[Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

Fri May 22 01:49:26 UTC 2015

It's going right under the skin.  Not into a muscel.  That's why it's more 
tricky for me, as I don't have to push as hard to get it in, and I'm just 
nurvous I'll push to hard.

With all due respect, I disagree strongly  with your comment regarding it 
not being blindness related.  The problem is, yes, though I don't want to 
hurt her, I inevitably am going to.  It's a shot!  It's gonna! hurt! 
Period!  The issue is more, I'm fearful because I cannot see the tip of the 
needle, and I can't therefore seem to be able to feel when it pierces the 
skin.  I can't use her screaming as a guide, as she's doing that 2 minutes 
before I even toucher let alone! sticker.  I have to keep soothing her, 
saying, sweety pie, I've not even touched you yet!  Why're you crying?  The 
last time I did it about a week and a half ago, I'll admit, I almost did it 
successfully, but right at the very last second, she riggled, and made me 
lose my concentration.  Finally the mom just had to go hand-over-hand and 
guide me.

I do agree with Arielle, that I shouldn't be made to do this if it's 
freaking me out that badly.  I may just have to tell her, I can't keep 
watching Chelsea if you're gonna insist me doing this.  I have no problem 
giving her the other stuff, but... yeah...

I think, if I was! to keep trying, I probably could get the hang of it, but 
seeing I only watch her maybe once a month, I'm not sure it's worth me 
putting forth the effort that it would take.

Chris.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J. via blindtlk" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 9:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

> For the liquid medication, use an oral syringe.  It's like a regular 
> syringe, but without a needle.  You use a knife or scissors to mark the 
> plunger, so when it's pulled out  to the tactile mark the correct amount 
> of liquid will be in the syringe.  Fill it by putting the tip into the 
> liquid and pulling back the plunger.  You can usually hear or feel if you 
> are pulling in air, but a few practice runs should clear up any concerns. 
> The medication won't spill or even drip until you press the plunger.  You 
> can squirt it into her mouth.
>
> For the needle syringe question...I have given injections to dogs.  I held 
> the dog's leg with my left hand, with my thumb next to where I was aiming. 
> Then I'd put the needle in right next to my thumb so I could use it as a 
> reference point for how far it was going in.  I could feel the resistance 
> though, which also helped in knowing how far into the muscle I was.  Are 
> you injecting into a muscle, just under the skin or into fat?  There's a 
> different technique for subcutaneous injections.
>
> Honestly though, I think most of your concerns are not about blindness, 
> but about your fear of causing the girl pain.   That's understandable and 
> it's something you'll need to sort out.  Sometimes though, I think we 
> attribute too many things to blindness, when they are just ordinary life 
> concerns.  My question about ketchup bottles is in this category.  Really 
> it isn't so much about blindness as it is general frustration with a 
> common struggle for everyone.  I have witnessed sighted folks trying to 
> get the ketchup to come out of the bottle, shaking, thumping, using their 
> butter knife and swearing profusely.  BTW swearing seems to work just as 
> well as the other techniques!
>
> I hope you find success in your babysitting endeavors,
> Julie
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Christopher-Mark Gilland via blindtlk
> Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 7:19 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Cc: Christopher-Mark Gilland
> Subject: [Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.
>
> I have two questions.  Again, now, I'm the one who probably is askking
> admittedly a very valid question, but yet a somewhat awquard question.
>
> I often have to babysit a little girl.  She's the  sweetest little thing 
> at
> 4 years old, but blesser heart, she has two medications she has to take on 
> a
> regular basis.  Usually, her mom gives them to her before leaving her for
> the evening in my care, but the mom has expressed that she really would 
> like
> for me to learn to do this myself for her.  It's not a matter of her being
> lazy and not wanting to take care of her child.  Don't even go there! 
> It's
> just she is in her words, trying to prove to me that I can! do this, and
> that just because I am blind, doesn't mean anything in context of the 
> action
> at hand.
>
> So, here's more specifically the deal.  She has to be given a kitchen 
> spoon
> sized doce of liquid medicine.  I know it's usually the same principle as
> putting liquid on a spoon when cooking then putting it in your mixing bowl
> or whatever, but I cannot for the life of me find an easy way to do this.
> I'm always so frightened that I'm gonna miss and hit her eye, or bopper on
> the nose or worse when trying to get it in her mouth.  She usually does 
> open
> up, which is a plus.  I don't think she really minds the taste, but it's
> just very hard for me, as I get really nurvous, and my hands start
> trembling.  I'm not so much scared of getting it in her mouth, as I am of
> spilling it off the spoon.  Yeah, I could pour it in a little cup then 
> just
> have her drink it that way, but then it makes it really really hard to
> measure out the correct amount, and I'd be scared I'd give her too much, 
> or
> too little.
>
> The other med she has to take is much, and I do mean much much much much!
> more difficult.  I do want some hints on the above, but here's the one I'm
> r'r'r'r'really! struggling with that I desperetly! could use some blind 
> tips
> on.  She also has to take a medication which is injected as a shot.  Poor
> baby!  And what makes it worse is, she's not exactly a very good sport 
> about
> it either.  To say she's really brave is bigger than the state of Texas of 
> a
> lie.  LOL!  Let's just say, you'd better be wearing ear plugs or cotton
> balls if you have sensitive ears, as it's ear screeching!  Anyway, the 
> thing
> is, I don't just get scared the few times I've been asked to give it to 
> her,
> but I just about pannick myself.  I know, one would say to me, there's my
> first problem right there!  Don't? pannick!  The first time I start that,
> I'll make it more scarey for her, plus, I'll start doing dumb things.  The
> mom has said for me to start by just taking a deep breath before I do it,
> but my biggest concern is, I can't feel  the point of the needle when it
> goes in.  Oh yeah, she screams bloody murder, which is usually an 
> indication
> that I'm in, at which point, I push the plunger until it clicks, but my
> thing is, I can't see it go in, and being it's so sharp, I have naturally 
> a
> really really heavy hand.  I'm scared I'll jabber!  Actually, a few times, 
> I
> have made about a half inch cut on her arm where she wenced back flinching
> in pain, and therefore my hand slipped.  I don't wanna grab her little arm
> too hard, as it's gonna hurt her already escrutiatingly as is, but then, 
> you
> add my tight grip on top a that?  No? thank you!  We've tried having her 
> lie
> down on her bed on her back, so that she can only resist but so much, but 
> it
> still is very difficult.  Further, I'm even just as much scared that if I
> feel where I'm about to stick her, for one, it won't be staril, and for 2,
> I'm just as much, if not more, frightened that I'll wind up accidentally
> sticking myself.  Granted, I've not hit the plunger, so it's not like I'd
> get any of the medication, God forbid, but it still would hurt like a son 
> of
> a gun!
>
> So, if any of you who're blind with absolutely no vision at all like 
> shapes,
> colors, etc. have given an injection, especially even more so if it was to 
> a
> little rugrat, how do you safely do this?  The mom is really insistant on,
> you can do this, you just need to relax, and calm down.  I just feel I'm
> always so tense, and hurky jerky when I do it.  There's gotta be a way!
>
> Chris.
>
>
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