whitlow possible?

[sleeplessworried]

Ok so recently i've had quite a few ques about my herpes. So 2 years ago I had an itch on my privates, I kept scratching it, then noticed an OB bump on my privates, anyway within 6 hours or so I had two bumps on my finger,Could i have autoinoculated my finger? Would it show up so soon? Anyway I went to the derm who didn't think it was worth a culture(it was 3 days later) I kept them covered all the time with a band aid- Could that have been the reason they didn't become blisters and crust over they just disappeared after 2 weeks.

Anyway 2 years later I have another bump on my thumb(totally different hand) it's red, it's  not  painful, it just looks like a red bump i have it covered up with a band-aid (because I have two little children) I am wearing socks on my hands. I can't get to the doctor because i am away on vacation. Does herpes of the hands show up as one pimple or bump with no pain? Does all this sound like herpes of the hands? Ok I am terrified I thought I put all this past me two years ago,now I don't hold my childrens hands or let them touch me and if they touch my hands by accident i make them run and wash their hands, I won't even fold their underwear or touch their clothes. Please help me with some answers.

Also when all this happened two years ago i was take an immunosupressive medicine for another skin condition,
All the responses I can get will truly help me in this crazy time, I was even  thinking of leaving my husband and giving him the kids so they wouldn't be in any danger. Please help I am really scared.

[KaiteHope]

I am sorry you are dealing with this, it doesn't sound like typical whitlow but with herpes you never know. I suffer from constant oral breakouts and know what it feel like to not be able to touch your kids. I have thought about checking out of this life so I wouldn't endanger my husband and kids anymore. It is a constant drain on me and I wish someone would find a cure. I hope you get it figured out, find a doctor to test it for you. At least you'll know one way or another.

[sleeplessworried]

thakx for your kind words!!

[sleeplessworried]

please any input would really help!

[sleeplessworried]

bump

[sleeplessworried]

Really if anyone could give me some comforting words or opinion i haven't heard anything yet.
Also about autoinculation i was reading some of the doc's posts to people saying thye cannot spread herpes to another site of the body but obviously people can because there is proof of whitlow even on these forums

[gracefromHHP]

At this point you are just guessing. Even though you are on vacation, I encourage you to go to a clinic or an ER and have these looked at. Since you are concerned about whitlow, ask them to culture and type it if they think it looks like whitlow.  You have a history of other skin issues so proper medical evaluation is the best course of action even though it's a pain to be seen when not at home. Obviously the thought of whitlow has taken over your life enough that you need to be aggressive in finding out what this is while it's going on.

Socks over your hands is overboard. Just a bandaid over the rash is all you need to do. No need to stop holding hands with your children or touching them either but if you do have whitlow, wearing disposable gloves while changing diapers when you have active symptoms is probably a good idea to err on the side of caution. No need for gloves when you aren't having active symptoms - the skin on the hands is too thick for the virus to penetrate to the surface without active symptoms.

grace

[sleeplessworried]

Thank you Grace, You are right this has become an obsession and has taken over my life. I thought after 7 years gh i was on the safe side from autoinnoculation. Plus i thought whitlow was really painful ordeal. Anyway if you feel that you can say any more words of comfort I am all ears. I am definitly aware that you are not a therapist buut some words of comfort would really help. Thank you once again.

[sleeplessworried]

one last thing, if i had autoinoculated myself would symptms show up on my hands so soon(6-7 hours) Also if it were whitlow can i prepare sandwiches for my family and cook or should i wear gloves for that too. Also would it spread to my other hand and would i always have to wear gloves while changing diapers or only when i have a ob?

Thanks Grace and please bear with me, I know you are compassionate from the work you and just reading your previous posts.

[sleeplessworried]

I'm sorry i keep remembering things to add on, this thing on my thumb (which is 3 days old now and as big as a dot) was never painul at all there was no pain or streaks and other than i keep touching it with my finger i wouldn't even know it's there.

Again Grace I know youare probably fed up with my ramblings but would you comment

Thankx

[gracefromHHP]

The few folks I know who have had whitlow have said that it hurts like a s.o.b.  No pain and this probably wasn't whitlow.  

I wouldn't wear gloves for preparing food either because of this.

grace

[sleeplessworried]

thanks grace , but what about the changing diapers without an outbreak without gloves? or should i always wear them with any contact wit the genital area And autoinoculation after 7 years??

[gracefromHHP]

no ob, no reason to wear gloves for changing diapers.

I only know of 1 person who ended up with whitlow many years after the fact of having genital herpes. She is an avid quilter and pricks her fingers often and figured that's how she got it so late into things.

grace

[sleeplessworried]

Thanks you have been terrific to me! Even though I am still unsure of the whitlow at least I  know I am not a walking plague which is how I was feeling!

[sleeplessworried]

OK so I thought i had my anxiety under control but I cannot sleep, or I cannot stay asleep, I am wking up terrified at night, It seems so silly to everyone that I am making a big deal about this bump but they don't understand. The bumo is just sitting there no itching, no pain at all or any progress at all this is the 3rd or 4th day. Of course you mind starts playing tricks on you real bad, so sometimes i feel tha there is tingling on my hands(classic herpes prodrome symptom but no blister or sores or anything. I am just terrified that this may be whitlow, unfortunatly it is too late to culture plus I am not enjoying my vacation. But I am terrififed to even touch my kids clothes, much less let them touch me, i feel dirtyyy. I know that this is not a therapy session but I am glad u r here to listen

[sleeplessworried]

did your quilter friend know right away about her whitlow and was it really painful? Do u know if she gets outbreaks on her finger how often she gets them? I really need some help getting this thing out of my mind it's really killing me inside. I am so freaked out! Everything I read says whitlow is painful but with the fact that herpes behaves differently with everyone, What are the chances since I have it on my finger that I will leave a herpes deposit on faucets and dishes and stuff? Ok I know many peple will say I should go  see someone about this. I am so nervous and scared all the time basically i think about this 24/7 ahhhhh i am really worried.

[sleeplessworried]

Grace/ auntJessie anyone ???

[gracefromHHP]

Your anxiety about this is needing more help than we can give you at this point on a message board like this. Your bump doesn't hurt. It's incredibly unlikely to be whitlow.  If you can't control your anxiety on your own, you need to go and be seen and get professional help for it.

grace

[sleeplessworried]

I apologize

[sleeplessworried]

ok saw someone just from visual said it's not herpes, actually pulled out a book and showed me a picture of the vesicles of herpes, anyway still in the same boat - obviously he didn't know much about herpes to begin with-- told me they form as blisters, vesicles i don't know what he was saying to be honest. Anyway-- still no end to this i guess.

[sleeplessworried]

I know u said to see someone about my anxiety but how about just simple herpes info-- Like washing and folding underwear, etc. I mean just any BEWARE of this or that...... thanks.

[gracefromHHP]

If you aren't having sex with someone, then it's not an issue.  Not sure how I can convince you that your genital herpes is not an issue with your children? Folding laundry and such is absolutely not a risk.

You really need to look for someone to talk to about this once you are home from vacation ( if you aren't already home ).  Your anxiety and obsession about it needs professional help to help you work thru it. It's just herpes - it's incredibly common and not something you are at risk of transmitting thru routine day to day activities.

grace

[sleeplessworried]

I'm sorry but i wasn't talking about the genital issues, i was talking about the whitlow possibility, even there are certain percautions i should take,like when folding their laundry and stuff like that. I haven't found much info about it and certainly docs don't know much. I realize that I am overly anxious but if it is possible whitlow I want to be careful. Thanks and I am in the process of gathering info so when I can see a therapist .  

[gracefromHHP]

This is not whitlow. It doesn't sound like whitlow. You saw a provider who didn't think it was whitlow and even showed you pix of what whitlow typically looks like to show you that this didn't resemble it at all.  

Folding clothing and such isn't a risk factor for whitlow anyways.

grace

[sleeplessworried]

can someone pick up herpes from a sink,faucet or door handle if a sore came in contact with them, or must it be skin to skin?

[gracefromHHP]

You aren't going to contract herpes from routine day to day contact with door knobs, sinks etc.

grace