cjsmith | Didn't faint

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Didn't faint

I got through the demo mostly okay. Only afterward did it hit me. I spent a good ten minutes sitting on the floor feeling cold and clammy and numb, but I got down there in a controlled manner.

Not too bad.

The vet tech and the office manager were both very helpful. The office manager in particular deserves a very nice thank-you note, as this is the second time in less than a week that she's seen me all apprehensive about what I'm getting into and has taken the extra time to talk to me, give me helpful hints, reassure me, and answer questions. She's superb.

Duchess was fine throughout. I'm not at all sure she knew she was getting a shot. (Either that or, after we picked up folds of skin and poked fingers at them about 3846 times, she was thinking well FINALLY.) The demo was with saline, since I hadn't filled (or indeed even picked up) my prescriptions yet, so she'll get her first real dose this evening.

Errands now: post office, pharmacy, groceries.

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Yay for CJ! You made it! And I'm so glad Duchess was okay with the whole thing ... in the long run, I think shots are probably easier to give than pills because the cat usually doesn't mind. (Shots are much more of a nuisance to prepare, though -- so the aggravation value probably evens out, although it's better when it's easier on the cat.)

(Remind me of that if Val ever gets a diagnosis of diabetes. He's due for a checkup, and at his age and weight -- both pretty well up there -- I'll be surprised if he doesn't have it.)

You'll get used to giving the shots. When someone you love needs care, you find the resources to give it.

And when you have a phobia, constant exposure really does reduce it. My dentaphobia was so bad that I was terrified of even getting a cleaning, and had to take Valium in order to get through it. Now after all the times I've been in there, the only time I need a tranquilizer is when drilling is involved. I'm so used to going that I can manage pretty much anything else on my own by now.

You'll be the same way with the needles -- giving them to Duchess will eventually become just a routine inconvenience.

=BIG HUGS=

Phew! Thanks! :-) Duchess is a good-tempered cat, too, which helps a great deal. If

jackiecat ever gets this diagnosis -- and like you with Val, I worry, for the same reasons -- she'll be a lot harder to care for. I might not be able.

I think you're right that repeated exposure will help this one. I find it pretty annoying that the symptoms of my needle-hatred are so PHYSICAL; I can't "go on despite it" when it happens, because my muscles quit responding. But I do expect it'll get a lot better over time.

Yeah I suspect you'll get a lot faster with it too. Once you have the needle ready, it will turn into a 5 second event. When I had to do it with Boots, he didn't even notice I was doing anything. We always gave him treats afterwards though, so he did grow to expect that when he was grabbed by the scruff he'd get a treat soon afterwards :P

My brother's diabetic cat didn't mind shots, and actually came to request them after meals, since he in some Pavlovian way associated them with feeling better. I'm horrible with that kind of thing and I even learned to give them pretty fast; it's just subcutaneous. Hope Duchess is doing better soon.

I'm glad to hear so many people confirming that the cats seem to be fine with this sort of thing. That makes it easier on a skittish and nervous owner. Thanks!

To make ME feel better about giving the injections, I always gave my cats a little treat afterward. (A bit of turkey lunchmeat was their favorite.)

I always gave my cat injections at the same time. Because of the treat, they always came looking for their injection. (Just don't be dumb like me and pick the timeslot to be when you first get up on a work day. On non-work days, she'll be waking you up!)

Think about finding someone nearby who is willing to learn how to do the injections. When you travel, you'll need someone to stop by to do it, or else your only choice is boarding at the vet.

Oh, I like the treat idea! Duchess is getting more savvy about the fact that any time I see her I put her in a cat carrier, so she's starting to get hard to find. But she responds very well to yummies.

I learned today that three techs at the vet's office will do a house call for an injection from time to time or will pet-sit regularly while folks travel. I'm VERY happy about that one. The office is two miles from the house, so any of these folks could do a visit to my place on the way to or from work.

The house calls sound great! I'm glad to hear about that.

Cats used to be very low maintenance!

Didn't they, though? Ah, the good old days! ;-)

I was gonna volunteer 'cause I love needles!

But probably they'd be better at it than I would anyway :) Also, maybe you don't want someone who really LOVES needles near your cat, ya know?

(Though I think

auros will testify that I have never stabbed his kitties with a needle unnecessarily. Ok so I've never stabbed them with a needle at all.)

Yay! I'm glad it went so well. I hope it's something you'll both get desensitized to over time. And I'm glad your new vet is moving quickly to take care of things.

Thanks! I'm sure we'll both see it as routine in a short time. I am *very* happy with this vet so far. PHEW.

Sounds like you did just fine. You'll get used to it in no time. Sounds like Duchess is an excellent patient.

Thanks! As long as I don't collapse until after it's done, I'll be fine at this from the get-go. Niceties like remaining upright will just get me extra style points. :-) And yes, Duchess is a model patient. I'm very lucky.

You'll get good at giving the shots and she'll hopefully relax during them. I have to give Cato subcutaneous injections daily and that means inserting a 20 gauge needle in his neck for 10 minutes and pumping 200cc of electrolytes into him. It takes two of us to do it safely so we'll be happy when he can go to a non-daily schedule. The insulin shots can be done in seconds so you should be good to go.

Yes, insulin is a lot easier than subcutaneous fluids. It's a smaller needle and a LOT shorter duration! When can you go to a non-daily schedule? Is this related to his recent surgery?

We're not sure when we can change his schedule but I'm guessing after his next blood test. It isn't surgery related, its from his renal failure. They believe it was trauma induced.

I gave Mottle subq fluids (no electrolytes, just plain saline) for her kidney failure. She didn't like it in the winter when room temp was so much colder -- she'd always flinch when the cold hit her. But she was "the cat who was good with needles" -- twice daily insulin and thrice weekly fluids for at least a year. And the occasional ear-stick for the home blood glucose tests.

Princess used to love the subq drip in the summer. Nice and cool.

I've been giving injections to the tortoises (for the occasional antibiotic, not for regular insulin) for twenty years. It gets to be routine after a while. Although tortoises are easier to restrain than cats ... it's a lot harder to find the right spot (on a foreleg) and keep the tortoise from pulling into its shell.

I just bet! They evolved to protect themselves in a pretty good way, huh?

I will point out that for the first few days of giving injections to the first of my tortoises to need 'em, I was horribly squeamish, and needed much time before and after to (respectively) steel myself and calm down.

After a week of injecting Duchess, you'll find yourself saying "Eh. No big deal."

You are living proof that it can be done! :-)

I live very close to you. If you'd like help with the shots, especially these first several months as your body learns to cope with needles in better ways, give me a call and I'll be right there.

Thank you *very* much. That's an incredibly generous offer and I may very well find I need it once or twice. :-/

Glad you got through that. *hugs*

Thanks. I don't aim to be Posty McPostalot but I suspect I'll write up the first injection I give.

Post all you want/need to. :-)

Thanks. :)

You will get used to it, believe it or not. I used to be terribly needle-phobic, then I caught hepatitis--can you say massive amounts of blood work on a weekly basis for months?
Anyway, you get used to it. You'll be okay, Duchess will be okay.

Oh holy moly. That must have been a nightmare until you got more comfortable with needles. Yikes.

Now I'm rather cavalier about the whole thing--I just make sure that they know that there is a lot of scar tissue and to use a butterfly needle. I hate it when they don't listen to me about that!

A butterfly needle? Dare I ask what one of those is?

My understanding is that it's a needle with little 'cutting' edges. They cost more than regular needles, but for someone with roly veins that are hard to puncture, they're a godsend.

And when they don't listen there's lots of fumbling and pain, eh? Yeah, I like it when people listen. :-/

So where do you GET a sharps container? I forgot that part!

Drugstores carry sharps containers--usually in the pharmacy section.

OK, I'll head over there when the pharmacy's open again. Thanks!

First hurdle down! And it sounds like there's lots of support while this becomes a custom, which is a good thing.

And first injection tonight! I'm so proud of me... for trying, for fumbling my way through it, but mostly for catching her when she tried to run off with the dang thing still stuck in her skin.

Wow, go you! It's not easy, is it?

No, but it's getting easier. If I put treats down she plunks herself in front of them. If I put the treats in front of a wall she plunks herself in a spot where she has nowhere to run off.

So where do you get a sharps container? I forgot that part! Right now I'm capping them again and tossing them in my crock pot (solid, easy to clean). And how do I dispose of the contents of such a thing when it gets full?

Ooh, good question! I got them from my old work, and I had to dispose of them at regular (not animal) hospitals, and you should call ahead to be sure they'll take your biohazardous sharps.

As to where to get them, ask your vet or I'd look up medical supplies online. I never had to order...

I have a little while before I have to dispose of them, but hrm, I'll ask my pharmacy if they've got a container. Thanks!

It can't be too hard to get sharps containers, cuz lots of people need them for various self-injections. Ooh, I think I might still have a couple empty ones from Nitro's illness. If I still have them (and didn't purge them, cuz that's the sort of thing I do), would you like me to send them to you?

Oh gosh - not sure it's worth the shipping, but if they're pricey, please do and I'll pay postage!

Crap, I purged them. I knew I had one, but it was filled with used syringes.

How about this? http://www.sharpssupply.com/

Just a cursory google search. Sorry I'm so efficient at disposal...

Looks like Walgreen's has 'em, too...

http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=304070&navAction=jump&navCount=0&id=prod382635

[catching up on back LJing...]

Wow, you are so brave for facing such a thing that's such a personal fear for you! It's amazing what kitties can inspire us to do! And I admire that you're determined to see this through and face your fear! Yaaaaay for you and Duchess!!

Hope the insulinating is continuing along OK....

*HUGS*

Thanks! Amazing what we can do when we have a good reason. I love my sweet trusting fluffball.

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