I have to give DH shots!!!!

[Megan's Mom]

My DH was tested very low in B12 a couple of weeks ago. The result is he had to take shots one a day for 7 days then one a week for 4 weeks then once a month for I don't know how long. We leave for vacation next week and he is out of town at the first of the week so I told him he would have to go and get his shot on Thursday. Then I very jokingly told him "Oh I'll give you your shot while we are gone." Now we have been married for 12 years so he knows how much I hate needles. He tells the nurse this week and she said sure. When he told me I thought he was carring out the joke but he came home with needles and the meds for me to give him his shots. What am I going to do!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I give nightly shots to my dd for 1yr & half. I imagine your dh will be a better patient than my 7yo.

 

[tkd lisa]

Is there a reason he can't give them to himself? My DH had to take shots 3 x a week for hepatitus C, and he gave them to himself.

If you do have to do it, the best advice I can give you is to be confident (yeah right!) because it's harder to push the needle in if you're tentative.

In the past, they used to have new diabetics practice injecting an orange. Maybe you can try that?

 

[snoopy]

I had to give myself shots once a week for over a year and I hate needles too. You get used to it. I'd definately recommend your DH learning how to do it himself though, in the event that you aren't around to do it when he needs it done (not likely, probably, but you never know!) I thought I would have my DH do it for me, but the doctor advised against it for that same reason.

Best of luck to you and DH! Hope he gets to feeling better soon.

 

[CEDmom]

When we were going through fertility treatment DH gave me my hormone injections. For most of the stuff he could use a very short thin needle but occasionally I needed stuff that had to be given with the longer needle. A nurse at our clinic showed him how to do it and even had him try it on me with saline just to see that he could do it. Occasionally I even did the shorter needle shots myself. He was a real trooper and it really wasn't that bad.

BTW, good luck and I hope he's better soon.

 

[mickeyboat]

DH had to give me shots once when I was trying to get PG. He was confident. I was terrified. I wouldn't look while he was doing it. I closed my eyes and said "hurry up, already!" He said, I'm all done. It wasn't bad at all.

I had to give my best friend a shot in college after she had been bitten by a spider. I shot her directly in her arm muscle. It hurt her for a week, but I probably saved her life.

Denae

 

[Jeanny]

I used to give my Dad his insulin shots after he got real sick... the VNA showed me how and he said the needlee didn't hurt... only how hard I was pinching hurt!!!

 

[Pin Wizard]

I can't believe they sent it home for YOU to do without training you at all! That's frightening! Are they pre-filled syringes or do you need to do that? If pre-filled, shouldn't be too bad.

 

[grinningghost]

I gave myself shots of Betaseron for a few years for my MS. They were easy, right under the skin, but caused horrible bruising.

Now DH gives me weekly shots of Avonex - deep into the muscle. Big, long needle - I don't have the fine motor coordination to do them. He is terrified of needles, they don't bother me. He's been doing the shots for about 8 years and he still can't handle it well.

Good luck to you both. It's quite a shock when they send you home with needles and say "Go ahead, have at it".

 

[Talking Hands]

I give myself shots 2-4 times a day on a multishot insulin program. My oldest can also give them to me and now she is leaving my husband has to learn how to give them. Also how to give me glucagon if I go hypo enough to need that. Just grit your teeth and go for it.

 

[GailT]

I gave myself intramuscular shots for a yr and a half now I have my son give me subcutainiuos (sp) shots with an auto injector3 times a week , I can't press the button, I freeze up.

 

[my3kids]

I had to inject a needle into my leg every few days while pregnant to reinsert a terbutaline pump. I sat on a chair and injected it into the top of my thigh. It remains one of my proud moments! I think it will be easier on BOTH of you if he can give these to himself.

 

[MScott1851]

DH is deathly afraid of needles too, and I used to try and get him to give me my Depo injections when I was on it. After watching him come toward me shaking violently, I decided to learn to do it myself. Now I pop shots into my own heinie with no trouble at all... Only the first couple of times were hard, and it's nice when my doctor will give me my own injectable medicine instead of my having to go see him four days in a row for antibiotics, or run and get a Phenergan shot whenever I'm vomiting.. I just crawl to the bathroom, pop myself, and voila..I'm already back in bed before it hits.

Maybe they could teach him to give it to himself, if you aren't comfortable...

Go in smoothly and quickly, aspirate (pulling back on the plunger to make sure you aren't in a vein) and SLOWLY pushing the med in (because B12 burns) and quick withdrawal is the advice I give...I give about 25 shots or more per day...so I'm pretty good at it.

 

[las3888]

I just started on daily injections of lovenox due to a clotting disorder that I have that can cause miscarriages, so the good news is that I only have to do this for the duration of the pregnancy, but the bad news is that it still has to be done!

I had a really nice nurse train me at the Dr's office. We started with sample syringes she had and an orange. That was no problem, but it's really tough to look at yourself and actually poke yourself. She wouldn't let me go until I had done it once so I could show her I could do it. Well, I did it the one time (it's really mind over matter - you just can't think about it, just go right on in and get it over with). Luckily, my DH stepped up to the plate and is doing it for me everyday. I am so glad he is...he has no problem with it, and I don't have to watch. It's so much better this way. I have bad bruising with this medication (it's injected in my stomach). I found a tip on some web site that said to lay down while it's being injected, and then I put an ice pack over the injection site immediately for a few minutes. It has really helped minimize with the bruising.

Good luck - I'm sure you've heard this before, but you do get used to it.