Little did I know what I was in for during the consult appointment with the IVF nurse who we will call “L”.

The appointment started with her going over every step of the IVF process and then showing me my IVF schedule which told me when and where I would need to take every medication.

It was at this moment I panicked because I could see on my schedule that a shot in the morning and one at night was necessary. The plan was for my mom to give me all my IVF shots and with her living 20 minutes away, this arrangement, I could see, just wasn’t going to be practical. Especially on days I worked.

Little did I know what L had up her sleeve (or should I say shirt?)!

I expressed my concern about all the necessary injections. L responded by saying, “Oh, don’t worry about that.”, to which I responded, “Um. I have a confession to make. I know I have been through three injectible IUI cycles, but I have never given myself one shot.”

L told me, “I’ll walk you through it. 99% of my patients, no, wait, 100% of my patients can give themselves shots if they can just get over that initial hump. They all say it really is no big deal.”

I nodded my head thinking, Well you are about to see an exception to that rule today!

L left and went to get her Shot Kit leaving me to sit and contemplate how this was all going to work out.

L returns, opens her Shot Kit and proceeds to demonstrate how to mix the meds and draw it up into the syringe. After the shot is “ready” she gets up and walks over to my side of the table.

I immediately blurt out, “Are you going to give me a shot??”

To my shock, L smiles, plops down in the chair beside me and hands me the shot saying, “No! You’re going to give me a shot!”

I literally laughed out loud and warned her, “Let me make this clear. I have never given anyone a shot. I am going to hurt you.”

“No you won’t. Just pinch some skin and poke.”

So there I was. Holding a shot in my right hand and pinching some of L’s stomach skin with my left hand, still warning her, “I’ve never done this before. It is going to hurt.”

“Just do it.”

“How???????? Do I jam it in?”

“You don’t have to jam it in. Just push it in.”

And I did. I was so surprised at how easy it really was. I guess I had this preconceived notion that you had to jam the needle in and that just wasn’t my cup of tea.

After breathing a sigh of relief, L gets back up and walks back to her side of the table. She pulls out the Follistim Pen and shows me how to assemble it. It looked like a diabetic pen that people use to give themselves shots of insulin, only the needle was longer than any diabetic pen I’ve ever seen.

L stands up again and while walking back to my side of the table announces, “Now it’s your turn to try on yourself!”

With my heart beating out of my chest and sweaty palms I said, "I really don’t think I can do this today.” Come on, poking her was enough for one day right??? Nope!

I knew I had to try. There was no escaping.

L handed me the Follistim Pen, with the needle part still covered.

I pulled the cap off the needle and gasped. “Um. This is crazy. I can’t do this.”

Philippians 4:13 popped into my head. I blurted it out loud … twice!

“I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.”

L said, “Yes you can.”

And there I was. Follistim Pen in my right hand, with a needle that looked to me like it was as long as the Follistim Pen itself, and my left hand pinching skin on my stomach.

One more Philippians 4:13 quoting and BAMB …

I pushed a needle into my own stomach skin.

And now I must also confess … It was easy as pie.

So I wasn’t the exception after all!

I think I can now administer all necessary injections (except hCG) for this IVF cycle myself.

I guess the real test of whether I passed Needle Phobia School will be on Sunday when it is time to administer the first injections.

Can we say the world needs more nurses like Nurse L in it? Talk about a compassionate nurse able to see the needs of her patients and even going to the extreme of allowing a completely novice shot-giver practice on her own flesh!

I asked L, “Do you let every patient stick you like that?”

She replied, “No.”

She saw I needed that and her guidance throughout this whole ordeal will not soon be forgotten.

Anybody want to step up to the plate and let me practice again on YOU before Sunday? (hehehe … just kidding!)

- Elaine