I shared on another post about watching a man, empty his man-bag of his testing supplies and there infront of a restaurant filled with people test his sugars before he ate. I know this man uses a pen for his insulin, so his numbers must have been such that he didn't need to inject. It was all done, right at the table, with no fuss or fear.
Now I am a T2 who also does test in public, and if necessary will inject insulin if needed. I sit in the inside of the booth and use my left side, while discretely pulling up my shirt. I've never had to explain myself to anyone, those who are with me know I am a diabetic....or they should be now....and those who are dining or whatever, don't need to know or never saw me taking care of myself.
So here's my question, how many of you test in public, how do you do it and do you inject if you should or must? Do your friends know that you are a diabetic? If you don't test in public why? No rights or wrongs here, just me being curious again.
I applaud you for not having any qualms about testing or injecting in public. I have no problem testing my blood in public, but when it comes to injecting I find a private place to do it. I have no problems doing it in front of friends and family, because they all know and are comfortable with it. But when I was young and newly diagnosed I was out with a family member who was also a type I and they had to inject so did it right there in public. Well, a person who witnessed this injection caused a huge stink about how terrible it was for someone to do that in public. I was so frightened by this scene that I just never could bring myself to inject in public.
I didn't start doing this until I was in my 20s (I've had diabetes since I was 9). I used to do it in the bathroom, but then I'd always miss conversation, usually miss when the food began to be brought out, I'd have to be careful not to touch or let my supplies touch any germ-filled surfaces, and the final straw was when I nearly dropped my insulin pen in the toilet (luckily I caught the pen and only the lid fell in).
I don't make a big deal about it. Sometimes if I'm with people I don't know that well I'll ask if anyone minds if I do it. I've never had anyone mind and I've never had anyone complain about it. I'm visually impaired so I also try to be discrete but the reality is I have to bring things up very close to my face to see them, so it's impossible to do the entire test underneath a table.
I am very careful not to leave anything lying around and not to get blood on anything. If anyone has any problems with it, they can always look away.
I test and inject in public frequently, no one has ever said anything to me except once in a mall- they were curious to know why I put blood into my phone- and very interested to hear the answer.
I BG test out in the open, however I can. Injections, I do trying to shield myself from general gazers. Only because I know that some people can get woozy at the sight of a needle. For infusion set changes I prefer a clean well-lit area with few social distractions.
Most people never see what you're doing--they're more concerned with their own world.
By the way, I read in the news recently that Illinois passed a law making it legal to inject anywhere in public anywhere on your body. Apparently PWD were sometimes arrested in Illinois for taking public insulin shots!
I have tested and injected in public for years. Most of the time, people are so wrapped in their own affairs that they don't notice. However, once I was sort of busted in the food court at Mall of America - I injected in my thigh right through my jeans and a lady came up to me and said it could lead to infection, gangrene, and amputation.........go figure
I have to say when I first starting coming on TuD and this topic came up I was a bit put off by the implication that if you don't test/inject in public you are "ashamed of your D" and I'm glad this attitude hasn't come out in this thread, at least so far. When I was new to testing and injecting I was self-conscious about it, and being a private person in many ways (and not so private in others!) I preferred privacy. A turning point for me was when I had lunch for the first time with another Type 1 ("Hi Donita!) and watched the large open room when she tested and saw that nobody was paying any attention at all.
I now test in public. I no longer inject, and I have a meter/remote for my pump so it's all just button pushing which makes me fit right into any crowd! If I'm with other people I generally test in my lap, alone on top of the table, though it really is just a matter of my mood. I think it is a personal decision, based on personal comfort levels and there is no right or wrong to either choice. Some of us are naturally more private and/or more accommodating to others, some less so.
I met Tu members Dane & drsoosie for breakfast before the 2011 Chicago Marathon. I presume we all tested, maybe the same time, but I didn't notice either of their tests, I dunno if they noticed mine. I don't have any problem testing in bars, alongside bike paths, at high school football games, at work or anywhere else. Very few people have commented on it however, if they do, I try to make it as edutaining as possible. And to show them my D tattoo...
The only time I ever had a stranger approach me was once when I was taking a shot of Humalog on a bench on my university campus between classes. A lady came running up asking if I needed help. She thought I was giving myself some sort of emergency injection like an epi-pen. I thanked her and said I was fine, just taking insulin, and she went on her way. It's actually really nice to know that people might notice that sort of thing if it were a real emergency.
I can understand that, too. When I was first diagnosed and had to use humalog after cortisone injections....I would go to the restroom for the injection etc. But most stalls have no place to lay your things out, and again they are a font of germs, etc. Thought I would have to learn to do this in a place where I felt was cleaner or at least thought it was than a bathroom stall. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
hmmm, my diabetic educator said he injects right through his jeans all the time. I inject in my stomach or side so it's easier to hide....I'd be interested in hearing the numbers of people that inject in different locations and their experience --- like through the jeans or the back of the arm????? Anyone care to share?
Mark. I"m not sure about this, but I do have long needles (I think 12's) that I am trying to use up....they work the best for the "through the jeans" deal. But I don't like to do that, for that reason if I have jeans on, I'll choose an alternate site....or inject in my vehicle ....or find another location...We all do what we feel comfortable with....I usually will lift my shirt and use the stomach site.
No problem at all doing it in public. It's what we do to survive. You do it, you move on, anyone complains it's they who have a problem not us, so they can deal with it. I do what I need to do to allow me to keep on going. Not having anyone stop me.
That is good that someone noticed and was concerned, it is encouraging. I have never had any problems with testing in public, using my inhaler, or anything like that fortunately.
