When my kids took vet science in 4H, they had to practice giving injections. We bought oranges and syringes. Put a little food coloring in a glass of water, draw some up, then inject the orange. For IM injections, jab straight in. For SQ injections, slip needle at an angle just under the skin. Opening the orange up afterward made it easy to see the results.
One other tip – from my rheumy’s nurse: grab a handful of skin. She also said that since these are really short needles, angle isn’t as critical as it would be with longer needles. Whew!
One part that I’d forgotten, but has been pointed out numerous times in the past couple weeks, is that you’re supposed to jab quickly. Don’t make a long process out of it. Stick the needle in like you’re throwing a dart.
I’m not nervous, I’m NOT nervous…
I can do this…
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If you go to YouTube and search for “enbrel injection,” you’ll find videos people have posted giving themselves shots. There are examples of both the auto-injector pen and the syringe.
YES! Do it like a dart, very quickly, and you’ll hardly feel it at all.
You really can do it, and it’ll get easier and faster each time.
I DID IT!
I didn’t feel the needle at all – actually looked to see if somehow I’d missed because I couldn’t feel it 🙂
Woohooo WarmSocks!
Yay! So glad it went well.
I still sometimes check to be sure it went in, because it’s true, you really don’t feel it when you do it quickly.
This is a case where “slow and steady” does not win the race! Jab fast, inject slow. Praying that the biological does it work on your RA.
Well done you!!!