Update on the Booty :)

This is Jenn:

So, yesterday was my first PIO shot (better known as projesterone in oil). I've been really dreading this one, since its a booger. I have friends that have had this shot, and had lots of pain, swelling, and problems. The nurse even did her best to completely freak me out by telling me all of the possible problems I could have. Thanks, but seriously, I really didn't need to hear all of the negatives!

Ok, the details: This shot is given the upper, outer quadrant of the buttocks, or booty I as call it :) The needle is about a hundred feet long, and thicker than a straw, and the oil that is injected is just that...oil. It doesn't just dissipate into the muscle it is injected into, and it doesn't inject quickly. Oh, and did I mention it goes into the booty muscle?!? Yeah, loads of fun people!!

And OK, maybe its not thicker than a straw, but seriously, its big! Really, really big when you are needle-phobe :(

And in case you are wondering, the needle-phobe is not me...its the one giving the shot in my booty, Michael. He does not like needles....AT ALL! In fact, when we were at the doctor's office for our med teaching visit (where she goes over each med, how & when to take it, how to give the injections, etc.), she whipped out the needle for the PIO shot and Michael almost fainted! She noticed him turning very pale and quicly put it away :) So, how did I end up with him giving me the shots, you ask? Simple...I cannot give them to myself, and no one else can do it for me. It was him, or I'd be making a trip to a nurse-friend's house each & every night for the next 12 weeks - no thanks!

So anyway, back to my story.... Sunday was the first injection; on Saturday I was sitting and thinking about the logistics of it...the fact that it needs to be given around the same time each day...that morning would be better than evening because I can sit on heat througout the day, and moving around will help the oil to absorb slight faster than just shooting up and going to bed for 8 hours. And I suddenly realized that Michael was my only hope - and I got scared. He wasn't thrilled about it either, but after I explained the potential problems of doing it at night, he agreed that a morning shot would definitely be better. Thankfully, one of my other nurse-friends had a "practice butt" that she loaned us to practice on. Tho it is nothing like the real thing, it gave Michael something to use while trying to get the injection pressure just right. When I explained to him that he couldn't just slowly press it into the skin & into the muscle (because that would just really, really hurt), he quickly figured out that this wasn't as easy it might sound. So guess what we spent our Saturday evening doing? Yep, sitting on the bed, playing with needles :)

Sunday morning rolled around and I slept in - or really layed in, since I wasn't really asleep, but wasn't in a big hurry to be impaled. We had someplace to be yesterday, but I was procrastinating. I went to bed dreading the shot, and woke up really dreading the shot. I was scared...plain & simple!

But, wouldn't you be?
(I am trying to insert a picture here, but Blogger is having some trouble, apparently!)

Anyway, after putzing around for about 15 minutes, I finally decided that it was now or never.

We figured that laying flat on the bed would be the most comfortable way to do the injection, since the muscle would be relaxed. I read the directions to Michael, step-by-step, while he very intently filled the syringe to 1/2 cc, rubbed the alcohol swab on my posterior, changed out the needle (it is drawn up through a straw-sized needle, but injected with something slight smaller - emphasis on the word slightly), stretched the skin taught, and counted to 3. I, on the other hand, had my face buried in my pillow, praying that I could lay perfectly still and not squeal.

1...2...3...stab. It was in, and I hardly felt it! I quickly reminded him to asperate (pull up on the syringe just slightly to be sure there was no blood - which would indicate he hit a vein), and then he began injecting...very, very slowly. And then, it was over. He quickly rubbed the spot for a few minutes, applying the necessary pressure, then informed me that he was going to go throw up.

But it was done! He survived it, I survived it, and neither of us passed out :)

Now, only 12 more weeks to go!!!

*Michael did not throw up, by the way. He was my Superman and did a great job!!