Well, I have a stupid question…What does TMI stand for?
Dave, Gerri…good comments/replies.
I test, inject anywhere I need to, doesn’t bother me and I don’t care who knows that I am diabetic…not ashamed.
Now, nude sunbathing…ummm no thanks. 
TMI = Too Much Information
Thanks John and Dave
The “nude sunbathing” example was brought up as a way of saying we all have different comfort levels with public and private behavior (btw at nude beaches nobody stares at anyone else because everyone shares the belief it’s natural and there’s no sensationalism involved). But sorry if it felt like TMI to anyone. I wasn’t intending to squelch discussion of testing/injecting in public, and sorry if anyone felt that, but merely saying I would have been interested in more discussion of the other half of the OP’s question. No, the talk of public testing doesn’t touch a nerve because I really don’t care what others do, I just don’t like being told I’m “ashamed of being a diabetic” if I do it privately. As for continued back and forth analysis/arguing of who said what and what they did or didn’t mean and whether they were right or wrong…it’'s too nice a day.
Been to nude (clothing optional) beaches in Jamaica & saw plenty of people checking each other out. It’s natural, so is looking. The people I noticed who weren’t checking each other made such a concerted effort not to that they might as well have been staring:)
That was Flobiotic’s topic.
No one looks at me when I test/inject. I’ve tested in restrooms next to women putting on lipstick & they don’t even blink as a fill a syringe, Most people are more concerned with what they’re doing to pay attention to anyone else, or care.
I can count the people that I told about my diabetes in the last 30 years on one hand. When dx’ed it was no secret because I was pulled out of school to spend 2 weeks in a hospital. After that a lot of people treated me like a disabled person. Maybe their intentions were good but I rather like to be a normal person. I don’t ask for special consideration and I don’t want to be labeled in return. I also don’t enjoy talking about diabetes to anybody. This breaks my denial. I want to be normal. I do what I have to do but I don’t want to talk about it. I once was introduced to a friend of a friend and instead of “Hi” she said “Are you the diabetic?”. She did not score points for that. These days I rather tell people that I am on a low-carb diet to explain my preference for certain foods.
I don’t blame anybody for any wrongdoing (maybe with the exception of the one girl). It is a difficult situation. If people don’t ask me about my diabetes they might fear to come across as uncaring. If decease was my favorite topic I could be offended by not being asked about my ailment. It also could very well be that I am the inconsiderate person by not allowing other people to pity me. I am selfish enough to avoid the situation.
I test and administer insulin via my pump in public. When someone asks, as they occasionally do, it provides an educational opportunity. No one has ever objected to my face.
an example of tmi would be that a certain somebody on this thread would rather have an actual chocolate bath opposed to a normal bath
Hmmm i think i’m pretty public when it comes to testing,shots, wearing bracelet. I’m pretty open about talking about my routine, my diagnosis and the problems i had before. I think the only thing i’m really private about is where i stand on the scale of bad and good “diabetic.” If it’s a person i don’t know or want to talk to about diabetes and they make a comment or a snap judgement, i might close up. Some days are good to explain and some days i’d rather keep it to myself.
Now my new worry will be where my diabetes fits in the workplace.
I go public with it;). Co-workers, friends all know, see it as a safety net for myself. I take shots in restaurants or through my cloth.
I am very public about my diabetes and checking blood sugars. I want to make sure that everyone knows that I am not ashamed of being a diabetic.
I tell everyone in the “need to know” and anyone i am in regular contact with. If people see me testing or playing with my pump and ask me about it i use it to educate. I dont hide it, but i try to be discrete.
Since i am taking a lot of premed classes this semester all my profs, ta’s and lab instructors know, because 2 classes have additional 4 hour labs as well as a cell phone intolerance policy so i dont want to get points taken away in class because my pump is running low on insulin and beeps at me.
Funny situation from the other day: i am in an EMT course with one 4 hour lab and rarely the same lab coordinator (they rotate around) so not all of them know about my D. i was laying on the floor while the lab coordinator demonstrated a trauma assesment whish requires him to pat down my sturnum (between yhe “girls”) and i happened to have my pump slipped to my bra. When his hand happened to hit that he looked down at me and his facial expression was just CLASSIC! i had totally forgotten about my pump, and i explained and he continued, and after class he spent 20 minutes just asking questions about the pump because its just not something he came into contact with that often.
hahaha! priceless