It is kinda funny that the yellow sign is hanging just above a “Dont tread on me,” one.
Either way, I appreciate any reminder from people in recovery because there are plenty of people NOT in recovery that wont say a word and might go digging through your purse, given the chance. I dont know about you, but I have a lot of sharps in my purse, including uncapped lancets, which I would rather not have anyone poke themselves with on their way to acquiring syringes. Its a good reminder not to reuse syringes and lancets once you’ve “announced” yourself as a diabetic by taking a shot in public. It is what it is, but I’m trying to be more careful.
I am aware that syringes change hands…sometimes people ask directly, sometimes they don’t. I have had people ask me for syringes. I have had them taken without my knowledge…only for people to admit to it later. It has probably happened more than the two times I am aware of. I feel obligated to remind people that there is a self preservation side to keeping that stuff discrete because you just don’t know what you don’t know.
You do not always know who the addicts are. You don’t always know who’s in recovery and might slip up. But, trust me - there are far more people in recovery or active drug users than there are insulin injecting diabetics…especially today. I wonder if people are sometimes saying this because they might know something you dont:
Latest statistics put number of insulin users in USA at 6 million. I honestly cannot believe that illegal drug “shooting up” users outnumber us.
I would suspect that the majority of store owners who think folks are shooting up on illegal drugs in their restrooms, are actually just mistakenly thinking that insulin users are using illegal drugs.
1.7 million injected drug users. I don’t inject insulin via syringe, but I do keep them in my purse in case of pump failure. I think there’s fewer and fewer diabetics using syringes for insulin. Prevalence of injected drugs is very correlated to geography. But, I personally know the difference between someone injecting drugs and someone injecting something else. This year, I have seen multiple people injecting drugs in public bathrooms. But, I can’t think of a single diabetic I’ve seen.
Now, usually this is some scenario where the gas station employees are complaining about it. Or, I have to go to the bathroom and its locked, and I wait a long time and the guy at the counter says they’ve been in there for 3o min. Someone will start to wonder if they are in trouble or having some medical emergency and they give me the key and tell me to check the women’s bathroom…Bam! Shooting up in the bathroom. Its common enough to be a daily problem, but it depends on the location.
Hehehe, I have lots of experience with public restrooms due to multiple septic system backups that have rendered mine worse than any public bathroom. Me and the druggies are the frequent flyers to gas station bathrooms. We are in direct competition for limited public bathroom resources. If the septic man doesn’t call me back this week, I should just start using a cat box.
If you spend time in the city, that’s why they lock the bathrooms and make you get a key.
One time at Disney World, I went to the restroom to bolus for my lunch. There were 2 guys in there. They saw me drawing up my insulin, and moments later a security guy came in. He asked what I was doing, I told him taking my insulin. The insulin vial was there in plain sight, he acknowledge and moved on.
Funny how people assume the worst.
Years later I went to PENs for bolus (only) and shoot up at the table. NO nasty or assumptions since.
