[Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

Fri May 22 02:16:36 UTC 2015

It's fine to post on this list, but since it's a general list, you
might only get a few informed replies. The other lists are more
specialized so you are likely to get more expert responses there. But
you can definitely post on this list in addition to the others. I hope
some of the replies here have been helpful.
Arielle

On 5/21/15, Christopher-Mark Gilland via blindtlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> The other reason I posted these questions here is, I'm on enough lists as
> is.  I don't think you understand!  I literally get probably about 3 to 4
> thousand e-mails, literally, that are not spam, a day!  The last thing I
> need right now is to clutter my daily inbox even further.  I was under the
> impression that this list was OK to ask such questions.  It's so strange how
>
> everyone else seems on here to ask questions, and they're welcomed with open
>
> arms, but when I very very very very seldomly have posted content, if it's
> not responding to an already opened thread, I get directed elseware.  No
> offense, but what's this list for, if I can't post without being told to go
>
> somewhere else?  Maybe I'm over-reacting, and if so, I'm sorry, but it kind
>
> a makes me not feel very welcome here, and that's why I hardly ever write
> the list, frankly.
>
> Yell at me for this post if you want, but I had to say something, as with
> all due most respect, this is becoming real old, real fast!
>
> I'm not offended, nor angry, however yes, admittedly, I'm incredibly
> irritated.
>
> Chris.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Andrews via blindtlk" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
> Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 10:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.
>
>
>> Yes, blparent is a good source, also diabetes-talk would be good as those
>>
>> folks, most of them, give themselves shots on a daily basis, links for the
>>
>> two lists are as follows:
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> At 08:11 PM 5/21/2015, you wrote:
>>>Hi Chris. There's another list on NFBNet called BlParent. You may want
>>>to post your questions there for feedback from blind parents and
>>>caregivers. For the oral med, if the child is cooperative, you could
>>>perhaps fill the spoon and hand it to her to swallow the contents,
>>>then have her hand the spoon back to you so you can verify she took
>>>the med. Or scoop into a cup as was suggested. As for injections, I
>>>don't know what alternative techniques blind people use to find the
>>>injection site. I know blind people give themselves shots so I imagine
>>>it is doable. However, I don't think giving a shot is part of the
>>>typical duties for babysitting, and if it makes you anxious, then I
>>>think it is perfectly reasonable to tell the mom you aren't
>>>comfortable. It has nothing to do with blindness but with your comfort
>>>around needles. I am needle phobic myself and would probably not be
>>>willing to give a shot to myself or someone else unless there was no
>>>other option. Especially not to a squirming screaming child.
>>>Arielle
>>>
>>>On 5/21/15, Diane Vlasoff via blindtlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> > I raised 3children as My vision deteriorated.  As to the first
>>> > question,  I
>>> > got a teaspoon sized eyedropper from the pharmacist.  No spills and a
>>> > full
>>> > dose of med.  I have never given a shot but my aunts were both RNs.  I
>>> > remember one of them telling me they first learned by injecting water
>>> > into
>>> > oranges.  Practice seems a good thing.  Then I am sure they used
>>> > normal
>>> > saliene and used each other as guinea pigs.  Good luck!
>>> >
>>> > Diane Vlasoff
>>> >
>>> > On May 21, 2015, at 5:19 PM, Christopher-Mark Gilland via blindtlk
>>> > <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > 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.
>>
>>         David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
>> E-Mail:  dandrews at visi.com or david.andrews at nfbnet.org
>>
>>
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