TIL I have a mollusk in my thigh...
this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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Transfem
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Here is the video I use for instructions! Using your hands as the guide to find the right spot is very useful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5x4hEteP64&t=3s
Also the appropriate needle length will vary from individual to individual, but IM uses needles 1/2" and longer, 1" being a pretty length size I feel. You just insert the needle until it is entirely in. Good luck! It's very chill once you have the hang of it
Okay when I pinch is supposed to be harder than the rest, does that mean I got the mussel right?
I think the pinch is just to raise a bump to inject in, because it hurts less when you do that. For me, it doesn't feel much firmer than the rest of my leg, so I think as long as you are pinching the right spot, you should be good even if it doesn't feel like you are grabbing a muscle per se
Ugh I can't find the mussel at all, I'm conviejcef its all just fat
If you are that worried you can talk to your health provider about subcutaneous injection (injection into the fat).
There isn't a video attached?
I am stupid and somehow messed that up, sorry!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5x4hEteP64&t=3s
There it is
Ooof still hard lol
Huh, so I guess I've been doing it wrong for a year or so? My numbers are always fine, but I go on the top of the thigh instead of the side and I basically ram the needle as hard as I can because otherwise I'll whimp out and only get it halfway in there. And I'm using 1.5" needles, which look bananas scary.
Hey, if it works, it works! This is how I got taught to do it, but I know there are other injection points that work just as well.
Planned Parenthood gave me the 1.5" needles at my instructional appointment and they scare me WAY too much lol, I ended up using some 1" ones my pharmacy gave me instead. You are braver than I am!
The tip is to get yourself really pissed off or in a rush about something and then you can jah yourself out of anger without thinking about it. I can barely feel it when I do it like that, but if I hesitate and do a light jab, it goes halfway and my leg is sore for a week.
But this video says to just push... Like, rest the needle on your skin and start pushing it in? Is that what you do? Makes me want to throw up thinking about it, but maybe I'll try it.
Harnessing rage is a good strategy! I'll remember that next time I gotta do my injection lol.
Yeah I have only done it once so far, and I just followed the instructions to the letter and pushed in rather gently. Felt suuuuuper weird, but didn't hurt at all! I expected to feel more, so that was a relief. It was scary as hell, though
This is hilarious to me because I use the 1.5" needles and tend to inject at more of a 45 degree angle. But I get very still and quiet. I listen to calming music right up until the moment of injection. I get that peace like a river flowing through me and carefully insert the needle somewhere my body says is safe and tough that day. I feel and note going through the layers. I know what it feels like when I hit the muscle. Even when I have a harder time with it, it's a very calm, centering experience.
So, I myself am freaked out forcefully stabbing myself like a movie scene heart attack adrenaline shot 😵💫 but I’ve heard it World got other folks. I myself put the needle straight perpendicular to my injection site at 90 degrees, close to but not touching my “pinched muscle” while keeping my leg in a relaxed position (usually outstretched a bit). I then gently push it in, and 95% of the time there is no pain. Sometimes I can feel little ‘pop’ sensations, and those are usually the ones that bleed more.
The only one I had that hurt was one where I accidentally moved the whole needle around in my leg trying to get my hands positioned to aspirate and make sure I wasn’t in a blood vessel. Exactly the kind of motion I could see myself doing if I action hero the injection.
I was really Squamish about needles (homeless youth PTSD), but it has worked out well for me.
Update! I figured it out, I ended up needing to be walked through by a trans fem on matrix but I'm good now