My husband used to give me all of my injections. He was patient and kind, and he let me whine for a good 5 minutes before the shot (and for 10 minutes afterward). He was a lifesaver, and I don’t know how I would have done it without him in those early days.
After a couple of months, I got braver and started doing some of the shots myself, with him cheering me on. A couple of months later, I was even more proficient at giving myself injections in progressively harder to reach places. My husband could see that I was getting more courageous. He also didn’t seem quite as interested in listening to my complaining about the shot as he had been. The last straw was when he started buzzing like a bee as he held the syringe. That was the day he was relieved from duty for good; I have been taking care of my own injections ever since.
If you're not ready to take care of your injections yourself, that's OK. You may need someone to reach the hard places. You may not be mentally, emotionally or physically able to give yourself an injection. Or, you may just not feel like it. All of these are good reasons to have someone else give you your injection.
There are great benefits to having a friend or loved one give you your injections:
- They can reach places that you cannot get to easily. It is important to rotate injection sites, and it is easier to “expand your territory” when someone else is involved. (Be warned, however: It can be both a relief and a cause of distress to have someone say, “Look at all the meat back here that you have been missing.”)
- You can’t change your mind about getting the injection.
- They often remember when you have forgotten. I used to “forget” a lot, but now I think that it was a form of avoidance.
- They may have steadier hands than you do. I know my hands used to shake terribly from nervousness when I would try to inject myself at the beginning. I also had a couple of bouts with intention tremor that would make it hard to push the plunger.
- There will be someone there to give you a hug when it hurts, when you are scared, or when you are just plain sick of getting injections and having MS.
In order to make the relationship between the injector and the injectee successful, it is important to:
- Reassure the person giving you your injection that you know that it is not his or her fault if it hurts and that any cursing you do is directed at the injection (and the MS itself), not at them.
- Make sure that the person giving you your injection understands exactly what he or she needs to know (where to place the needle; how firmly to pinch the skin to insert the needle; when to let go of the pinched skin; whether or not to angle the needle; etc.) Tell him or her about any ritual that needs to be followed. For instance, do you like to have the injector count to 7 before the injection is given? Have a specific song sung to you to distract you? Get a high-five when it's all over?
- Remember that the person giving you your injection may be very nervous, too, especially if they have not done this before. Have some sympathy for them, as well.
- Thank the person giving you your injection each and every time that they do it. Tell them how much you appreciate their help.
Whether you just need a little help when you're first starting out with injections, periodically thereafter, or you'll always want someone to give you your shots, having a helper can truly make the injection process better.
