[Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

Fri May 22 02:22:27 UTC 2015

Apology accepted.  It's OK.  It just kind a made me wonder.  It's all good.

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 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

>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
>
>
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