It dawned on me over a week ago that when I go for my work trip & mini day break with mum up to DC tomorrow, I will not have my handy man (AKA hubby) with me to administer the progesterone in oil injection.  Uhoh, I worried that I would not be able to do it on my own – have you seen the size of that needle?  It’s 3 times the size of the one that is injected into my abdomen!!  The first time I tried to inject myself was a complete failure, I froze to the spot.  There was little chance of me administering this 1.5″ long needle myself – in my buttocks.  I thought I was going to have to cut our trip short, until I realised that my mum could do it!!!

Now – my mum is a self admitted needle phobe.  Fortunately, she is only a needle phobe from needles being administered to herself.  She works in a school and has administered an epi-pen to a child before.  The challenge to inject me with this ginormous needle still was not insurmountable.  So we got mum into training ASAP.  Once Chris had tried administering the injection on me once, he then started training my mum.

First night of training – observation.  Mum observed Chris and he explained every step he took.  Here is a simple 10 step programme.

• Step 1: Prepare items: 1.5″ 22G needle, progesterone in oil, gauze, x2 alcohol swabs, sharps container, ice pack for numbing, heat pad for massaging afterwards.

• Step 2: Dani lies face down on bed and Dani ices the buttock that will be injected (change from L-R buttock every day)
• Step 4: Prepare medication: take lid off progesterone bottle, alcohol swab top, extract 1ml of progesterone using needle, check for air bubbles.
• Step 5: Alcohol swab injection area on buttocks, Dani looks away :-s
• Step 6: Breathe!!!
• Step 7: Pull skin apart at injection site and hold down.  Let Dani know you are going to stab her 3-2-1: stab!
• Step 6: Pull back on needle slightly to check for blood, if air bubble is seen, all is good
• Step 7: Inject progesterone
• Step 8: Remove needle and place gauze on injection site & massage.
• Step 9. Dani continues to massage injection site area with heat pad for about 10 minutes.
• Step 10: Go have a cigarette to calm your nerves (mummy, not Dani!!!)

Second night of training – prepare medicine with Chris’s guidance, observe Chris injecting again.  Practice injection using lemon and vegetable oil to get feel of how hard it needs to be ‘darted’ into the skin.

By the way – when life gives you lemons…..stab em with a needle and inject vegetable oil. Waaaaay more fun than making lemonade!!!

Third night of training – prepare medicine without Chris’s guidance (Chris observes), Chris injects again while observing.  Continue practicing with lemon.

Fourth night of training – prepare medicine.  Inject with Chris’s guidance.  (Success!!! Mum has a little lie down with me afterwards, she was nervous, but I hardly felt a thing!!)

Fifth night of training – on own administer everything without Chris’s guidance, Chris observes and only interrupts once to slightly change the grip on the needle.  Mum is now fully Qualified!

D-Day: She did it!!!! Mum did this all on her own without any help from me at all.  I am so grateful and proud of you Mum!

I tried practicing with the lemon against on my bottom to see if I could do it my self just in case – and it is possible on my left side, but very difficult on the right side, so despite my needle phobia I would probably still need help to inject on my right side.

After Mum qualified and passed her 5 night training plan, she told me that throughout this she has learned that the you can overcome anything for your children. Awwww. Thanks Mum, I love you lots and can’ thank you enough for overcoming your fear to help us out.