Been tested 5 times...need help with results

I'm going to give you all the facts of my case.  Hopefully you can help me understand what is going on.  Throughout the entire time since exposure I have had redness on the glans (glands), skin cracking on the glans (glands), and have had 3 distinct episodes of shooting pain down the back of one leg all the way to the calf followed by a burning sensation in the genital region.  I also had flu like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes with what I assumed was my true primary.  No real blisters were noticeable, however, I have had several tiny pimples (not clustered) on my thighs and on my back just above the butt (right about where the SGR is).  

11/12/2011 - My alleged giver has unprotected sex with a male
11/19/2011 - I have unprotected sex with my alleged giver (didn't know about her previous encounter)
11/21/2011 - Two days later I have burning urination
11/22/2011 - Get Tested for Chlamydia, Gonorhea, and Syphilis - and given Zithromax antibiotic as a precaution, assuming its chlamydia - All tests came back negative on 11/26
11/25/2011 - Antibiotics have given no relief.  
11/26/2011 - Call my giver to ask if she has anything. she started having symptoms on 11/25 (nothing before) and went to the clinic.  Gets positive swab for HSV 2.
11/27/2011 - I'm in Mexico on vacation, so able to easily buy acyclovir and start taking it.  Burning urination gone in two days.
12/08/2011 - (19 days post exposure) Get first type specific Igg antibody test - result is .07 for type 1 and .48 for type 2 (test is run through SED Medical Laboratories.  I called SED and they said they send there herpes tests to Quest Diagnostics, so I'm assuming that this is the HerpeSelect)
12/13/2011 - (24 days post exposure) 2nd test through my primary doctor.  Test is run through Quest Diagnostics, so only get a range.  I am less than .9 for type 1 and 2
12/28/2011 - (39 days post exposure) - 3rd test -  directly through Quest Diagnostics.  Less than .9 for type 1 and 2
01/09/2012 - (51 days post exposure) 4th test results - Type 1 - .04 & Type 2 - .52
02/06/2012 - (11 weeks and 2 days post exposure) This is my 5th test - Results for type 1 - .05 and for type 2 - .35

Below are my questions:
1) Do the antibody counts hold any weight at all?  They are all in the negative range and have even gone down slightly with my last test.  I have to believe that they do mean something.  I am clearly negative for type 1 with AB counts in the .04-.07 range.  The fact that my type 2 ranges from .35 to .52 is an indicator to me that I will eventually serconvert.  Are these antibody counts my acually antibodies or a comparison to a positive sample?

2) If I am experiencing a slow seroconversion, does this mean anything as far as how many recurrences to expect?

3) In all of my research, I cannot find any other condition that would be causing the clear symptoms I am having.  Is there anything that could be causing these symptoms that may not be herpes?  Possibly a male yeast infection?  I cleary have something that was caused by this sexual encounter.  I am not an alarmist or a paranoid type of person.  These symptoms are not just in my head.

Thanks you for the help.

[gracefromHHP]

your symptoms sound more like a fungal infection than they do herpes.  at this point I wouldn't bother with any more blood testing for herpes. I also wouldn't take any more acyclovir either.  Be seen by a dermatologist for a further evaluation.

grace

[Intheclub]

I wish I could agree with you Grace, but my symptoms and the circumstances are best explained by a herpes infection.  I don't see how a fungal infection could cause flu-like symptoms, burning urination, and muscle and body aches.  Also, my giver did not have a yeast infection.  I think I am just seroconverting slowly.  I also think that the acyclovir I took is causing me to convert a little more slowly.  I have heard 4 and 6 months as times to have a definitive no.  What is your take on this?  And can you elaborate on what type of fungal infection it could possibly be?  I have scoured the internet and have not found anything to match my symptoms.  

[gracefromHHP]

don't underestimate what a fungal infection can do to you.  red and cracking skin is classic for fungus. be seen and follow up on this properly.

really, just because it shows up after sex, doesn't mean it's herpes.

[Intheclub]

I have asked Terri Warren to comment on my situation.  She agrees that my AB counts are higher than what a truly negative person would see and that there is a good chance I could be seroconverting.  You can read my exchange with her in the doctor forums.  Hopefully this can help when you are helping others with their situtations.  I will keep everyone up to date on my future tests.  I fully expect a positive result soon.  

[Intheclub]

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Herpes/Been-tested-5-timesmany-questions-remain/show/1680368

Grace,

I'm still negative at 13 weeks, but am still having symptoms.  What are the odds that I'm actually negative?

Terri Warren mentions in the post above that my negative AB counts actually do matter.

[Crcssll]

You are negative accept it and be happy! I had the same problems and i had a yeast infection which can happen in men. If you are so sure your positive get a western blot!

[Intheclub]

Just to update this thread.  I did test positive at week 15 for type 2.  1.24.  I know this is a "low positive", but its still a positive, and my symptoms, minus lesions, are all tell tale herpes simplex.  I will not be re-testing and will try to continue a normal life, if that is possible.

[jts40]

Are you not concerned that it could be a false positive?

[Intheclub]

No, I'm not.  Fever, malaise, muscle aches, burning urination, redness of genital skin, skin cracking.....that all got better with antivirals, then all came back a couple of weeks later.  I wish I were an alarmist, or hypochondriac type of person, but I'm the opposite of that.  I'm NEVER sick.  I know when my body is telling me something, and the blood tests have confirmed.  I used to joke around about being depressed when my favorite sports team lost or any number of random things, but now I know what depression really feels like for the first time.  I know it will get better, but this really hurts.

[jts40]

I'm just curious. When you mention the redness, was it raw like skin or just red? If you read some of my post, I had similar symptoms and havent had any lesions either. Were your inguinal lymph nodes swollen? How long did your fever last? I never had any skin cracking but I did seem to have more wrinkling going on.

[bobrope45]

terri will advise you on the matter. most probably she'll tell you that this a low positive and that it needs to be confirmed - otherwise you might spend money and time thinking this is something when it might not be. you'd hate to think you have herpes when you actually don't.

your symptoms were not typical, meaning that you should not assume anything unless you have a positive culture or a definite blood test result.

once you get the confirmatory test, let us know how it went.