[Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

[David Andrews]

I am sorry if you mis-understood the purpose of my message -- 
suggesting other lists.  I was not saying you shouldn't ask here -- 
your questions are entirely appropriate for this list.  My only point 
in posting alternatives was in case you don['t get the answers you 
need here.  Your questions, particularly the second one, are a little 
specialized, and I thought asking people who did this daily would be 
a good source.  I am sorry I didn't make that clear.

If your questions weren't appropriate for this list, I would have let you know.

David Andrews, Moderator and List Owner

At 09:07 PM 5/21/2015, you 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