Dear Govonnie,

Thank you so much for writing. Your question is full of the love and concern of a loving grandmother. It is highly UNLIKELY that YOU have somehow transmitted herpes to your grandchildren so there is nothing to feel guilty about. Regardless, your grandkids are lucky to have such a caring grandmother looking out for them. :-)

Unfortunately, it's impossible for me to give you a definitive answer about whether or not your grandchildren have contracted one of the herpes viruses. Only your doctor can really answer your question and put your fears to rest. Herpes 1 and 2 are actually only 2 out of 8 known herpes viruses that infect human beings. Believe it or not, Chicken Pox is also one of those 8 known herpes viruses. My advice is to talk to your children about your concerns. If they don't already know that you have herpes -- and you think it would causes emotional turmoil if you tell them now -- than you don't need to tell them about your history at all. After-all, you're an adult and it's your personal business. However, I'd address the observations you've made about what's going on with your grandchildren's skin. Ask your children if they've noticed it as as well. Let your kids know that you're not trying to interfere but that you are concerned and would like to help. Maybe you could even offer to help out by taking the grandchildren to the doctor yourself. Either way, it is very important that your grandkids see a doctor immediately. He or she will be able to give you an answer. This way you can treat whatever is going on -- herpes or not -- before it gets worse and/or it's spread to other people. I hope this helps. Please come back and tell us how everything goes. We're a community of people dealing with many of the same issues and we're here to support each other. Best of luck!