Hi there! Welcome to my corner of the world.  It has been a real pleasure to be one of the h-pals for a year or two now.  Chatting with other people and helping them smile is something that really rocks my world.

Let me tell you a little about myself:

I'm a 44 year old woman, single parent of an older teen and a young man in his 20's.  I work full time for the government as well as sing regularly in church and community choirs.  My skills in the kitchen are well known to many.  My hometown is on the Oregon coast, but I love Northeast Ohio enough that I am wondering where the heck the snow is this year!  I've been divorced for 7 years and have fits of loving or hating dating.

My history with std's is that my ex gave me chlamydia before we were married (shoulda been a sign). It took a long time for that to go away.  In my 20's I had several abnormal paps, that have since been found out to be hpv (12 of the high risk types).  And five years ago, I fell head over heels for a wonderful guy:  who was cheating on me, sharing herpes with me and everyone else. 

It took me awhile to get my footing again.  It's hard to date when the last experience was so traumatic with his unfaithfulness and when I wonder what the date will think about an std revelation.  It's hard to function when herpes is knocking your socks off physically.  It's hard to do it alone.

So I made some choices.  First, I made contact with others who have stds.  That made a world of difference to me!  To talk with people who have had one std or another for years and laugh, compare sharing techniques, and lifestyle adjustment necessities made my heart sing.  I knew I wasn't really alone, after all.  Next, I told my children two years ago.  They deserved to know why mom wasn't always at her best and why dating was taking a backseat for the moment ... and they were at an age where I wanted them to realize how very possible it is to share an std easily.  And then, I decided to date again and have had much success.  I am much more selective in who I have dinner with and who I might kiss, and those that I trust my personal information with have been generally kind, caring, and open to accepting it.

In the end, my life is peace and happiness.  I know more about who I am and find out quickly about the character of my friends, family and dates.  It would surprise you who is supportive and who has issues (well, it surprised me anyway!).  The support of others who walk this road of health issues has been immeasurable reassurance and help. 

Reach out, we're here for you. We care. So, I'm here. Feel free to e-mail me to bend my ear, ask a question, or just visit about all of this or life in general. - Janice