To describe my first week on hormone replacement I must compare it to an old car firing up for the first time in years. I was trying to get my life restarted, I got my first injection and then started sputtering to life. I'm far from fixed, jacked or even normal, but I have small glimpses of hope.
I've had a small increase in sex drive, I've been a little more interested in things I used to enjoy, like working on cars, and I've had a touch more energy. I even did some physical work without hating every second of it last week. My changes are nothing like some have described long term, but it's only my first week, I didn't expect anything and was pleasantly surprised.
Tonight I did my first self injection. It was supposed to be tomorrow around noon to be right on the week, I didn't think 13 hours early would have made a whole lot of difference.
I had to travel to my client's location this week, so I've been completely on my own in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere. I'm going to be honest, I have been dreading this this I realized I would be completely alone for my first self injection.
All day long I've been thinking about tomorrow. I knew the closer I got the more distracted I would be, and that's not good for a business owner spending the day with a very important client. So on my way back to the hotel today I decided I'm doing it tonight.
I sat in the chair, shaking I cleaned the bottle. I injected air in the bottle and waited for the syringe to fill while my anxiety grew. "What if I hit a vein?? What if I really screw up and hit the bone? Or that nerve everyone talks about?!"
I removed the draw needle and screwed on the injection needle. I felt my leg, flexed the muscle and found my target. Cleaned with an alcohol pad, then wondered if I cleaned well enough. So I did it again. Let's be honest, I was scared and I was delaying.
I took the cap off the injection needle. I saw a video that said pushing a drop out will lube the needle, so I did that. I aimed at my target, and couldn't bring myself to dart. I slowly moved the needle towards my leg waiting to feel it contact the skin. My plan was to get to that point, take a breath and go. To my surprise the needle bottomed out before I felt a thing. I was amazed, I didn't feel any sensation of the needle.
So now this needle is in my leg, I remember to aspirate. I pull up on the plunger and no blood. I think to myself "did I pull hard enough?" So I tried again. Still no blood. Convinced that the needle is where it should be I start pushing. Uneventfully the oil flows into my leg.
I pulled the needle out and kinda blanked on what I was supposed to do, I was so damn nervous about getting the thing in I didn't pay enough attention to finishing up. I had a little oil flow back out of the site before I got my band aid and pressure on it. The bandage has a drop of blood on it, but next to none. I've had zits bleed more.
I need to review the end section of protocol, I remember reading about what to do if the oil flows out, but I don't recall what I was supposed to do. I really don't think the drop that escaped was all that much in the big scheme, but I don't want to make a habit of leaking.
Tl;dr: newb uneventful gives himself his first injection.
I wanted to share the whole story because other people's stories of first injection helped me a lot. I hope mine could as well. Thanks to everyone who posted their story.
I've had a small increase in sex drive, I've been a little more interested in things I used to enjoy, like working on cars, and I've had a touch more energy. I even did some physical work without hating every second of it last week. My changes are nothing like some have described long term, but it's only my first week, I didn't expect anything and was pleasantly surprised.
Tonight I did my first self injection. It was supposed to be tomorrow around noon to be right on the week, I didn't think 13 hours early would have made a whole lot of difference.
I had to travel to my client's location this week, so I've been completely on my own in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere. I'm going to be honest, I have been dreading this this I realized I would be completely alone for my first self injection.
All day long I've been thinking about tomorrow. I knew the closer I got the more distracted I would be, and that's not good for a business owner spending the day with a very important client. So on my way back to the hotel today I decided I'm doing it tonight.
I sat in the chair, shaking I cleaned the bottle. I injected air in the bottle and waited for the syringe to fill while my anxiety grew. "What if I hit a vein?? What if I really screw up and hit the bone? Or that nerve everyone talks about?!"
I removed the draw needle and screwed on the injection needle. I felt my leg, flexed the muscle and found my target. Cleaned with an alcohol pad, then wondered if I cleaned well enough. So I did it again. Let's be honest, I was scared and I was delaying.
I took the cap off the injection needle. I saw a video that said pushing a drop out will lube the needle, so I did that. I aimed at my target, and couldn't bring myself to dart. I slowly moved the needle towards my leg waiting to feel it contact the skin. My plan was to get to that point, take a breath and go. To my surprise the needle bottomed out before I felt a thing. I was amazed, I didn't feel any sensation of the needle.
So now this needle is in my leg, I remember to aspirate. I pull up on the plunger and no blood. I think to myself "did I pull hard enough?" So I tried again. Still no blood. Convinced that the needle is where it should be I start pushing. Uneventfully the oil flows into my leg.
I pulled the needle out and kinda blanked on what I was supposed to do, I was so damn nervous about getting the thing in I didn't pay enough attention to finishing up. I had a little oil flow back out of the site before I got my band aid and pressure on it. The bandage has a drop of blood on it, but next to none. I've had zits bleed more.
I need to review the end section of protocol, I remember reading about what to do if the oil flows out, but I don't recall what I was supposed to do. I really don't think the drop that escaped was all that much in the big scheme, but I don't want to make a habit of leaking.
Tl;dr: newb uneventful gives himself his first injection.
I wanted to share the whole story because other people's stories of first injection helped me a lot. I hope mine could as well. Thanks to everyone who posted their story.
