Shots of T

So yesterday I had an appointment with a nurse and I learned how to do self injections of Testosterone.  Being that I had never once given myself an injection, and knowing that in the past all of my intramuscular injections that I have received were slightly painful I psyched myself up.  The nurse took me through all of the steps:

• Get Materials
• Testosterone bottle
• Sterile syringe and 2 sterile needles
• Alcohol wipes or cotton swabs with alcohol on them
• Hard plastic container (to dispose of the syringe and needles
• Wash your hands
• Fill syringe
• Clean the rubber stopper of the vial with an alcohol wipe and allow to dry
• Unwrap syringe and screw on needle
• Pull the plunger up to have the same amount of air as you will need medication
• Take off needle cover
• Insert the needle into the rubber stopper while the vial is upright
• Push plunger down to release the air into the vial (do not put air in the medication because it will cause bubbles)
• Turn the vial upside down and pull back on the plunger a tiny bit further than the prescribed amount
• Make sure that the tip of the needle is in the medication rather than in the air of the vial
• Look for air bubble, if there are any flick the syringe with your fingernail or a pen
• Adjust the plunger to the right dosage level
• Turn the vial upright and remove the needle by pulling the syringe straight up
• Replace needle cover
• Pull back on plunger to allow for some air to enter
• Screw off needle and replace with a new sterile needle
• The needle will be dull going through the rubber stopper so it is easier if you replace it with a new needle
• Push plunger up slowly and release any air
• Cleaning the injection sight
• Find a spot on the outside of your thigh and wipe it down with an alcohol swab
• Allow for the alcohol to dry
• Intramuscular Injection
• Remove the needle cover
• Hold needle an inch or so above the leg
• Take deep breathes (don't hyperventilate) and while breathing out dart the needle through the skin into the muscle
• With your non dominant hand hold on to the syringe, and with the dominant hand pull back on the plunger slightly
• If blood flows back into the syringe you must start over with new medication, syringe and needles
• If no blood appears slowly push down on the plunger to inject the medication
• After the syringe is empty hold it there for 10 seconds
• Remove needle and put an alcohol swab over the injection sight, put pressure on sight and if necessary place a band aid over it
• Clean up
• Put all used syringes, needles and empty drug containers into a resealable hard plastic container
• I am using an old detergent bottle

She taught me these steps and ended up saying I was one of the easiest people to teach, and the best part was that because I was doing the injecting and all that I could go at my own speed so it didn't hurt at all!  More to come soon!

P.S. Please do not just inject yourself without a doctor knowing and a nurse actually teaching you how to do it.  This is just in case people were wondering how to do it and so that I could give myself little reminders.