[Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

Julie J. julielj at neb.rr.com
Fri May 22 02:38:54 UTC 2015 

To do subcutaneous injections, I've found that it is easiest to gently pinch 
the skin and pull it away from the underlying muscles.  Then you inject into 
the skin you have pulled up, being sure not to press the needle all the way 
through and out the other side.

All I know about the situation is what you have written here.  To me there 
was a lot of description about how emotional the situation is for you, with 
a blindness question at the end.   I hope you figure out a solution that 
works for you as well as the mom and kiddo.

Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now 
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
-----Original Message----- 
From: Christopher-Mark Gilland via blindtlk
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 8:49 PM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Cc: Christopher-Mark Gilland
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Two questions about administerring medicine.

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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>
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