A storm of syringes.

It’s funny how some of the smaller things can seem worse than the bigger ones.  Maybe because they are easier to comprehend, and therefore easier to latch onto.  I think this is how I feel about the super-fun anticoagulation (blood thinning) injections which I have to give myself every night at the moment.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I begrudge trying not to get a blood clot.  And it’s not that I’m especially bad with injections or needles in general.  In fact, it has seemed quite strange since leaving hospital that nobody has wanted to take some of my blood (or ask me my name/date of birth).  I have even given blood a few times in the distant past, as well as (or in spite of?) having various body piercings, so I definitely don’t have an aversion to needles per se.

But there are two things that make me dislike my Innohep syringes:

1. Other people poking me with needles: fine!  Me poking myself with a needle: not so much.
2. After the initial “sharp scratch”, a blood test etc doesn’t really hurt.  These Innohep beauties seem to be the opposite – giving a really sharp, burrowing pain the whole time the plunger is being pressed.

If you say so!

Luckily, I have managed to recruit my boyfriend as a co-administrator of the dreaded Innohep.  We take it in turns – he does them in my arms and I do them in my legs, so I only have to do 2 days out of 4 myself.

The other thing that I’ve found really helps is music.  Putting on a song you can sing along to really loudly takes your mind off the jab and also provides a vocal release if it does get a little painful.

Here are the songs that have worked best for me so far:

• Budapest – George Ezra (The BudaBEST!  The “hoo… hoo…” bits are perfect if it hurts!)
• Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran (Good lyrics to get wrapped up in.)
• Feel the Love – Rudimental ft. John Newman (Power singing – glorious!)
• Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson (Can’t beat a bit of MJ.)
• Redemption Song – Bob Marley (Wonderful.  Thank you Bob.)

As I said at the start, this is a very SMALL issue (even if it seems like I’m making it into a big deal!).  But however much of this post is exaggerated for melodramatic effect and the Innoheps aren’t actually all that bad, I must say I will be glad to see the back of them.

19 jabs down, 7 to go!

Caroline Crimson x