Questions for you smart ladies

[ladyofshalot.livejournal.com]

Thank you to everyone who replied to my last traumatized post. I'm still pretty upset, but now I'm clear-headed enough to ask some questions on genital warts(hpv) :

1. My gynocologist applied what I'm pretty sure is TCA (acid) to the warts around the vaginal opening. How did any of you who had this done feel afterward? It feels kind of like I have a yeast infection, but less itchy and more like a mild burning. I definitely feel really dischargy and dirty. I want to know if what I'm feeling is normal.
2. Can I spread the warts to other parts of my body? (i.e: touching the warts and then touching my mouth). Right now I'm paranoid and every time I touch anywhere near that area I wash my hands afterwards. I think it's hurting my vagina's feelings.
3. Is taking a bath okay? Maybe this sounds silly, but I don't know since I'd be sitting in a moist enviornment for an extended period of time. If it's okay, are there certain things I should or shouldn't use in the bath?
4. How thoroughly should I clean down there? I feel like it's someone elses vagina and I don't know what to do with it. I'm afraid of cleaning to vigorously or not enough.
5. Did it look really weird after the treatment? Before my gyno pointed them out, I didn't even notice any warts. Then, when I got home and really looked it looked like a whole village of white weirdness. Could it look really weird because of the TCA treatment or was I just really oblivious to what was happening?
6. How are genital warts different from herpes? I know genital warts are hpv and herpes are hsv, but what are the real differences?
7. What can I do to soothe the discomfort that WILL NOT cause any more warts?
8. How can I prevent this outbreak from getting worse. I know that building up your immune system is important, but are there any external things I should or shouldn't do?

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE TO ALL WHO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS MADNESS!

Comments

[charly.livejournal.com]

i can't answer any of your questions really, but my cousin has it and she said that she couldn't shave at all down there because it spreads the warts...so that's about all the advice i can give, is to stop shaving the infected area or you'll spread them all over the place.

good luck
corie

[subbes]

5: The treatment may have made them angry or hurt-y causing them to be more prominent for a brief period of time. Also, your awareness of them will make them seem a lot more obvious to you -- it's like if you are convinced you have a bumpy nose, you'll see bumps everywhere on your nose if you look hard enough.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

hpv will likely be very valuable to you.

Off hand -
1. Dunno, never had it done (I have dysplasic HPV, not warty HPV)
2. No, they won't randomly appear elsewhere on your body, but shaving can nick the warts, and they will spread more around your vulva.
3. Yes, perfectly fine.
4. The same as you always have - soap on the vulva = bad in general - water is all you need to clean your lady.
5. Again, I dunno. I suppose the acid could have made them more visible.
6. Totally different diseases. Like ... diabetes and cancer, or cats and fish. Way different things. HPV can be warty or dysplasic, depending on the strain, herpes is sores. Google search could help you with this one.
7. Sorry, I don't know.
8. Building up your immune system, yes. Follow your MD's directions on acid or whatever your preferred treatment method is.

Good luck! :)