Let the games begin…

Today, Jodie and I drove to UCSD for my first hormone therapy treatment. As I mentioned in my previous post I was to be given Degarelix, more comically known as “Firmagon”, to reduce my testosterone levels. My nurse reiterated the side effects before describing how the medication would be administered.

“The shots will be given using a really small needle…”, my nurse said.

“Wait…shots? Plural?”, I responded.

“…to your belly…”, she resumed.

“Uh….”, I replied.

“…and it requires a loading dose of two shots. One on each side…”, she continued.

“…”

“…and together the shots will contain roughly three times the serum as a normal dose.”

“You’re not really selling this that well, you know.”, I told her.

“I have some ice packs for you to use afterwards. You will likely have some pain at the injection site for a couple days on up to a week. There will also be some swelling and redness.”, she responded.

“Swelling? Can you at least distribute the shots to look like I have abs?”, I requested.

At this point Jodie offered some Tylenol capsules which she had brought along for the occasion. The nurse quickly had me take them before preparing the shots.

“If I scream like a little girl don’t take it personally. You look like a nice person.”, I told the nurse before laying down on my back and pulling back my shirt.

“Oh, you don’t have much of  belly. That’s going to make this a little more tricky…”, the nurse said before starting the first injection.

Fortunately,  Jodie was able to capture the entire procedure on film for posterity. It went down something like this …

Okay, I might be exaggerating a little.

The administering  of the shots didn’t hurt much more than a flu shot. My nurse did an incredible job. The jury is still out on residual pain but I’ll be sure to post on that in the future if it is an issue.

A couple of band-aids later Jodie and I headed back to the parking garage. As I started backing out of the parking spot Jodie told me, “I have a special song for the occasion!”

“Uh, okay”, I said smiling.

She then started playing Stone Temple Pilots, “Creep” which ironically, was one of my favorite songs from high school. I didn’t quite understand the relevance until the chorus. When it played we sang aloud and had a good laugh. My wife has an odd  sense of humor as I do…

Forward yesterday makes me wanna stay
What they said was real makes me wanna steal
Living under house guess I’m living I’m a mouse
All’s I gots is time got no meaning just a rhyme

Take time with a wounded hand ’cause it likes to heal
Take time with a wounded hand ’cause I like to steal
Take time with a wounded hand ’cause it likes to heal,
I like to steal

I’m half the man I used to be (this feeling as the dawn it fades to gray)
Well, I’m half the man I used to be (this feeling as the dawn it fades to gray)
Well, I’m half the man I used to be (this feeling as the dawn it fades to gray)
Well, I’m half the man I used to be
Half the man I used to be

…okay, maybe not exactly half the man.

Jodie pointed out later that the Firmagon marketing material advertises an 88% drop in testosterone on the first day. “So, you’re effectively 12% the man you used to be!”, she said smiling at me.

“Thanks, honey.”

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