With Herpes.

 

More About Life With Herpes

 

Do you remember the first time you had to check the box on medical forms saying you have herpes? I remember mine. After my diagnosis and all that went along with it (from the shock to the anger to the worry), I didn't think I'd have to tell anyone else aside from past partners and my current partner.

 

Then I was in a fender bender, a minor accident. I went to the chiropractor after to get adjusted and recover faster. As I filled out the paperwork asking about medical conditions I saw herpes on the form. I kept thinking: do I check it? Do I not check it? My doctor is a friend so I was worried about him finding out, and whether he'd tell anyone. Even though doctors are sworn to confidentiality I still worried he would tell someone else.

 

However I'm a big believer in honesty so even though I considered not checking the box, I ultimately checked it. I was raised to be honest and I believe in telling the truth because it always comes out anyway. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a difficult decision!

 

The next time I had to check the herpes box was when I went to the dentist. My dentist always asks what medication I am on and if there have been any health changes since my last visit. Obviously I had both: I was on an anti-viral to stop outbreaks and I had a new medical condition of herpes.

 

But this is the dentist I have been going to since I was 7 so I remember having the same ping-pong match in my head that I had had at the chiropractor: Do I tell my dentist? Do I not tell them? How will it affect them if I don’t?

Ultimately I knew I had to tell them. You have to tell your health professionals about medications you are on so they can make sure you are safe, and it's important for them to know how to protect themselves and how to properly protect you from anything that might interfere with your medications or your well-being.

 

Now when I went to the optometrist it was my third time being asked so I was fine with checking that box. I had done it before and it was okay.

But I'm sharing all of this with you to let you know yes it's completely scary for you to tell people you have herpes! And doing so will bring up a lot of stories and emotions again - all because you are marking a little box. So remember that box is there for your protection and for the people who are caring for you.

 

Medical professionals are educated to assume everyone has herpes and or some other STD so don't worry about the judgment factor from them; just remember that question and that box is there for your benefit. Be sure to check the box!

 

I’d love to hear from you about your first time checking the herpes box: did you have the same thoughts and worries I had? How many times did you have to go through the experience before you stopped fretting over it? Let me know after you listen to episode 13 of Life With Herpes - and be sure to join our secret invitation-only Facebook group!

 

Tweetable:  “The truth will always come out.”- Alexandra Harbushka

Episode Resources

• Life With Herpes Website
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 Seldom Used But Incredibly Powerful Over The Counter Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s Essential Oils

Ask, Answer & Get The Facts About Herpes   [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9qMDRRblM0dlZmdw==[/video_player]   Welcome to episode 12 of Life With Herpes! It’s another of my favorites: it’s an #AskAlexandra show. I love these episodes because they give me a chance to connect with you directly, and chances are if you are wondering about something someone somewhere else is too!   Today’s question comes from Chris in Nashville, Tennessee. He wants to know if you can get herpes without having sex. Ready for the answer? Then join me for episode 12 of Life With Herpes!     More About Life With Herpes   A big thank you to Chris from Nashville for this question; I'm so glad he asked this. It's a widely-held myth to think you can only get herpes from having sex, you can get it without intercourse. I’ll explain why: the virus is passed through skin to skin contact.   It prefers moist, dark areas like your mouth, and your genital region but it's not picky! It wants to survive so if your inner thigh comes in contact with the virus you can get it. The truth is there are ways to pass it without having sex, as long as there is skin to skin contact the virus can be spread. Tweetable:  “The virus doesn’t care where it goes as long as it can survive!” - Alexandra Harbushka That's why we it’s important to use safe sex practices, even during foreplay. We've primarily been taught to use protection during sex but some STIs like herpes can be spread without intercourse taking place!   And this is true for HSV-1 - oral herpes (aka cold sores, fever blisters). HSV-1 is typically passed between family members like when Grandma is so excited to meet her new grandchild and gives the baby a kiss when she has a cold sore. Now she's passed oral herpes on to the baby.   Whether it’s HSV-1 (oral herpes) or HSV-2 (genital herpes) it’s important to take precautions to not spread it. When it comes to HSV-2 it is vital you talk to your partner and let them know you have the virus, and share with them how to avoid spreading it.   Again thank you to Chris for today’s question! If you want to send in your own question go to LifeWithHerpes.com and scroll down to the bottom where you'll see the #AskAlexandra section and click on that. Fill out the Google form with your question. Remember you can remain anonymous if you want;. I only use your first name and your city, but if you want complete anonymity I will do that for you!   Be sure to join the secret Facebook group and continue the conversation there, after you’ve listened to episode 12 of Life With Herpes.   Episode Resources  

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit
• Life With Herpes website
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

Herpes, Hookups, and Honesty   [video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9xZ3JLNlFOMUE5VQ==[/video_player]   Welcome to episode 11 of Life With Herpes, I’m happy you’ve joined me! Today we’re talking about how casual sex is a bit like catching a cold from someone. Not sure what I mean but you’re intrigued? Great! Then tune into today’s episode to hear my thoughts on this topic, and more. More About Life With Herpes The other day I was going to visit my friend and her newborn baby, but I had a sore throat. I realized she might not want her baby exposed to whatever germs were causing my sore throat and thought I should ask her before coming over, sore throat and all. Then it dawned on me: it’s the same with herpes. Not sure what I mean? I’ll explain my logic, follow along. For me when I found out I had herpes I was devastated, shocked, pissed off and hurt. The major reason I had all of those feelings? I got it from someone I trusted, and because I trusted him I believed I wouldn't get herpes. My belief at the time was that if you know someone you won't get herpes, you only get herpes from one night stands, and from casual sex. You don’t get the herpes virus from having sex with your committed partner. Obviously, that is 100% false - herpes doesn't care if you know the person or you don't! It's like the common cold. When it's cold season and you go into your office it's fair game for you to get it. You're going into a public setting with other people around, those people aren't going to tell you they have a cold. And they certainly aren't going to stay home because they have a cold - no one wants to use their sick days for actually being sick! Tweetable: “Herpes doesn’t care if you know the person, or you don’t!” - Alexandra Harbushka   It's not their due diligence to tell you they have a cold. Casual sex is the same way: when you just met someone and you don't know them, it's fair game at that point. But if you are invited to someone's house then it's your responsibility to tell them you have a cold or you are sick. Being in a relationship with someone is like being invited to someone’s house: you know them, you trust them so it is their responsibility to tell you they have herpes. They should talk to you about it before having sex. It’s their obligation to tell you they have herpes and what that means now that you’ve moved into the sexual intimacy phase of your relationship with them. This, of course, is in no way meant to excuse someone in a casual sex setting, anyone with herpes needs to tell their partners whether it's a casual sex setting or a committed relationship. Now I’d like to hear from you: what do you think? Join the super secret Facebook group and let me know after you listen to episode 12 of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• The Herpes Crisis Toolkit
• Life With Herpes website
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

[video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9oX3R1WG5ZWHA3dw==[/video_player] A Holistic Mind Body and Soul Approach to Herpes   Welcome to episode 10 of Life With Herpes, thank you for being here! On our show today we have the pleasure of speaking with my friend, Dr. Brandy McGill.   Dr. Brandy is a California-licensed naturopathic doctor who believes in treating the patient as a whole and getting to the root cause of their issues, rather than simply addressing the symptoms.   Today we’ll be talking about her recommendations for living with the herpes virus, including her top tips for daily life. Join us on episode 10 of Life With Herpes.   More About Life With Herpes   Dr. Brandy McGill received her naturopathic doctorate and Master’s in Nutrition (summa cum laude) from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. Prior to that she earned her Bachelor's degree in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee.   Armed with that knowledge and a compassionate, holistic approach to health, Dr. Brandy helps her patients through holistic therapies. She uses a combination of therapies including clinical nutrition, vitamins & minerals, botanical, homeopathy, mind & body medicine. Today she has a private practice in San Diego specializing in women’s issues, hormone balancing, thyroid issues, herpes and digestion.   I asked Dr. Brandy to be on the show today to talk about how she works with her patients who have herpes. But before we could dig into that, she explained the two herpes viruses. Oral herpes is HSV-1 and genital herpes is HSV-2. At its core, herpes (either 1 or 2) is a recurring viral infection that can be passed through the skin and mucous membrane.   When she sees a patient who has the virus, she tries to get to the root of why they are having outbreaks. She has found it is usually about keeping the immune system healthy so she recommends extra immune support, and changing the person’s diet (such as removing sugar and possibly switching to a vegetarian diet). She also adds supplements that help the immune system and ones that help fight the virus too.   If there are recurring outbreaks it is usually immune system-related. Any kind of stress can cause an outbreak from emotional stress, physical stress, trauma, illness, even pregnancy can cause an outbreak, pregnancy is stressful for the body.   According to Dr. Brandy, the more stressed you are and the weaker your immune system is the more likely it is you will have an outbreak. The opposite is also true: the stronger your immune system the less often you will have an episode. So keeping your immune system strong is key. Tweetable:  “It boils down to keeping your immune system healthy.” - Dr. Brandy McGill While some people have told me they are grateful for having the virus because it helps them know when to take extra care of their bodies, there are still the basics of living with it that must be handled.   So I asked Dr. Brandy for her top recommendations for living with the virus. She recommends reducing stress, meditating more, cutting out sugar, alcohol and processed foods. You can also increase your Vitamin C, your green, yellow and orange vegetables. And if you do have an outbreak apply ice cubes to the area for 60 to 90 seconds to decrease the pain and inflammation.   She goes on to say diet is a huge factor in recurring outbreaks and our overall health. Py attention to any food sensitivities you have and avoid those triggers. You also will want to get your gut and digestion as healthy as possible, your gut health is linked to your immune system’s health, too.   Today we discuss what valacyclovir (the anti-viral drug) does for the body, what removing sugar also does for the body, and why peanuts are a bad trigger for outbreaks! Join us for all of that, and more on episode 10 of Life With Herpes.           Episode Resources

• Dr. Brandy McGill’s website
• Dr. Brandy McGill on Facebook
• Dr. Brandy McGill on Instagram
• Life With Herpes website
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

[video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS91dGl0M1E5LUMydw==[/video_player] Ask, Answer & Get The Facts     Welcome to episode 9 of Life With Herpes, I’m excited to share this episode with you! This is another of my favorites, the #askalexandra show where you write in with a question and I answer it.Our question for today’s episode comes from Rachel in New Orleans, Louisiana. She wants to know who is more likely to get herpes: men or women? It’s a great question, thank you Rachel! Check out episode 9 of Life with Herpes to hear the answer, and to find out how you can send in your questions, too.   More About Life With Herpes   When I got Rachel’s question for today’s show I did a little research to come up with the answer. And according to CNN, women are more likely to get herpes. It seems females are more susceptible to contracting the virus than men are. 25% of women and 20% of men have herpes, which is 1 out of 5 women and 1 out of 6 men.   So why is that?   First, consider that men and women have different genitals, this is pretty obvious! So looking and thinking of men and women from an anatomical perspective will help. Consider this scenario: if a man has an outbreak on his penis and he uses a latex condom with a woman chances are she will not be exposed to herpes.   But if a man has an outbreak on his scrotum and he uses a condom his outbreak area is still exposed and the woman can contract it even if he's using a condom.   Women, in general, are much more exposed during sex and can come into contact with anything, including the herpes virus, much easier than men can. Tweetable:  “Women are more susceptible to contracting the herpes virus.” - Alexandra Harbushka Another point worth noting is something I’ve read in different articles about women and their pubic hair. When women get Brazilian waxes or they shave their public hair off they lose an extra layer of protection. Pubic hair acts as a buffer so when that is gone women are even more exposed and at risk of contracting something through skin to skin contact.   I’m sharing all of this because knowing facts and information can help you avoid passing it on, whether you are male or female. Thanks for asking Rachel, great question and a great opportunity to share more knowledge and protect ourselves.   To get more facts like this, and support join our super secret Facebook group. No one will ever know you are in the group, I've made sure you are safe and protected. Go the Life With Herpes website and you’ll find details on how to join us.Also on the Life With Herpes website is a link to sending in your own questions for episodes like this one. Head over to LifeWithHerpes.com and scroll down to the bottom where you'll see the #AskAlexandra section and click on that link. Fill out the Google form with your question(s).   And remember to let me know if you want to be completely anonymous, I only use your first name and city on these shows but you can be totally anonymous if you’d like! Thanks for joining me on another episode of Life With Herpes. Episode Resources

• Life With Herpes website
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 OTC Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s essential oils

[video_player type="youtube" style="1" dimensions="560x315" width="560" height="315" align="center" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" ipad_color="black"]aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS84MGFTLWlOQWk5MA==[/video_player]   Learning about a whole new world and how you and your herpes fit into it.   Welcome to Life With Herpes, I’m so glad you are here! Today we’re talking about being prepared for outbreaks and why it’s like what women go through with their monthly cycles. Gentlemen bear with me, this is relevant to you, too!On episode 8 of Life with Herpes I’ll share the whys and hows of preparing for outbreaks, plus some simple ways to take care of yourself before, during and after an outbreak. Join me to dig into those topics and more on today’s edition of Life With Herpes.   More About Life With Herpes   I had this thought when I was in the shower recently (because that’s where I do my best thinking): an outbreak is like getting your period. I was remembering what it was like to have the puberty talk and to hear what it would be like to start my period.   I realized it was kind of like when you get herpes - once you get passed the angry, the why me and all of those feelings - you realize your life has changed. You now have to prepare for outbreaks, to know what to do to take care of yourself before, during, and after. Just like a woman, you have to track your cycles and be aware of your body and talk to your partner about what is happening with your body and your herpes virus.   And if you're on an anti-viral you now have to take pills and remember to take them daily or even twice a day, depending on the prescription you have. Some women have to take the pill every day to keep their menstrual cycle regular, and others take it for birth control. You also have to be prepared if you are sexually active, you must use a condom every single time you have sex whether you have an outbreak or not. Tweetable:  “Your life has changed: you have to be prepared for an outbreak.” - Alexandra Harbushka Once you have the herpes virus you'll learn more about your body then you knew before you had it. You may find some foods cause outbreaks: some people have told me that whenever they eat peanuts or peanut butter they get an outbreak within a matter of hours! For me, I know every time I travel internationally I get an outbreak. It’s the stress and the lack of sleep that goes along with travel that triggers my outbreaks - both things that trigger outbreaks for a lot of people so you’ll need to watch your stress levels and be sure you are resting and sleeping properly too. These are all things you'll need to know and to be prepared for. I stay prepared by always carrying essential oils with me, I rub tea tree oil on the minute I feel an outbreak may be starting. Tea tree oil is something I’ve learned helps so I am always prepared.   But being prepared is something you can only do when you have gone through the initial shock/anger/sadness phase. If you are in that space and are feeling pissed off, scared, confused, etc the first thing to know is that it's natural to feel what you are feeling and completely understandable. The next thing to know is something I created called a crisis toolkit. This is what I wish I had had when I was diagnosed, that’s why I have created it for you. If you want to know more about it go to my home page here after you listen to episode 8 of Life With Herpes.   Episode Resources

• Life With Herpes website
• Join The Life With Herpes Facebook community
• 9 Seldom Used But Incredibly Powerful Over The Counter Herpes Remedies
• Check out the Life With Herpes Facebook page
• DoTerra’s Essential oils