Tina, remember, the only dumb question is the one left unasked!! Emla cream is a topical numbing cream that numbs the surface of the skin and a bit deeper down which takes away some of the sting when getting shots or doing blood draws. It is only available through your doctors office and requires a prescription. My son uses it evey night when he takes his growth hormone shot and it has made life a lot easier for us and my son says "it helps me bees braver". We apply it anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour prior to the needle stick and it has made a tremendous difference in the tone of the procedure. We also use it prior to blood draws and injections of any kind. I, myself have a pinched nerve in my spine so it sends a burning sensation down to my elbow area. When I apply it to my arm it almost immediately deadens the nerves for a good hour to an hour and a half from time of contact. This is how I know it really does work and is not just a pychological distraction. Who would care anyway? As long as it works. There was one person who said she had a bad time of it because it made her child's veins too numb to draw blood from, but other than that I haven't heard anything else to the negative. Anyone else have any problems? Good luck Tina. Let us know how you do when you start using it.