IMjections

Needles. Actually typing that word makes me feel a little nauseous. A nurse is here, going over some simple diagrams with my mom about how to do an IM injection, while I sit idly by, trying not to listen, but its very difficult. When my 'vastus lateralis' and a syringe appear in the same sentence, I can feel my fear coursing through my neck, making my arteries bulge with the quickening heart-rate. There is a lot of vocabulary being discussed right now that is so not cool for a parlor chat.

Apparently, putting a needle into your thigh is simple; the needle is so sharp it will cut through flesh like butter.
->As an aside, obsidian makes the sharpest possible blade, and it is even used as a scalpel blade. Unlike its metal counterpart, the obsidian blade will actually cut between cells, rather than ripping through. Isn't that nice? Wikipedia has such wonderful and terrifying powers.

Anyways, the basics of how to do an IM injection into your thigh (notes approved by the lovely nurse who visited) is this:

1. Pick the site, by choosing the middle third of your leg, from somewhere above the knee to below the thigh.
2. Clean the site w/ the lovely perfume-smelling rubbing alcohol pad (jkjk). Put another pad between the pinky and ring fingers of your non-dominant hand for later.
3. Pinch the muscle in your leg, and pick your spot.
4. Put it in on a 90 degree angle into the pinched muscle spot, and then release.
5. Suck back on the syringe to check for blood- hitting a vessel of some sort.
6. Inject. Depress syringe.
7. Use the pad between your other fingers to press down on the skin near where the needle is, and then pull the needle out. This stops ripping of your delicate tissues (I don't like the sound of that).

And tada. You've just shot up. Tres cool and chic *rolls eyes. I wouldn't use that info without first learning from a physician/nurse - and a prescription.

I have all the information I need, and still I am terrified. I think I'll go back to flipping through this vegan cookbook I got out of the library. Ciao, and wish we luck.