I just found out I will have to give myself shots in the belly

[EQGuy]

I attended a joint replacement class at the hospital yesterday and one thing I learned is that they will teach me to give myself shots in the belly. I will have to do this twice a day for 2 or 3 weeks after the surgery. I don’t like needles but I guess I will just have to learn to do it. My wife told me she is not a nurse and she will not be giving me shots so I am on my own. I am getting real tired of this as this will be my 5th surgery in 6 years. At least they are able to repair me. When I saw the orthopaedic surgeon last fall he told me it looked like my warranty had expired. I will have to ask him if he gives frequent patient discounts. As a matter of fact I just got the hospital bill from my last surgery in July 2014 and I paid it after the class.

 

[WuzzFuzz]

Slap, pinch, stab...Job finished. If you use something like 30g in a 12.7 length needles, you'll never know you did it. You'll be looking at the syringe to see if there's anything in it to make sure you did give yourself a shot.
Piece of cake.

WuzzFuzz

 

[shaggist]

My Grandfather was diabetic and gave himself an insulin shot in the the belly roll everyday. Back then, the needles were bigger than now. Today's needles are so small, you can barely feel them.

 

[Oldiron]

Just curious EQ, what are the shots for? Are they going to give you a joint out of a rabid dog? Seriously though giving yourself shots is a piece of cake. Had to learn to give my mother shots when I was 13 or 14 and since I knew how, I was elected to stay with my Grandmother before she died of cancer when I was 16. After Uncle Sam the allergy doctor put me on shots, so I gave them to myself. When my daughter was a teen I had to give her allergy shots.
Look at the bright side, if you were diabetic, you could have to give yourself shots in the belly several times a day. Besides, giving them to yourself you can remember what works well and where.
Good Luck. Larry

 

[2hawk]

BTDT- had a diagnosis of PAD a few years ago, and the immediate action required was a shot of warfarin (aka rat poison) to try to break a clot. Had to do it for a week, so I guess it could've been worse.

If you want to have a deep thought or two on your own mortality, I highly recommend it.




NOT!

 

[American1776]

My guess is to prevent blood clots and embolisms.

My wife had to do this after she threw a pulmonary embolism about 3 weeks after her cessarian surgery. She had to be on injection blood thinners for a year.

Sorry to hear about your health problems. I hope you recover and are back to normal soon.

 

[Rpg]

It's no big deal.

It doesn't hurt.

It's not even uncomfortable.

It's less than trivial.

I've been doing it for years.

My granddaughter (now 9) enjoys giving me the shots when she stays with me (and has for the last 3 years).

If a six year old can do it, you can.

 

[EQGuy]

Just curious EQ, what are the shots for? Are they going to give you a joint out of a rabid dog? Seriously though giving yourself shots is a piece of cake. Had to learn to give my mother shots when I was 13 or 14 and since I knew how, I was elected to stay with my Grandmother before she died of cancer when I was 16. After Uncle Sam the allergy doctor put me on shots, so I gave them to myself. When my daughter was a teen I had to give her allergy shots.
Look at the bright side, if you were diabetic, you could have to give yourself shots in the belly several times a day. Besides, giving them to yourself you can remember what works well and where.
Good Luck. Larry

It is to prevent deep vein thrombosis after joint replacement surgery. I want to thank those of you that have reassured me that it is no big deal. It will be a new experience for me.

 

[da gimp]

I attended a joint replacement class at the hospital yesterday and one thing I learned is that they will teach me to give myself shots in the belly. I will have to do this twice a day for 2 or 3 weeks after the surgery. I don’t like needles but I guess I will just have to learn to do it. My wife told me she is not a nurse and she will not be giving me shots so I am on my own. I am getting real tired of this as this will be my 5th surgery in 6 years. At least they are able to repair me. When I saw the orthopaedic surgeon last fall he told me it looked like my warranty had expired. I will have to ask him if he gives frequent patient discounts. As a matter of fact I just got the hospital bill from my last surgery in July 2014 and I paid it after the class.

heck EQ... when my lung cancer returned in April of 2013... I had 3 major surgeries ( over 7 hours) & 7 little ones (3-5 hours) before the docs were done....

Me.. I give thanks to Him Who is Above us all, that the all wonderful people who took care of me at the University of Missouri Medical Center at Columbia, Mo. were able to keep my worthless sinner's hide alive....& I also say thank you to BC/BS of Minnesota... by the end of Dec of 2013 they'd paid out over $800,000 on me at that hospital, with Medicare A&B paying some too........We paid our $200.00 deductible... we are truly blessed.

Heck hand & to all our other friends here too, ... there are many wonderful children being treated at the Shriners Hospitals for Kids that have to have major surgeries each year...& for many years to come.. to correct severe orthopedic problems & burns they've got.... all to give them the best life that can be had ...

now if you ever start feeling low or picked on... go visit one of those Shriner's Hospitals... or St. Jude's Cancer Hospital for Children, Children's Mercy Hospital of KC, Mo. ... or any pediatric oncology wing of any major hospital.... because all the patients of those hospitals have it tough... & they are all just kids, & the laughter and joy in their smiles will cure your depression... it sure cured mine...... heck I'm an old man... blessed with a wonderful lady, 4 kids, grandkids & great grandkids..... our Father has truly blessed me & every other adult on this planet with long lives...it is up to us how our lives turn out..........

 

[WuzzFuzz]

Another trick of the trade....Take a ice cube and hold it on your belly for a minute before you give yourself a shot....You'll never know that you just gave yourself a shot.

AND...take your shirt off, and sit here at the computer with your pants and belt on...Notice that roll that sort of hangs over your belt.....Give it a pinch between your thumb and finger.....That's the place!!!!!!!!


WuzzFuzz

 

[Mydogmax]

I had to do it while going through chemo. Did it every night for about six months to thin out my blood. Truth be said, if done correctly, you don't really feel a thing. Sometimes you'll feel a slight prick, sometimes nothing and sometimes an ouch. Not the worst thing that you'll ever feel.
My wife offered to do it for me but I could picture her gripping the syringe with both hands and running full speed at me with a sadistic look on her face so I said I'd do it myself.

 

[Grip_Maker's_Wife]

Good idea to ask about the frequent patient discounts!

The shots to the stomach are not a big deal. It can be unnerving at first, but after a couple, not a big deal. The faster you do them the better.

You just got a hospital bill from 2014? I believe there is a law now that you must receive all medical bills associated with a visit or hospital stay in a "timely manner" which is deemed to be about 3-6 months otherwise you are not responsible. I could be wrong, but I remember reading about it. It stuck in my mind at the time because I remember getting some late bills once that drove me crazy and how they would come in one by one. I even got a $25 separate bill for a couple gauze bandages. Anyway, you might want to check into it.

 

[EQGuy]

Good idea to ask about the frequent patient discounts!

The shots to the stomach are not a big deal. It can be unnerving at first, but after a couple, not a big deal. The faster you do them the better.

You just got a hospital bill from 2014? I believe there is a law now that you must receive all medical bills associated with a visit or hospital stay in a "timely manner" which is deemed to be about 3-6 months otherwise you are not responsible. I could be wrong, but I remember reading about it. It stuck in my mind at the time because I remember getting some late bills once that drove me crazy and how they would come in one by one. I even got a $25 separate bill for a couple gauze bandages. Anyway, you might want to check into it.

In this case it was BC BS that took the time. They changed their computer programs and have been late in getting claims settled. The hospital submitted the bill in a timely manner. I don't mind paying the bill if I owe the money. The original hospital bill was for around $135,000 before BC BS negotiated a much lower payout.

 

[bamabiker]

I give myself 2 in the belly each week -allergy. Did it last night.
I rub one side with the alcohol swab, blow on that spot and just push the needle in. Don't have to stab it in. Then do the other side.
Not bad at all.
Here is a funny for you...
My sister-in-law's brother is scared to death of shots. Not long ago he had to have one and gave the nurse a fit before she was able to give it to him.
After she finished he told her if he ever had to get another one she would have to give him some valium first. She said if she ever has to give him another one she is going to take some valium.

 

[carpriver]

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for the past 15 years and have had to give myself shots all this time. you get use to it.

 

[RudyN]

Yep, I had to do that after my back surgery. The shots are to keep you from getting blood clots. I could barely feel the shot when I gave to myself in the belly.

 

[PatriotX]

It sounds like Lovenox.

If so, the most entertaining thing about it will be the colorful bruising at and around the injection site. You may also notice bruising in general, for sometimes even minor bumps.

Good luck, and as others have said, it's not a big deal as shots go.

 

[finesse_r]

Do you have to use one of those over sized, six and a half inch needles?

 

[explorer13421]

Fifty years or so ago I was giving myself allergy shots weekly. The doctor gave me a glass syringe with a metal needle. I cleaned them with alcohol after giving the shot in the stomach skin. After a while it got harder and harder to push the needle in, but I never thought to ask for a new needle and the doctor never said anything to warn me that a needle can get dull.

Compared to all of the other self-inflicted pain in the last fifty years, giving myself shots was nothing.

 

[EQGuy]

Do you have to use one of those over sized, six and a half inch needles?

Har Har, were you by any chance an Army medic? The nurse giving us the class told the story of the fellow that ran screaming from the room when she mentioned that we would have to give ourselves shots. The worst part of the surgery is getting the IV in place. I have deep veins and it is difficult to insert the IV so they normally place them in my hand. I had one nurse swear to me that the veins actually jumped away from the needle as she tried to insert the IV. I used to tell the nurses I was difficult to get an IV started but have discovered that that just makes some of them nervous so I finally wised up and just keep my mouth shut and let them find out for themselves. I did have to give one of my cats shots so I have some experience giving shots.