Hm, so I have this Estradil prescription in my possession now but I'm not sure how to get it into my body. I could use some help in the matter if anybody could lend me a little of their knowledge (just for a short while I promise).

I do have an appointment with the clinic that provided the prescription to have them show me how to inject myself but it is going to be two Tuesdays away and I really don't want to wait if I don't have to.

I have spoken with my social worker about it and she gave me a pretty good run down on what to do.

1) how to get the hormones into the syringe
2) how to insure the air is out of the syringe (what about the air in the needle section though? Or, is that going to be filled with Estradil also?)
3) finding the right place to inject (she suggested either the butt-ox or the inner thigh - right about 6" below the bottom of the pelvis. Basically it has to be injected in muscle or fat so the side of the waste is just right out.)
4) how to clean the area being injected.
5) how to loosen up the area being injected.
6) lhow to insert the needle (the needle is looking bigger and bigger every time I look at it) - she inserts it into her leg very quickly so she suggested doing the same for me (rather than slowly pushing it in like the doctors do it).
7)ast, she shared how it is typical to feel a bit sore for a few days after, luckily it only needs to be taken once every two weeks.

So, My Questions:

1) How far in do I need to insert the needle section of the syringe? The needle itself is about 1.5" I think. Does the entire length need to go in (eek)?
2) What is the typical dosage? I was prescribed .25 mL every two weeks which will last plenty long but is that typical? I sorta had a bit of a tiff with the Doctor when I arrived to pick up the prescribe so I wonder if he thought he would use his power by making my dosages smaller.
3) What size needle to you all typically use? I'm not sure why my needle looks so big to me but it could just be because I'm scared of needles.

Thanks,

Vanessa

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Where Is My Mind?

i would have gone for patches instead of injection.i wouldn't fancy doing intramuscular injections every two weeks.
i would avoid the buttocks unless you have someone else to do it for you.the sciatic nerve runs through the gluteal muscles and you don't want to hit that.your best option is the thigh muscle.don't use the same needle for drawing up your medication as for injecting.drawing up will blunt the needle and cause pain if used to inject so always change the needle before injecting.you can also use the deltoid muscle for injecting into in the upper arm.

Ok, well, like everything so far the build up was the worst part. I sat on my couch for about two minutes trying to build up the courage to actually stick the needle in my leg, but when I did I was surprised to find that it didn't hurt at all. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that I could only see about half of the needle and my epidermous would move when I moved the syringe I would not have known it was actually in my leg.

The only thing that makes me a little unsure is the dosage amount because .25 mL is almost nothing. According to my prescription, it is enough for two weeks though so I wonder if something is up . . . I had injected it into my leg before I had even realized I was putting pressure on the plunger for the syringe - that's how small .25 mL actually is.

What is the typical beginning dosage for the rest of you?

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Where Is My Mind?

I think I would have stared at that needle for hours... I couldn't do it; I'd have to get someone else, preferably a nurse to administer it. I guess it's another reason that we don't often see injectable estrogens here in the UK.

I saw Dr Wilson in Glasgow last year for a prescription for Dianette pills. He asked me my age and I replied that I was 39. He said "if you're still with me when you turn 40, I'll put you on patches as they're safer for older transwomen."

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Where Is My Mind?

As long as the needles are sterile packaged in the first case and put in a sharps box for incineration after use I can't see a problem with hygiene. I thought that patches were usually reccomended for those of us in our more mature years as well but I've been given an oral prescription by CharingX. As for the potency it strikes me that you may be right about an injection being more powerful but a tablet taken daily will have the same effect as it becomes a cumulative dosage.

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It's not what you're born with
It's what you choose to bear
It's not how big your share is
It's how much you can share
It's not the fights you dreamed of
It's those you really fought
It's not what you're given
It's what you do with what you've got

Blood clotting is caused by thickening of the blood and can lead to DVT. Watch out for pains in the lower legs...

I take 300mg aspirin every morning. This helps to thin the blood and reduce the risk of clotting.

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Where Is My Mind?

Massaging the area after you've finished injecting might help prevent later soreness