I go to restaurants often. I keep a testing kit in my car for when I’m away from home. The only thing I don’t keep in the car is an insulin pen. When I actually remember to take the insulin pen with me (memory… the ravages of advancing age), I generally test and dose at the table in a restaurant. I have always asked my companions if the concept of me testing or dosing at the table would bother them and the answer has always been “No.” I do the finger stick and the dosing (I just pull up my shirt a little bit and inject into my considerable belly fat) below the table so that there’s little likelihood of other restaurant patrons even realizing what I’m up to, much less actually being able to witness my actions. I will concede that if I’m going to a “white linen tablecloth” type of restaurant, I’ll adjourn to the restroom. I try to avoid that if at all possible because there’s seldom any available flat space in a restaurant washroom other than the area around the sink and that’s frequently covered with water from other folks washing up. I don’t want to have to set my kit on that surface and I’m not really thrilled with having to clean the surface before using it.
I’m actually a bit surprised that nobody has touched on the similarity between what we do and what mothers do when breast feeding. Both activities are normal activities that for some reason seem to offend the sensitivities of some folks… oh well, so it goes.
Kind of a footnote, but at some point when I was using FlexPens I read that someone did a study and found that injecting through a thin layer of clothing had absolutely no deleterious effects. So in restaurants particularly I’d just do it right through my shirt. Worked fine, never had any problems, and it’s about as discreet as you can possibly get.
I remember having a memory once… at least I think I do!
I have both tested and injected at formal dinners – did so at a wedding recently. When I first started taking insulin, I did go to a side to inject more discreetly as such affairs, but after getting bumped into in such situations, I decided it was far safer to take care of my needs at the table. As I have said, I have, so far, never heard a negative comment about doing so.
And yes, @DrBB and @Jen – I usually injected through my clothing in public with, as expected, no negative effects.
Funny as I didn’t mention this in the original post but my friend who was sitting right next to me and witnessed the whole thing used this exact comparison once the server left and I was upset.
That’s really interesting. I was aware that it works quite differently than injectable insulin in the way that it doesn’t linger and leaves your system completely after only 1 hour. I didn’t know that you wouldn’t need a precise dose. I wonder how that would work on a low carb diet still, and I wonder if that’s why my doctor was a bit apprehensive. I can see it being great for corrections though.
I’m actually not sure if I made it clear that I’m normally very discreet in public. I always test my BG on my lap under the table and I use an insulin pen and would normally inject under the table as well or sit by the wall at a booth where I’m not being seen. If having the option, I would prefer doing all of that in the car beforehand. However life is such that things don’t always go as planned and in this situation I simply didn’t have a choice besides going to the bathroom right as we arrived to the place. It was super crowded in a very narrow booth and I couldn’t see my lap when sitting.
I actually suffer from a mild case of OCD and am terrified of germs which is the reason I won’t test in the bathroom and only inject in there as a last resort. When I do that I carry a bunch of sanitizing products in there with me, probably enough to sanitize a small hospital, and it’s a long process. I might have done that on my own if it wasn’t demanded of me in such rude and condescending way.
Wow. Just wow! Good for you for not shaming the restaurant you went to. I would have put their name all over this discussion, probably done something similar on yelp, facebook, tripadvisor - you name it, I would have complained on it.
The thought did cross my mind, but from what it seemed like to me, it was the server who was being a jerk. My friends who were there for a bit before we arrived said he had a bit of an attitude with them too. I just don’t think his actions reflect the values of that establishment and wouldn’t want to hurt a very small, local business.
I don’t have much experience with it yet, but the few times I’ve gone out to eat at a restaurant since diagnosis I test/inject right at the table. I’ll be damned if I have to do this where people go to the bathroom, and if someone ever said anything to me (I’m still a little sensitive about it) I would be inclined to stab them with my insulin pen…
I also do nothing to hide what I’m doing to stay alive. I always test at the table and when I was using injections, I also did it at the table. I don’t use the bathroom for my medical procedures. I’m sure that server would not like having his blood drawn in the bathroom. I have never had anyone say anything to me. I don’t make it a big production and everything is so small now that most people don’t even notice. It is still shocking to hear someone being called out for doing something they must do multiple times a day to stay alive. So sorry it is still happening and thank goodness it has never happened to me.
I was getting my hair done yesterday and my CGM started to trend upward. As a sugar surfer, I knew I needed to take a small dose to stem that rise. I pulled my pen out and gave myself a quick shot while she continued to do my hair. She commented “are you diabetic? I did not know that” and we visited for a bit about it. No judgement, just curiosity. I will take a shot anywhere and anytime I need it. Most of the time, no one even knows I did it. But, if they do, I could care less.
@tatty And…there was a perfect opportunity to chat about it in a civil manner, with no one telling you what you can or cannot do, and no one demanding that you take cover!!
Awesome!
So I have only been type 1 since October 2015. But my mom was diagnosed a year before she became pregnant with me. So, maybe I am desensitized to injections, pumps and testing bg since I have seen it my entire life. I haven’t thought twice about doing what I need to do where ever I am. Restaurants, malls, Target, where ever. I also have quite the attitude and would give someone a piece of my mind if they said something to me. When I started on injections, I only went to the bathroom 1 time to do it. Every other time was in public. I keep my pump on my bra strap and don’t care if it shows or the tubing shows. It’s most convenient for me. Only 1 time did I have someone stare and give me a dirty look at the mall when I stopped to bolus on my pump. And I looked her right in the eye and said, excuse me for taking insulin, is that an issue for you? She rolled her eyes and walked away. I feel the same way with breastfeeding. I have a baby on the way, and when the baby is hungry, I will feed them. Whenever, where ever. People can turn their heads.
If waitstaff said something like this to my daughter, I’d hope that our party consisted of at least 6 other people. Because that’s what it would take to physically restrain me. Can’t help it; I’ve always been a momma bear: Don’t even think about effing with my cub!!!
That actually did come up, but in the chat room, not here in the forum. 
