Hi everyone........Awhile back (end of Feb) I had an unprotected encounter WITHOUT ejaculation. A few weeks later I had to go home from work sick...(as a side note I had been sleeping in my living room with only a space heater blowing directly on the couch I was sleeping on due to the fact that my furnace was broken). I knew I was starting to feel warm and my throat was starting to get really scratchy...Then the horrible wracking coughing began with alot of mucous feeling in my chest. I took my temp a little later and it was pretty high, around 102 or so...All I had was one Tylenol tablet so I went ahead and took just one...Within a half and hour of me taking it I broke out in a really bad sweat like the fever was temporarily breaking or something. Anyway, after that the coughing and hacking got so bad it seemed like I could barely even speak because even trying to talk started another coughing fit and now I was starting to cough up green stuff.One side of my nose was becoming completely blocked and I felt miserable. I was even getting a headache from all the coughing. Needless to say I stayed in bed all that day, a Wednesday, and didn't return back to work till the following Monday. During that time the fever stayed but was never as high as it was the first day. I was also CONSTANTLY blowing my nose with alot of discharge the entire weekend. What I want to know is this, does this sound like ARS or just a bronchitis/flu like thing. I was totally freaked out...I tested for other STD's following the incident and all were negative and I also got an HIV test done a month out and it was negative but can someone please give me their input?
(Just as a footnote I thought I'd also mention that this is the first year I haven't gotten a flu shot. Also, a woman that sits close to me at work I found out later that she went home sick the same day I did and didn't return until the same day I did, that following Monday.After comparing notes with her our illness sounded surprisingly similar and we both kept our wracking coughs for a few weeks after that..)

I would say that i think your probably alright,as I have been constantly reassured that when you are looking for a symptom of anything,you will most certainly find it,and it sounds like just flu or bronchitis,which i have had most years without fail actually :) If you are worried take the test and set your mind at ease :) But,take it as a warning to stay safe in the future,then you will never have to worry about it again.

ARS doesn't generally produce mucous,or a mucousy cough. Sounds more like a cold/flu, and those are constantly going around. As i'm sure you know, you cannot diagnose yourself based on symptoms. Since you've also tested neg at 1 month, that's a good sign. I would say still go for your three month definitive, but I wouldn't scrutinize every symptom you had after your encoutner. Stress can be a terrible thing.
Best of luck
-S-

Dry air from heating in the wintertime is notorious for drying out the mucus membranes in the nose , throat , and also lungs making a perfect target for viral and also bacterial infection which it sounds like you've had a sinus infection and broncitis .
Now to help to put you're mind at ease get tested for hiv 3 months after posable exposure .
And if you're cold/sinus infection persists get to a doctor and get checked out ;)
Don't stress it sounds like just a cold :angel:
In good health .............
..............Lost Spirit ..................

Thanks for the kind words everyone.....I know how stress can get to you.I think the real reason I was/am freaked out is that this 'encounter' occurred while I was married. He was out of state alot working for months at a time and it just, well, happened...No escuse, I know, and not a day goes by that I don't feel awful about it, especially since I got pregnant the week my husband came home and now I have to go for all those wonderful prenatal blood tests and I can't help but think, what if?You hear all the horror stories about pregnant women testing positive saying things like, "i had no idea!"Geez, I don't want that to be me...I'm just really stressed out about this whole situation...I just keep thinking, 2 weeks after encounter I had a fever.....it just goes over and over in my mind and I can't stop it.....

Yes, guilt can do that to you, unfortunatley. Sometimes it diguises itself and comes back as symptoms and ailments. The best thing to do is just get tested once more to be sure, and try not to worry too much until the time comes, because you have a little one on the way. Just remember, right now the odds are surley in your favor. Everything will eventually work itself out, but you just have to think positive (or negative :) ) until then.
God Bless
-S-

You know, there was a guy who was in his car and he was speeding down the road. He ran a stop sign. He breezed through two red lights. And, on top of all this, he was drinking while he was driving and he wasn't wearing his seat belt. When he got home, he staggered up to the door of his house and let himself in. He climb the stairs into his bedroom and dressed for bed. He then laid there for three days convinced that he was dead. No matter how many friends he called and asked, "Am I dead?" They all responded that he didn't sound dead to them. But no matter what the guy did, he tried to convince himself that if participated in that much risky behavior, he must be dead. He, of course, wasn't dead but he wasted a hell of a lot time wondering why he wasn't - after all, what with the speeding, stop sign, red lights, drinking, and not wearing his seat belt he was convinced that there was no way that he could have survived...but he had. And, appears, so have you. chris

Again, thanks for the kind words everyone...I always seem to let my overactive imagination get the best of me....What I'm now asking for are your prayers. I go this morning to LabCorp to get my prenatal screenings done, a general screen, a cystic fibrosis screen, and of course, an HIV screen....I'm so nervous I don't even know how I'm going to drive I'm so nervous but I will try...They said if I come in today I only have to wait till Wed or Thur for the results....I'm so scared.........

Remember that we are all thinking and praying for your results. Hang in there and keep us posted. God bless - Chris

We Will be praying for you! Everything, as always, will work out, one way or another. Your blessed to have found us and we're blessed to have found you, and we will not let you walk away without feeling ok, no matter what.
We'll be waiting for the news
-Sarah

Thanks Sarah and Chris for your kind words...They are appreciated...You know, I seem to spend way too much time waiting for the other shoe to drop, just KNOWING that I will be repaid for my actions. I feel like this would be the worst way possible. I've done a terrible thing, and I don't ever think I'll really get over it and forgive myself, regardless of the test results.People do bad things and get paid back for it, don't they?I guess that's what I was always taught...You sow what you reap...I'm trying to be as optimistic as I can in the situation if not for me at least for my baby, but it's just so hard sometimes...I forgot to give the most current update on everything...I got the results back from my pap. They called and told me that everything was fine...negative gonorrhea,negative chlamydia,negative hpv.....This is the ONLY good news that's keeping me afloat right now.

If i was repaid in the same way for my actions, I would've had every disease in the book times ten. I've made a bunch of mistakes, but you know, we're only human. We're designed by our higher power to mess up, fix it, mess up again, and fix it again. Otherwise, how would we learn, unless the situation REALLY had an effect on us. It's one thing to make a mistake, but unless it's impacted you greatly, you're most likely to make that same mistake, or a different related mistake. LOL, it sounds like a math problem, and it's way to early to be talking math/
-Sarah

At Labcorp,I was sent for a total of three tests.....something that began with a C...don't remember what that was exactly, a Cystic Fibrosis test, and of course, HIV...well, the lady tech there told me that test results should only take a couple of days apart from the Cystic Fibrosis screen, since that takes 2 weeks...I got my blood drawn on Monday early afternoon. I called Labcorp this morning and asked about my testing...They said that the first 2 tests are ready and complete and that the Cystic Fibrosis was the only one they are waiting for. My question is this.....If for some reason the HIV test would have some back positive wouldn't they have sent it away for another definitive screen, a western blot, before they actually had the actual test result?I called them and asked them if everything was ok and of course they said they couldn't release that info over the phone, that's fine...I then called my OB and they haven't gotten anything back and they said that even though 2 of the tests are ready, they don't get a report from Labcorp till the Cystic Fibrosis test comes back too...They said they don't like to get tests in pieces or something like that....Anyway...should I be happy that the HIV test was completed so quickly?I'm just looking for any type of comfort right now...I am scared out of my wits!I would think that if my test came back positive for something like HIV that they would send that directly over to my OB because they don't want you out there infecting others but I may be wrong in that assumption?Help Please!!!!!!!!

Dear Rafael102: You're just not going to be happy with a negative result are you? I agree with PanaSonique, the fact is that we all make "mistakes" and for whatever reason, however, you think you managed to contract the disease may have just been someone trying to find something that had escaped them in the past. Look, if we reap what we sow, then how would rationalize and negative result? Would you think that because you're negative that, somehow, your positive points outweighed your negative points? But if you're HIV +, then, for whatever reason, the evil twin wins our over the good one?

You have just got stop beating yourself up. chris

*Update Everyone!*After I got off work yesterday I was checking the messages off of my old cell phone that I hardly ever use...As it turns out after I called my OB at around 9am yeaterday morning and they had said that they only get all the labwork together and that I would have to wait, they ended up calling me back on that phone instead of my work phone no more than an hour later just to let me know that all my blood work came back fine!I am soooooo relieved!Thanks to all for your comforting words and support....
Lynaa

thank God!! I am so happy and relieved for you. Now, its time to take out those two gallons of chocolate ice cream and celebrate! chris

Fantastic,im so pleased for you!!!!

Thank GOD!!! :) I'm so happy for you!

:bouncing: :bouncing: :bouncing:
SUPERB! FANTASTIC! EXCELLENT! :D
Now you MUST keep me updated about the little angel! :angel:
-Sarah

A big THANK YOU goes out to Cflas,(are aren't kidding about the chocolate ice cream!Edys double fudge brownie is TO DIE FOR!!!)Mrjon,Spectacular,Panasonique, and EVERYONE else that was kind enough to respond to my post and get me through this....I am eternally grateful!Thanks again, guys!
Lynaa