Ever start wondering where to inject next?

[GrandOak]

As I sit here popping injection after injection of Procrit, following a 5 days of nightly injections, I sit and ponder my third and final for the evening and wonder where should I jab this one in that might be a fresher site one used a night or two ago.  Then I begin to realize as the fog clears a bit, that I do not even clearly recall which site I used a couple of nights ago.

I usually use those little square patch band-aid's over an injection site to cover the slight bleeding after I remove the needle, but often remove them the next day as they are uncomfortable on the surrounding body hair when I move around alot.

So I was wonder whether what others do to avoid injection in one spot to often in a short time period?

[Mister beagle bailey]

I here ya brother.  I did yhe procrit always in my arm and the tx in the stomach, upper leg and thights.  Between the procrit, tx and transfusion I was a pin cushion.

Beagle

[way]

Hello!
What I do--

Initially I took a piece of paper amd drew a body map, which consisted of an hourglass (as if)which represents the abdominal area, Then I drew a bunch of little lines of circles of intended injection sites and as I used them I colored them in solid. In retrospect I would've made it larger and also put the dates.  I also didn't make enough circles for my entire tx but now am going in between. At least I have a reference.

[GrandOak]

I use the stomach because the one time I tried the thigh I had a heck of a time going SQ.  I only tried the one time because the needle seemd a bit duller than usual and I still think that one went IM because of the burn I got when injection.

Originally it was no problem, but now that I seem to be dropping weight, or at least slimming down, it's getting hard to pinch the inch to get a proper SQ injection.

[Kalio1]

For me the stomach shots resulted in bruising and lots more pain ad healing time than the thigh shots. I just do one thigh one week and the other the next. I just don't shot it in the exat same spot I an tell where tht is because its sore and red still. Takes about two wekes to resolve.

Eyedeas.. you are so creative! First those funny songs and ow your shot body roadmap, you are so clever!

[NYgirl]

Honestly I just pretty much aim close my eyes and then hit the plunger where it lands.  I don't like to look or inspect too much and now that the summer is over...I wont care about the bruises anymore LOL~

[jmjm530]

I kept a notebook along with my injection supplies.

I noted the date and time of every shot and the location, using initials such as (LU) for left-upper abdomen. I rotated between left upper abdomen, right upper abdomen, left lower abdomen, right lower abdomen, right thigh and left thigh. Later in treatment I stopped using the thighs altogether as my thighs started disappearing altogether :)  I also used the "love" handle area as a sub-rotation for the abdomen.

According to my doctors and my experience, rotation is more important with the Peg and less important with the helper drug Procrit. Still, Procrit had its own rotation (and notation) that stayed away from the Peg injection sites.

Since there was too much going on for my brain-fogged mind on injection night, I fouund it useful to set up my rotation a month or so in advance. So when it came time to inject, the site was already noted in the notebook.

Other things I noted were the dose of each shot, as I double-dosed Peg in the beginning and my Procrit dose changed from time to time.

A notebook is not only a good idea for rotating sites, but as a double-check to make sure you actually did your shot. I can't remember how many times during tx, I went over to the notebook a day or two after the shot just to make sure I actually took it :)


-- Jim

[Eyedeas]

Okay, this gets a little technical, medically speaking, but this is what I did.  Okay, its ot really all that technical, but it does involve an anatomically correct model (sort of)!  I took the guy from our old Operation game and a small post-it note, wherever I injected, the post-it went.  Each injection I moved the post it, or replaced it with one that had something like "fritzin interferon" written on it!  My favorite that I used a number of times said "Poke dragon here!"

Kim

[52TELE]

BRILLIANT!!!

[painterlady13]

I have only had one shot of Procrit so far and no one really told me much about it.  Liver doc is 4 hrs away and they really didn't even tell me how to do it. I had the nurse at work do it for me as I am worried about giving that shot in the same places as I do the IFN shots.  Also the pen is easy for me and the syringe scares the s*** out of me. lol and the fact that the actual needle is so much longer (I hate needles).  She gives it to me in the fatty part of my upper hip not in the behind area but on the side.
But, also, the Procrit shot burned a lot when going in is that normal?  

I have started making a map of where I do the IFN shots so I don't give me one in the same place.

[FlGuy]

That is a good idea.  We still play Operation around the house every once in a while.  Last time, I was on tx - my hands were too shakey to play.  But using the poor guy as a model is a teriffic idea.  Just take the batteries out or you'll scare yousefy if the buzzer goes off.

[NYgirl]

I just use both thighs, injecting in the right one time the left the other and go about two inches down each time till I start over at the top if I'm having problems.

I'm WAY too much of a chicken to EVER try the stomach. LOL

[PasoPerson]

The Procrit has to be injected slowly to ease the burning.  Just tell the nurse beforehand, and indicate "slower" if it starts burning again.

[tulsatime]

You said you are way to chicken to try the stomach. That's funny cause I am way to chicken to try the thigh! LOL Debi

[hippygem]

hey, hi there, i get what you are saying, and all i can advise from experience whilst on tx is that the best way to keep track so as not to loose yourself is to keep a diary, im serious, write down everything, how you feel, to where you have injected, anything, cos as we all know its too easy to loose focus and to forget what we are doing.
Whilst i was on tx i even forgot to tap the injection to get rid of  the bubbles etc, wasnt concentrating, we all just want to get the injection day over with that we loose sight and forget our procedures we should be doing.
Focus every day, get it together in your head.
slow down on the day of the injection, and focus on what you are actually doing to get it right, and go slow, if you go too fast you can leak out of the injection site as noted before in another thread.
Focus and go slow is the way to go and keep a diary of day to day occurances.
I wish you all well.
Love linda.

[GrandOak]

Nurse, nurse, I've never had a nurse give any of my tx injections nor show me how it was done.  My first doc simply gave me the video from the Pegasys goody kit.  She later asked me if I watched it and whether I had any questions.  That was about it.

Fortunately, I had some experience (duh probably how I got HCV in the first place but that was a limited test of IVing crank/crystal meth in the 70's) but SQ injections on my dogs when I was breeding and exhibiting them.  Problem is my skin isn't as loose as a puppies which makes SQ a bit more difficult.  (Probably would be easier if I didn't squirm around as much as a puppy. ;=P just kidding of course)

Plus side with all the IFN, Procrit, Neupogen is I'm able to suck a serum vial dry and obtain an injection with little to no blood after withdrawing the needle.  Only once did I apparently hit a section with many blood vessels that resulted in a large bruise area after I withdrew the needle, but it was clean on draw-back so I figured I must be alright.

[NYgirl]

you know for the addict that I am...the fact that a nurse gave me a class on injections struck me as one of the most bizarre things in my ENTIRE life - but - being the good girl that I am I had NEVER injected myself in my life with anything (does that mean it was never done to me? LOL)

it was absolutely positively surreal but...I wasn't about to say to her gee lady I was a complete druggie for a long long time you really don't need to do this - I was actually quite happy to just sit there and let her use her "expertise" ;)

[52TELE]

We haven't played Operation in years , but we have been know to play Doctor. Actually , we haven't done that in years either. Never mind.

[Pauly Boy]

I started injections in my stomache( interfuron only). Wow I got bruises and that wouldn't quit so I went to the thighs. Since then I had to add procrit as well. I only do the procrit once a week, 40,000 units. You take it once a day? How much is each injection? However, I alternate legs and have found it to be no problem. This seems to be an individual issue according to what I've been told from others. Some do better in the legs some in the belly. I'm good as long as they don't tell me to do it in my head!!! Good luck and keep killin' those bugs!    Pauly

[GrandOak]

Procrit is also once a week, 100,000 U for me now.  But when they change the dosage mid-week, I take the difference between the last injection and the new dosage.

So when I went to 100,000 U/wk last Thursday, I did 20,000 U then and then the full 100,000 U last night.  Since 40,000 U is the maximum size per vial, this amounts to 3 injections (i.e. 2 - 40,000 U and 1 - 20,000 U).

For me, the Neupogen has been a series of 1 injection a day for 3 consecutive days followed by CBC labs on either day 4 or 5 to see how high WBC and ANC gets boosted.

Thus, I've been injection on med or another (or both on Friday with IFN & Neupogen) every night since last Thursday with only a two night break on Tuesday and Wednesday following my previous set of 40,000 U Procrit injections last Monday.

[GrandOak]

LOL  Like I said to my doc, "Do ya think I really needed this video considering how I believe I may have contracted this insideous disease in the first place?".

Problem now is that given my past with my current tx, I might need to be restrained and gagged to keep from shouting "Give me that da-n thing" and give myself the injections next time I encounter a fumbling nurse at a docs office ;-O

[way]

You didn't say there would be MATH in this thread...

[aussiefemale]

I am in week 9 of the pegasus interferon treatment, I only have one injection a week, the syringes are loaded and a new one every time. I also recieved a diary in which I write all my appointments, the bruising I don't like. It's goood to find this forum even though u are in america. we speak the same language. That's FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!

[Kalio1]

Welcome to the forum. We have another member from Australia who visits now and again. It's nice to ahve people from all over I think. Hope your treatment is going ok and you aren't ahving bad side effects.

[sfbaygirl]

I too had bruising from shots in the stomach. I do much better giving my shots in the thigh. It seems like more here have less problems when they do it in their stomach. Just an observation. I do not like the stomach. Haven't tried it on tx, but it was "all bad!"

[52TELE]

Couldn't sleep?

[sfbaygirl]

LOL I was going to ask you the same thing! The difference is I am 3 hours earlier than you! It was before midnight here. Sleep has been an illusive thing lately. Heading to the docs today to see if I can change meds that aren't working for some that are. How about you?