After making a treatment choice it takes a few months to get an appointment to be shown how to do it. Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) is injected 3 times a week under the skin. I’ve never had to inject myself with anything and whilst I used to give blood (you can’t if you have MS) I struggle with needles, the annual flu jab being a challenge.
So at this appointment I am given a backpack with an information booklet, an injection diary, sharps bin, an auto injector and a month’s supply of Copaxone. The nurse takes time to talk me through how to inject and I practice this manually and using the auto injector on an odd gel pad. Once she’s happy I have the right technique I need to show that I can do this to myself. I decide that I would like to do this manually as if the auto injector stops working I want to be able to do this.
I pick a thigh, make sure that I am a hand away from my hip and a hand away from my knee, that there are no obvious veins (you may occasionally nik one but don’t aim for them) and go for it. Sliding the needle in isn’t the bit that causes the pain, as it is thin and sharp and whilst it’s counterintuitive to do it, there are worst things, like when you press the plunger in, that stings. It is like a bee sting but lasts. I have now found chocolate makes it go away!
I used to get histamine reaction whenever I used the auto injector but never doing the injections manually. It seems that adjusting the auto injector to be slightly deeper reduces this (but not the stinging). Given that they list all sorts of possible reactions I am getting off pretty lightly.
It is annoying having to travel round with an extra set of stuff, having a letter with me when I travel to explain the sharps, which have to travel as handbaggage to avoid the risk of freezing and finding somewhere that you feel is clean and comfortable enough to inject. When camping I used the car but that was odd as there was no running water on site so liberal amounts of hand sanitiser were used. I have only once needed to use a bathroom and I do try to avoid them as it doesn’t feel ‘clean’. However on paddling trips we are in bunkrooms so the loo may be the only option to avoid becoming a spectator sport.
I have learn’t that if I am more than 2 drinks down I should not try to inject manually as I am clumsy and drop the needle which necessitates starting again with a new one – not a good idea if I’m away on a work trip and have only taken one spare.
Ideally I stick to the same days every week but so long as there are at least 48 hours between injections I can change this a little so Friday night sometimes becomes a Saturday morning.
It always stings (which means you have to have chocolate afterwards). It does not always go to plan and when it doesn’t you end up with this:
There are far worst things in life than this, like swimming for 3 hours straight, but that’s another post.
DizzyBlonde 