Which is more painful/harder/difficult?

Please explain your option.

Could we have "all of the above" option?   

I would say the pricking of the needle is the most painful thing. Don't you just hate it when you fall onto a site that's all lumpy.............

Premixing the desferal.............thats just a pain in the ........ 

And the taking it out is a breezeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....that should be the fun part.

Miaki

floWer, I've added the option that you wanted but I'm afraid now I can't get the setting to let users change their vote or vote many times. 

I changed it so you can change your vote now.

I think putting the needle in is the most painful out of the poll choices, but I'd have to say the most pain is the actual infusion.  Over the 8-10 hours, the site gets all red and swollen, and it's very painful and itchy.  Sometimes it's so bad that I rip it out in my sleep.   

I think putting the needle in is the most painful out of the poll choices, but I'd have to say the most pain is the actual infusion.  Over the 8-10 hours, the site gets all red and swollen, and it's very painful and itchy.  Sometimes it's so bad that I rip it out in my sleep.   

HI Danielle,

Pricking the needle into the skin is the most painful esp. as Miaki said..when U hit an already bruised site...or what feels like some nerve. (Subq layers don't  have nerves do they ?)

The things, I found helpful to prevent red and swollen site over the number of hours is ....you never let the subq needle go in shallow. Choosing the fatty areas helps.   
Second, dilute the desferal as much as you can. 
Earlier, I used to think that the increasing number of CC/ more the liquid.. the more it is painful.  However, the diluting does work....makes it less concentrated, and less toxic to us in the long run anyway.

I know of  someone that is allergic, they are prescribed some med/s by the doc, for local application as well as for intake. Also, generic desferal causes way greater irritation than the original desferal brand. 

You may already know all this, but I still hope it  helps.

 Maybe, someone can add about the local remedies used to anaesthetize the subq site, before injecting themself. I have never used any. Is it called Emla cream?

Regards,
Shilpa.

I think putting the needle in is the most painful out of the poll choices, but I'd have to say the most pain is the actual infusion.  Over the 8-10 hours, the site gets all red and swollen, and it's very painful and itchy.  Sometimes it's so bad that I rip it out in my sleep.   

I suppose that the second option would have been better for you; considering the pain of the swelling, it is maximum when you peel the tape off the swollen/sore area!

Shilpa ....I agree with you in were you say using more water to dilute the desferal causes less swelling and pain. I actually use a 20ml syringe and I use 2 10ml water, total water used is 20mls. Then I dilute my desferal in that 4gms. Also using the longer needles to go in deeper in a fatty area helps. 

Miaki

I can't comment on the pain of the needle as i faint at the mere sight of needles      But I remember the first time my wife invited me to mix the desferal. I was so nervous I literally couldn't stop my hands from shaking and spilled more than a little much to my wifes amusement. It was such a truly awesome responsibility to prepare the injection that helped to keep my wife alive.

I know one other husband of a Thal major woman who insists on preparing his wifes injection every night without fail. It doesn't matter what was going on at that set time he would excuse himself to his study, lock the door and prepare the injection with an almost religious precision.

On a slightly different note, I'm not sure if my wife is alone in this observation/experience but she has found that particular nurses are almost always capable of placing the transfusion needle without causing subsequent swelling or later bruising whereas other nurses, whose technique appears the same, always seem to achieve negative results? It does lead to all sorts of shenanigans as I attempt to run interference on transfusion days to buy time until one of the nurses she prefers is manning the needle room. Just wondering if others had encountered a similar thing?

TruBlue,

I have heard this mentioned by patients many times and Lisa had her favorite nurses who knew how to find a vein. My own experience in the hospital was also "hit and miss" depending on which nurse or tech did the sticking. I learned to be very happy when one certain tech stuck the needle for the frequent blood tests.

TrueBlue,

Get your wife to request her favourite nurse. I also have my favourite nurse in the unit and even if she is not working the treatment room that day i request for her.The others dont mind at all. They would rather see patients happy than nervous.

Miaki

Shilpa

Try Zylocain 20 minutes before the prick.. it works!

Emla is costly and might not be available in India.. and use the 25 scalp needles...
Hope that helps.

Shikha

TruBlue, you are right!

In my case, there is one technician who can find my vein in one go while it requires several attempts for even the more senior nurses!