Miss Manners "draws the line" at testing BG in public

Weakness?! Annoyance maybe, but it's not a weakness.

Oh I would like to say something to Miss Manners but I’m afraid it would be considered very bad manners indeed! I wouldn’t have thought twice about seeing someone test or even inject in public even before diabetes showed up in our family, grow up people.

If asked what I thought Miss Manners would say, I could have predicted this. Judith Martin (Miss Manners) writes about "etiquette," a code of behavior supposedly representing the highest "social" classes. While there are certainly good aspects of this such as politeness and considering others, significant parts of this stuff is contaminated with catering to conservative attitudes of prudes.

Miss Manners has taken heat for suggesting that mothers not nurse their babies in public and other such nonsensical positions. In both situations, the law and ethic is clear, you can nurse and test wherever needed. I refuse to cater to a prude who puts their individual mental comfort above my health. To me, suggesting that a mother needs to go sit in the bathroom to nurse her child or that I need to do the same to test is "bad manners." Real "manners" considers the feelings of others.

Well said Brian!

I get the impression that most of the people replying here do exactly the same thing. Many people indicated they try to be discreet. No one said they sit in the middle of a room and go (with words or actions), "LOOK EVERYONE!! BLOOD!" as they test.

Amen

Did he mean it was a bad idea because of bathroom germs or because it is psychologically damaging to seperate yourself to do it?

This is ridiculous. I test my blood sugar wherever I want, and I would never let anyone tell me otherwise. When I was on shots, I used to just take them wherever I wanted as well, as a nice bathroom or other clean, private place wasn't always available.

Giving these types of opinions is a hindrance to persons with diabetes being able to take care of themselves.

I test my BG wherever and whenever I need to and never try to hide it. I also wear clothing that reveals my OmniPod and CGM (short sleeve shirts or tank top shirts in summer). In 15 years of living with T1D Ive never had anyone say anything directly to me and if they ever did they would get a stern lecture. Maybe the fact that I am a six foot tall and muscular man with a shaved head and beard helps to stifle people from complaining. When it comes to my health I do what I have to do unapologetically and openly and damn anyone who has an issue with it.

This is so true... it got me thinking that I can't remember what it's like to be "metabolically normal" -- diabetes, if one wants to be as healthy as possible -- is a full-time pre-occupation.

Just about everything I do I have to factor in diabetes. I have to plan, organize, calculate, self-treat, face risk. Every hour of the day. It taxes the mind, body, and soul.

For me, a pump and CGM made a paradigm shifting difference in managing diabetes, my attitude, engagement, motivation. This is, in part, just me -- not everyone will "fit" this the same way.

Yet, this demonstrates that there are optimal ways for each of us to deal with our situation. We can be healthy; we can have energy; we can be fit; we can enjoy food responsibly; we can, really, do anything.

To MM:

Dear Miss Manners,

Let me put it in simple terms for you. Anything I have done to take care of my Type 1 diabetes in the last 43 years is done for one reason. I do it or I die. Wherever, whenever, and however. Part of my body doesn't function well enough to survive, so to live, I use insulin, food, exercise, and blood glucose testing to live...get it?

I agree totally, Spock. There is no shame in T1D so why treat it as if there is? Do what ya gotta do whenever and wherever you are and to hell with anyone who has an issue with it. I have a very open and unapologetic attitude about my T1D and I think this attitude comes across loud and clear. People react to my attitude by not doing or saying anything negative to me when I test in public or if my pump or CGM is showing. I carry myself with a great deal of confidence and people respond to it. If you have an attitude of shame, apology, or secrecy regarding your T1D that attitude also comes across and people will react to that. Life is too short to let other people dictate how you live your life for yourself.

Don't be too disgusted, but I would test in front of Miss Manners and then lick the blood, so there! I know I know, cringe all of you tissue/alcohol pad people.

I never test in public as I feel more comfortable not doing so. But, no one should set rules. Do whatever the law allows. If it's not illegal, it shouldn't be discussed. That's my opinion. :)

Tom Karlya, aka Diabetes Dad, responds to Miss Manners

Tom Karlya nails it with this:

Nothing is uglier than when ignorance speaks as an authority.

I love this line!

Today (2/26) on DiabetesMine, there is a fascinating follow-up on this story. MikeH interviews Miss Manners and her son, who has Type 1! http://www.diabetesmine.com/2014/02/a-response-from-miss-manners-and-her-son-with-t1-diabetes.html#more-91804

I think this response is well worth reading.

ike non-diabetics whose bodies test their sugar in public, so do I. i have no need to hide testing bg or taking needles or adjusting pump. Theirs do it internally right there on the spot so why should i go hide to do mine? Come to this century Miss Manners!!

Fascinating, really fascinating. Casts the whole thing in a different light, and raises some disturbing points of its own. Though I do agree with the blogger's statement that they brought it on themselves in part, by injudicious choice of language.

This really peaked my curiosity. I'm not following you on the spraying blood issue. Is this with non-fingertip sites?

I've never tested anywhere but my fingertips, and I can't imagine blood ever spraying from there under pressure!