SJ. Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My youngest has recently been diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. We are treating him with a daily injection (6x/week) at bedtime and it is going terribly. He is fine once we do it, it is the anticipation prior to the injection. He has been freaking out - yelling, crying, thrashing, trying to hide, etc. It is awful. I feel so badly about it :crying: but I know it is necessary. Low growth hormone during childhood can lead to adult problems with both the cardiovascular system and the skeletal system (osteoporosis). I know he can be a tough little guy. He has had numerous tests these past couple months which involved the insertion of iv lines, each time he did not even flinch let alone thrash about. He was fine the first time we did the injection and fine a few days ago when we did it. So far I am matter of fact about the injection. I focus on him needing it to be a healthy adult. I also honor his feelings when he tells me it hurts. Does anyone have any advice for me? Anyone btdt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Maybe you could associate it with something he likes? Like after he gets a shot you give him an M&M or something? Or maybe let him pick a song and everyone dances to it for a few minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Do you have Emla cream? It is a cream that numbs the area where the shot will go. It has lidocane and something else in it. My son uses it for every poke (he had cancer and got lots of pokes, but now that he is better he still wants the cream lol). It does not keep the medicine from hurting, but it makes it so he does not feel the needle go in. Poor guy, it is hard watching them suffer when we know it is for their own good. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Maybe you could associate it with something he likes? Like after he gets a shot you give him an M&M or something? Or maybe let him pick a song and everyone dances to it for a few minutes? I did try doing it in the middle of a cartoon and it worked once. I have thought about using some other type of reward, like an M&M, but the problem is what about my other ds and it is at bedtime. Do you have Emla cream? It is a cream that numbs the area where the shot will go. It has lidocane and something else in it. My son uses it for every poke (he had cancer and got lots of pokes, but now that he is better he still wants the cream lol). It does not keep the medicine from hurting, but it makes it so he does not feel the needle go in. Poor guy, it is hard watching them suffer when we know it is for their own good. :( I will definitely look into the EMLA cream, thanks! Is it something the Dr will need to prescribe? Right now I have a 2% Lidocain Hydrochloride Jelly and the EMLA cream seems to be twice as strong if I read the wikipedia entry correctly. The lidocain doesn't seem to do much to help with the pain. It also seems to up the anticipation factor making things worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My friend's DD used the EMLA cream every night until she quit being scared. Now she doesn't need it. She's been on the shots about a year and a half. My friend said it helps if she lets her daughter do it herself. She started around age 6/7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 My son was on the growth hormone shots for years. He also has Aspergers, so major sensory issues. The doctor didn't recommend Emla because it is an every night thing, and the Emla takes a while to kick in, which means needing to remember it in time too! A little bit of ice will numb the area a bit. After about a week, ds said "no more ice". He was so excited to grow, and not have people think that he was 3 years younger than he was, which really helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Does it have to be at bedtime? Could it be earlier and then dessert or a short video or something fun for everyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 We've BTDT.... Find a reward system that works for your family. In our house, it really doesn't matter that the other child isn't getting a reward either....because they are not going through the yucky stuff. It doesn't have to be a big reward... Keep up with the matter of fact attitude. Hopefully this will all blow over and become normal to him with time. It took my daughter a couple of weeks to acclimate to shots...and hers made her sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.