Also, check out this talk from the NSS Series: Hypothermia Underground

https://youtu.be/mtawb-dEseI?si=3tIhdN0nhQrVvMo6

OP, I'd check out some of the American Caving Accident (ACA) reports- which you can find online for free- to give you an idea of some of the injuries you can incur and potentially lethal (ie hypothermic) situations you can get in by wearing jeans and a shirt on a cave trip. Most North American caves are in the temperate band, and hypothermia can set in rapidly in these cave environments.

Bye bye, racist.

I love this story. TAG is such a special place for caving. I'm glad you have some photos and good memories!

I pester gas stations and such to let me have a couple haha.

Milk crates. They're the shit for storing cave gear and are ventilated, too.

Also, for added context: I live in a 12x16 lofted cabin so pretty limited space. I love the milk crates cause they stack so well and are easy to get stuff in and out on top of being breathable.

Thank you! I'm focusing on rebelays this weekend :)

So sorry you're suffering like this. I am as well and I agree most doctors don't understand and aren't willing to consider atypical presentations, like constant and recurring outbreaks. I don't have much advice but wanted to reply and let you know you're not alone. I take acyclovir from a telehealth provider and am starting to use a manuka honey spray directly on the lesions after reading some promising studies on it. Fingers crossed something will finally work. Hang on there.

Adding my story: diagnosed positive for HSV-1 genital in 2015 by swab and bloodwork. The initial outbreak was brutal but healed on its own after a couple of weeks. Have not had a single outbreak since the initial until this year. I am now about 2 months into a non-stop outbreak around vagina and anus and non-stop cold sore on corner of my mouth.

I am suspicious a covid infection caused this. A few weeks before this outbreak started, I got really sick for a few days. The OB started about Feb 17th. I got sick end of January. I didn't get tested for covid and I'm not vaccinated as I have fibromyalgia and have read studies that the vaccine can cause issues with firbo patients. But i suspect it was either covid or the flu. My fibro is awful so I've been really scared to take the vaccine and potentially make it worse. But now I'm scared that I may have this horrible OB from a covid infection.

So, about a week after I was really sick I got Pityriasis Rosea (horrible rash typically centered on the trunk, upper arms, and thighs). Cause of PR is unknown but there has been a huge uptick in cases since covid and it often occurs after a viral infection. The PR was a horrifically itchy nightmare but cleared up on its own in about 4 weeks and didn't affect my genitals (PR doesn't usually affect genital regions). But, about a couple of weeks before the PR cleared up I got the herpes outbreak. I've been fighting this herpes OB ever since.

I've been taking acyclovir 400mg three times a day for 3 days now, but so far no sign of improvement. Previously, I didn't take anything for herpes as I only had the one outbreak and it cleared up fine on its own. I got another full STI panel done and everything else still comes back negative. The constant itching and soreness is a nightmare and causing big sleep disruptions, which of course make fibromyalgia much worse. Curious if any other fibro sufferers have a similar story or if anyone else got an unrelenting outbreak after suspected covid infection.

So sorry we're all dealing with this.