Okay let me start this off with saying I know this is my fault and I'm going to try again tonight but y'all are the only people I can vent to without getting laughed at about this.

So I hate needles but I'm biweekly on shots so I've done about 12 so far. Today was my third self injection. So I got it all prepared, got the needle in and aspirated but forgot that I'm using orange needles instead of green so when I looked down I thought I saw blood. No big it sucks but I'll inject again right?

Well as a kid I never watched them do a shot this was my third self one so I didn't know to check that my needle was tight and got the needle in only to have the T pore out when I went to inject. Now I have to try again, I've wasted a dose stuck myself twice already. Now I feel the need to cry but can't and since I have to work this is going to bother me all night and make me anxious about it when I get home.

Oh and since I did my shot in my moms bathroom I had to scrub it down with alcohol sink toilet and floor and my leg will alcohol take care of it? This sucks

well honestly, you should hae your prescribing doctor show you how to do it, and then supervise you doing it several times. I take it that you are injecting  in the thigh muscle? Well, the first thing you want to do is make sure that your weight is on the opposdite side of injection, dont jump or squirm when initially poked, that is what makes IM injetions so painful. Then pinchsome skin and sink the needle into the muscle. You will want to pull back on the plunger once you are in muscle to make sure that you wont inject into a vein. o blood, slowly depress plunger, remove needle. Place cotton on injection site and tape with band-aid... also, you should alternate sides with each injection. So if your last injection was on the left thigh the next one will go on the right. With IM injections you need to make sure that you are in the muscle! very important!

And lastly, man up (this i say with love) and handle it! No seriously, you can do it! If you want the results you'll make it happen!!

Coming from a fellow needlephobe, that sounds like it would suck.  If you're not feeling confident about it, could you set up a checklist to go through first?  Also if I remember right wasn't your mother giving you your shots beforehand?  Maybe she'd be willing to do it when you're not comfortable with doing it yourself. 

http://www.barbaraharmon.com/store/products/1_medical_illustration/page/2/13_z-track_injection_technique/

http://nursingcrib.com/nursing-notes-reviewer/fundamentals-of-nursing/z-track-method/

Making a checklist would probably help and it would keep your mind on checking stuff instead of doing the injection.

For me, I had a huge problem doing my injections fast because for some reason I'd go to do it and my vision would instantly become weird...the needle would be curved, I would sweat and get very nauseous. I slowed down to do my shots instead of speeding it up. This worked for me.

I also have to say that the z-track method is actually kind of hard to do correctly. I tried it once and...well...let's just say it didn't work out for me.

I take it that most postings come from ftm's my question is (im mtf) first are you going through a dr for this? if not you should be. I am in my 17th month hrt through a dr. I go in once a mointh, they take my vitals, do blood work every 6 months and then they administer my shot. I really hope that im wrong, but it kinda sounds like you arre doing black market T. I know how important it is to be doing something towards transition, but thrugh a dr you WILL get the maximim results withthe least risk to your health. You are special and part of the family, i want you around! Be careful

There's no reason to be worried. Most guys just get a demonstration of their first shot from their doctor to know what to do so they can do it at home. In my case, this was even encouraged by my endocrinologist because it's much cheaper than having a doctor do it every time since they're usually weekly shots. I'm sure these guys have been shown how properly, but nerves can cause anyone to mess up.

SuperKitty- Thanks for the advice on how to go about it. I guess I need to clear a few things up. My prescribing doctor (I am seeing one, I also did therapy and not informed consent) asked me if I had someone who knew how to do shots. I told her yes because my mom knows how to do them and had said beforehand that if I needed her to at first she would. I had gotten 9 shots from her in the past with no issues so when it came time for me to do my own, being a needle phobe I was nervous but was ready. I had already learned how to do it but never thought about the needle popping off because I didn't realize I needed to tighten it. The syringes I usually get have a green needle attachment, my new ones have orange so I thought it was blood when I looked down, it was really the orange needle thing and the T tinting it to make it look orange. I did the first two no problems, aspirated just fine and so on. This time around however my mom was home and I think it was me relying on her that was the issue because I came home the other night and had no issues. Needle went right in, no blood and although I have some muscle soreness I'm good I wonder though why you thought I wasn't getting it the way I should though  The only why I could think a person could do that would be online and honestly I don't even trust buying vitamins online so I definitely wouldn't trust T online.

Espenoah- Yeah, I think it was nerves. Did just fine when I wasn't relying on my mom.... I guess I'm a momma's boy and it made me nervous.

Nygeel and Lee- I think I will try out a checklist and Lee yeah, she was but our schedules don't ever leave time for her to do them so I'm doing them myself

Spacial- Thanks for the links but I've heard bad results, extra pain, and other problems due to the Z-track method but thank you again

PLeased you liked the links Andrew. I do know a number of health professionals don't like z track but ofr other reasons.

At the end of the day though, it's all down to you.

The basic technique does need to be mastered, though it certainly isn't the most difficult part.

Doing it isn't easy for anyone. Those with other, related problems, it might just build up.

But at the end of the day Andrew, you are going to have to do what diabetics, many of whom I've spoken to, have done, and get one with it.

You'd be surprised to discover just how many complain that it's boring.

Quote from: superkitty036 on June 11, 2011, 02:16:51 PM
I take it that most postings come from ftm's my question is (im mtf) first are you going through a dr for this? if not you should be. I am in my 17th month hrt through a dr. I go in once a mointh, they take my vitals, do blood work every 6 months and then they administer my shot. I really hope that im wrong, but it kinda sounds like you arre doing black market T. I know how important it is to be doing something towards transition, but thrugh a dr you WILL get the maximim results withthe least risk to your health. You are special and part of the family, i want you around! Be careful

Most trans guys on testosterone do their own shots since the shots are somewhere between once a week and once every other week. Going to a doctor that often for just a shot is a bit of a problem. Also, testosterone is a controlled substance. It's pretty hard to get without a prescription.

okay i am releived that you are going through a dr. I have  known other mtf's that5 have really jeaperdized their health with black market hormones (E). I myself am going through some health issues, thoiugh not related to hrt (and no its not hiv either). i didnt mean to be a bit**