E! News host opens up about her infertility and IVF journey.
While Rancic's 63 injections is not what the typical Childress Nursing Services' home injection clients receives, it is important to remember the everyone's body is different. Our typical IVF stimulation cycle clients' total number of home injections range from 28 to 46 injections/stimulation phase in a 10 - 18 day period.
Daily stimulation Injections are normally given once a day and then progress to twice a day. This does not include the infamous trigger shot normally given in the buttocks nor the daily pregnancy maintenance meds, like Progesterone or Estradiol shots, that have to be given also in the buttocks every day for approximately 8 - 12 weeks after egg transfer to maintain pregnancy. While 28 to 46 is far less than Rancic's total, the worry over the correct dosage and accurate administration or self/significant other's nervousness about being an unskilled medication injector remains the same.
Trypanophobia
Is it normal to fear injections or is it just something that one should "just get over"? Well, according to PharmaJet, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders recognized that trypanophobia affects approximately 50 million Americans-making it a top-ten American fear! If you are a part of that 50 million, then feel free that your feelings are validated. Exactly, what is trypanophobia? It is the extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles. According to Healthline, many things can cause trypanophobia-from changes in brain chemistry to negative, traumatic experiences involving needles. Some of the symptoms that people with this disorder experience is fainting while getting an injection, anxiety, panic attacks, increase in blood pressure, and increased sensitivity to the pain caused by receiving an injection.
Because daily fertility injections are a normal part of the IVF, IUI, ICSI, Egg freezing, or Egg donation process, how can you better tolerate those injections?
1) Tell your fertility doctor.
Inform your doctor, if you have a fear of or don't like needles. Maybe, your clinic offers combination medications. If they do, then this will help reduce the number of fertility injections required. Also, ask your doctor about prescribing medications, like Synera, which is a patch that can be applied to the injection area to help numb and lessen the pain caused by a needle-stick. In actual field application, we have found that Synera's effectiveness can be a hit or miss and short-sustaining.
2) Frequent Needle Exposure.
As they are exposed to frequent injections, many people's sensitivity to injections lessen. Because you will more than likely receive injections once and twice a day during the egg stimulation phase, this will help you get well-acquainted with needles. However, frequent needle exposure do typically increase the actual pain sensation felt from injecting, and the pain can be exacerbated by an improper injection technique. Do keep in mind that your CNS Stork will help tailor additional pain-relieving methods specific for your needs.
3) Try to get someone else to give the injection.
While not claiming to be trypanophobic but just afraid of needles, Giuliana asked her husband to administer her 63 injections. Getting someone else, like your partner or a trusted friend, to administer your injections will help make the process easier. If they also have trypanophobia, uncomfortable with needles, fear of making a mistake or just want to ease the stress surrounding medication injections, then book our home health nurse injection service at Childress Nursing Services. Our CNS Storks will travel to your residence and administer your injections accurately, safely, and as painless as possible.
The shirt designs will soon be purchasable from our CNS Store.
*Percentage of all store proceeds will go to our CNS Community Impact Program's mission to promote infertility awareness, maternity education, and scholarship fund for couples requesting our fertility and maternity care services.