I had a Medtronic pump about 5 years ago and the Medtronic representative came to see me in person, but it was not related to the hospital service in any way. Maybe it’s different where you live? I wish they came out to our houses here!
Yes I practiced on an orange. This was 1961 & I think I was in hospital for about 3 weeks, I was 18. In the end the nurse came in & told me to do it on myself, I just sat looking at the syringe, & very large needle & I couldn’t do it, I think she was in a hurry so she said, “oh here, do it on my arm” So I did it the 1st one on her, I always think this was above the call of duty on her part. After that I was shamed into doing it myself.
Marie B
I had a similar experience. I was 14 and I was pissed that no one was telling me what was happening. I went to the gynecologist because my mestrual cycle had stopped for 6 months. My aunt and mom thought i had cysts on my ovaries and I went to see the gyno for that. Then, she took some blood samples for testing because my pee came out green for the urine sample.
Then, I took the next day off from school at my mother’s request and we went to the city (about 30 minutes away) to the children’s hospital. I didn’t know why I was at the hospital. And when the guard at the front desk asked us where we were going, my mom said “2L” and he said “Diabetes ward” and I freaked out. I had no idea where I was going or what was going on until I got to the hospital and the guard leaked it out.
I’m sure my mom was trying to protect me, just in case it was misdiagnosed, but… I was so scared and confused. I’m a generation 1 type 1. Bummer, huh? haha.
I don’t remember what I was wearing, but I do remember swinging my legs back and forth while the doctor told my family what was required of me. I think it was a family event. My mom, my dad, my older brother and sister were all in the patient room with me. Good thing, because I wasn’t listening to hardly any of it. I was completely numb and zoned out!
Like you Danny I was diagnosed in the early 80’s and I had to practice on the dreaded orange too and was told the same thing as you were. I think of those early “practice” injections looking at oranges quite often. 
I also remember my mom ,dad and nurse sitting in a little circle by my hospital bed practicing giving each other an injection…the nurse gave one to my dad, dad to my mom and mom to the nurse. They all looked a little scared to be doing it but were trying to look brave for me of course because I had a horrible fear of needles! They were trying to show me how “easy” it really was to give injections. Yeah right I thought! My mom had to continue to give me my injections once I left the hospital and got home until I felt comfortable giving my own injections in time.
I was diagnosed two years ago and i had no house call visit. But while i was in the hospital the diabetes educator and financial coordinator saw me (ha!). The diabetes educator explained what diabetes was and gave me some flyers. She told me i could call her up if i ever needed help. I’m still trying to shake free of some of her “advice.”
I didn’t practice on an orange, but Mom did. They weren’t really interested in teaching a newly diagnosed 5 year old Type 1 how to give his own shots. Besides which I was too weak to do much of anything, since I had been misdiagnosed and went into DKA coma while they removed my appendix by mistake. Then it took 2 days to get my electrolytes back to working levels until I finally woke up, and all I did for many days after that was sleep and try to get back ANY strength.
They also had a hard time teaching Mom how to give me my shots too, since they hadn’t diagnosed a young Type 1 diabetic before that.
Mind you this happened April 9, 1956, so it doesn’t help define when they STOPPED teaching shot technique using oranges: more like when they started doing so.
No practice oranges, no housecall.
I was diagnosed DKA in the hospital. The day of discharge no one had shown me how to test or how to inject. I did have a flurry of educators who gave me useless hand-outs & couldn’t answer questions. No doubt these people, who never spent more than 10 minutes with me, were sent to increase my bill because they sure didn’t educate.
So, about an hour before leaving the hospital I rang for a nurse & asked to be shown how to test & give shots. I felt ill when told my stomach was the best for injections. Took a deep breath & did it.
Orange here! It was 1976 and I spent a week in the hospital where they got my bs under control and had me practice on an orange. They also were happy when I had a low sugar so I would know how it feels before they let me go home. Sounds like I had it good compared to some!
As a LADA I had quite a different experience. I was misdiagnosed Type 2 and put on oral meds. This worked fine for a bit over a year until my numbers started a slow but steady climb. It took five months (and trying multiple drug combinations that did very little) before I said, “ok, I think I need insulin though it sure seems soon!” I probably waited two months too long, by the time I started I was usually in the 200s and broke 400 a couple times. No hospital, no DKA, though I might have been headed that way if I waited longer. Really shows the difference in onset of LADA from classic Type 1!
I should add that I lived in Guatemala at the time where very few people can afford regular medical care. My doctor started me on (25 units of Lantus-thinking I was insulin resistant when in fact I was very sensitive-I now take 12, up from 10 just recently).He told me to inject in my belly; I didn’t have any needle fear but did wince at the thought of that location. He wrote down the kind of insulin and off I went to the pharmacy; no prescriptions needed in Guatemala; pens sold individually not in boxes. I had to go to several pharmacies as most only had vials, I guess because they’re cheaper. The young clerk in the drug store mistakenly gave me a fast acting instead (guess she figured one insulin pen was the same as another). I took it home before I realized and then returned and got pretty angry in Spanish! (I used the word dead a lot). My numbers were all over the place, very low before meals but still high post prandial. My doctor suggested 5 units of Apidra 20 minutes after beginning to eat. I asked if I could take it “PRN” if my numbers were high two hours later (I didn’t want to take it for every meal and I had read something about corrections I guess. He agreed and I had one hell of a scary low. I knew something was wrong, made an appointment with an endo in Guatemala City and meanwhile did my research and figured out I was LADA. No diabetic educators were offered. The endo did ask me if I was ok with injecting, I said yes. I don’t know if she would have offered me oranges if I said no. Fruit is cheap in Guatemala.
1984 and also an orange! I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and practiced so much that my orange was leaking! I think I went through a few oranges and then I was sick of that and started on my stomach. I never had a nurse come to my house though:( Oh well, we figured it out!
LOL - really - Billy didn’t mean a “subway” - but the Subway restaurant chain ! In Montreal “subway” aka under ground travel is known as the Metro. Ok - I’ve had my laugh today with my misunderstanding of Billy’s post!
Oh Annabella - and remember our needles back in the 60’s were nothing compared to the teflon coated 32 gauge we use today? I went back to England for awhile in the 80’s - and disposible syringes weren’t part of government plan. Instead it was the glass syringe, with the needle that you sharpened on the stone. The needle was SOOOO thick and long. We all got thru’ it tho’ - as we’re here to tell our stories of “the good old days of D”.
Wow Gerri - talk about learn quickly and then boot you out the door. Very scary indeed!
Zoe or anyone here more knowledgable then I am (and sorry if I appear “dumb” here) - but what does “PRN” mean? Going over in my noggin’ as to what that means - Post Reaction ??? or Pre ??? Anyway, giving up, my brain obviously isn’t functioning today to think too hard (late night of partying). Great story by the way Zoe, you lead quite the roller coaster ride there!
That ORANGE. Yep that’s what I had. You want to know something funny? I haven’t liked oranges since and that was like 36 years ago! HA!
PRN is a medical term for “as needed” 
lol
She was referring to ‘taking shots as needed’ (I think).
Thx Danny - that helps me (and maybe others that didn’t taken Latin - had a hard enough time learning French, can’t imagine tackling Latin as well). You are the dude to come to!
I knew it was in Latin, but couldn’t have told you that either! But yes, “as needed” like say pain meds that you can take every 4-6 hours PRN rather than a medication you have to take regularly. Not something normally applied to insulin, of course. But I was scared and confused and going through my “bargaining” stage. I’m actually glad I had that experience though because it gave me a healthy respect for insulin and I now take the lowest dose I can and still manage my blood sugars.
Yep definite roller coaster, Anna. It actually made me be glad to be back in the U.S. Though it was cool not having to have a prescription to get things at the pharmacy!
I don’t hate oranges, but I try to stay away from orange juice because it spikes the BS in record time. Seems hard to believe OJ was the popular cure-all for low BS for years.