Week 2 of Copaxone Injections

Giving myself a shot every day isn't as bad as some people might think it would be. In fact, the shot itself doesn't hurt at all. It's just this itty-bitty needle that gives a subcutaneous injection, not a large-bore IV or blood-drawing needle like you see in the hospital or laboratory. Just a little pick, not even as bad as a mosquito bite, since it's just going a short way under the skin and not into the muscle or into a vessel. I also have a nifty device to load the syringes into to give the shot so I don't even have to "stab" myself like I do with my vitamin B12 injections.

That shit BURNS about 30 seconds after it's in, though, but that's also short lived.

These injections, given every day, have to be rotated over injection sites, using each site only once per week: One on the back of each upper arm, one on the top of each thigh, one on each hip, and the last one around the bottom of the belly, 7 all together. I've been doing those B12 injections every month for years, and needles don't bother me, so poking my arms and legs was no issue. Even shots in my hips don't bug me since that's where they inject Rhogam, and I've had many of those over the years with my A negative blood type.

My issue was The Stomach. How can diabetics give themselves injections there all the time? I was just gooey-headed thinking about it. The nurse who came to train me to use the injection device said "Oh, that will be your favorite spot." I'm just thinking to myself, "Yeah, right. Who you trying to fool, lady?" She wanted me to give my first injection there in her presence, since I thought it would be the hardest mentally, though not hardest physically. Sorry, lady, no human being needs to be subjected to the sight of my belly voluntarily. I used the back of my left arm, since that was the spot that's physically hardest for me to reach. She seemed satisfied.

Obviously, since I've started week 2, I got over myself and used that site already. I sat there for a minute, looking at my great blob of fish-belly white belly, and finally just did it. Know what? I think it's going to be my favorite spot. It's easy to see, easy to access with either my right (which doesn't work well anymore) or left (I'm NOT left handed) hands, and it's just EZ-PZ. I wish I could give ALL of them there, since the back of my left arm and right hip are hard for me to do with my weak right side, even with that doodad.

Hubby-man was somewhat confused about the reason WHY I am taking this medication (he didn't come in with me to talk with my NL, stayed in the waiting room). He asked when I was going to get better (get my eye, arm and legs back to working normally). He seemed pretty disappointed to learn that the medication won't restore my function and "fix" what's already been broken. No medication can do that - YET. This is just something to keep the MS from getting worse. I can live with that - for now. Someday there will be more, if not in this life then in the Eternal Life beyond.

Yes, I'm feeling better today, but I don't expect to get out of this particular funk until well after the holiday season. I'll be OK, though, with you by my side and God there to pick me up when I fall, carry me when I feel I can't go on, and dance with me when the time is right.