I hate the fact that I sneak in to the bathroom at work several times a day hoping no one would notice me with my meter case in my pocket. Does anyone just check at their desk? Only a few people know at work. I am embarrassed that I am a diabetic. I feel that the years of abuse of over eating has cause my diabetes.
I recall reading ,years ago that Ann Landers , remember her ? , suggested, that folks should test in bathrooms/washrooms , NOT at the table in a restaurant …I wrote her ( well, via the paper she had her column
in ) my observation : NEVER heard from her …I bet you can guess , what my point of view is on the subject and to answer your question : at your desk .You likely will get more/better work done , rather than sneaking in and out 
…however remember to have clean hands , when you test .
Hi Tad!
I actaully check at my desk – in my line of business, productive work output is ultra important; hence checking at my desk & working at the same time is best for me. However, I do make sure that when I test it is in a clean and uncluttered part of my desk, and I always have alcohol wipes nearby.
All the management staff in my office (hee hee, I’m management too) know of my diabetes and are very supportive when I check my glucose levels. I suppose it depends on where you are comfortable.
I also understand about being “embarrassed,” but I don’t think there is a need to blame yourself… I too am T2. Sure, I can blame myself for indulging on unhealthy eating, but at least I am doing something about it now, as I am sure you are too. =)
By the way, you look great! Er, at least from what your profile picture reflects of you!! So the “years of abuse of over eating” statement, I daresay, is harsh and I don’t see it!
So if anything, keep on smiling and keep remembering that you define yourself not your diabetes.
Hey there Tad -
Several observations -
- You really don’t want to “sneak” into the bathroom. Bathrooms in restaurants and workplaces may look clean but with all the usage they get you are just raising the risk of something bad happening.
- Don’t be embarrassed. Seriously. Rather view yourself as part of an elite group of people. Yes I know that none of us, given the choice, would like to be a part of this group but still here we are. So use your need to test as a way to educate the people around you. I always tell people who feel sorry that I have this “disease” that it is not a “disease” to me but rather an “incurable condition” that can be controlled to a large extent by taking charge of it. In other words - even though I’ve suffered from some complications I embrace my diabetes rather than be ashamed or embarrassed about it. As such I will test in public anywhere and anytime.
- Yes you can test in public. The first few times you may feel a bit awkward but that will pass. I have found over time that most people do not notice your testing unless you make a big deal about it. Examples: A friend of my Mom’s always makes a HUGE production about testing whenever she goes out. She’s rather obnoxious to the waitstaff about needing something to dispose of the strips and wipes. BTW - she’s only on metformin. I, on the other hand, am on Byetta, metformin and insulin. Most of the time I mange to check my sugars, do my shots without anyone noticing. People will notice that I take a pill before they notice I took a shot! Yes sometimes someone will see me testing or taking a shot and ask me about it. I explain that I’m diabetic very matter-of-factly and answer any questions they may have. Which brings me to
- Education. By going “public” you bring yourself into a wonderful group of people - those of us that have no problem with dealing with diabetes and educating those around us about it. Even though I’m comfortable with managing my diabetes and have an excellent “diabetes care team” that actually let me be my own team leader - (i.e endocrinologist, primary care physician, podiatrist, certified diabetes educator and dietician) I still went out to a bookstore one day and read a “Dummies” book so that I would know how to more easily explain diabetes to those that don’t have it. The amount of misinformation that John and Jane Q. Public have about diabetes is still incredible! Ironically I find that more and more waitstaff actually know quite a bit about diabetes these days and they will work with you to ensure a more diabetic meal when you dine out. The trick is educating the “diabetes police” and being able to discuss your Diabetes with anyone anywhere with an aura of confidence at the drop of a hat IF they have questions.That only happens when you are open and comfortable with taking care of yourself.
- You say years of abuse of overeating has caused your diabetes. Are you 100 percent certain? Did anyone in a previous generation of your family have diabetes? Certainly overeating can bring out one’s diabetes from a latent stage - so can a car accident or any other number of stressors. These are the same stressors that sometimes make it harder to keep our blood glucose in range. There are a large number of factors that can contribute to the onset of T2 diabetes and yes, overeating can indeed be one of them. But again - don’t get down on yourself about your weight. I learned a lovely “shootback” line a long time ago if someone makes a comment about your weight - it goes “I’m fat - you’re ugly. I can diet.” I suggest that you watch a comic on Comedy Central called Gabriel Iglesias. He is rather overweight and uses a lot of that in his comedy act - his show is called “I’m not fat - I’m fluffy.” I’m not saying that we should be embracing our excess weight but we also can’t let it stress us out because that will a) raise bg readings even more and b) cause us to eat even more…
So I’m getting off the soapbox now but I hope I helped a little bit here. There is quite a bit of great advice both here and elsewhere on the site as you know.
All the best,
Peter
I check everywhere…at work at my desk, in my car…anywhere and everywhere!!
Hi Tad, dont be ashamed to openly test your blood. I try to stay out out of bathrooms to test or inject because as we all know, public bathrooms are not clean…our health is the most important thing. Tad has made some great points …
When I first read this, I thought, on my fingers of course. But then I realized what was going on. Okay, so I will tell you that I openly test in public. It’s not like one of my body parts that isn’t normally seen is uncovered. If I am sitting at a table, I might put my hand in my lap with my meter, but not poke infront of people…that’s a little rude when they are getting ready to eat…but other than that…no I don’t hide the fact. If nothing else it gives me the opportunity to share about the disease and my living with it.
TAD, I am not surprised at your “embarassing” feelings, but I agree with Peter…can you be sure that your overeating did indeed start up your diabetes. Most of my friends who are diabetics are type II’s, (you know, the people that “caused” their diabetes) and they are for the most part within the parameters of their normal weight.
In fact one man is below his normal weight…I don’t get or can’t relate to diabetes being an embarassment. Would you feel the same way if you had a heart attack, stroke, or were missing a limb? I think it’s time to have another look at that kind of thinking for yourself. It puts you into a box that you don’t need. I hope that you will rethink that, and put it away.
I check wherever when I need to. I check at my desk. I just face inward with my back out. I check in my car, sometimes in benches at the mall. I go bike and make a pitstop in front of a grocery store and I check there too. I really stopped caring. I dont do it right where people notice but I dont conceal it either. So at work my desk is my domain. If you dont want to see me checking then people in my office should not be looking into my cube
Hi Tad! I check where ever I need to, taking in consideration certain things and circumstances like who I am with and where I am. I check when and where I need to but I also factor in being appropriate, prudent and disreet. Im not ashamed of it…it is a part of me =)
TAD, it is very worrisome and take umbrage in being ‘diabetic’. No I am not worried nor embarrassed being a human being having diabetes. We are human beings first and happen to be having diabetes, it is same as having heart trouble, having had a stroke, paralysed, MS (multiple scleorisis), having hyper or hypo thyroid. All these are popularly perceived to be because of having wrong foods, overeating etc… No heart patient is embarrassed eating or smoking. It is not that you get diabetes only because of over eating, being obese, craving sugars etc. A person is genetically predisposed to getting diabetes. The other factors may be acting as ‘catalysts’.
I personally would advise you to keep atleast 2-3 people at your workplace about your diabetes and they should know what is to be done in an emergency, especially when you are low in sugar.
Please note that people who have diabetes and are concerned about it and want to have least devastation from its effects are very disciplined. Before getting diabetes they may not have been very strict in their outlook, but with onset of diabetes, they plan and execute all aspects in their life in a very disciplined way.
Having said this, please take a light view and enjoy living the life.
Thanks for all the support… Maybe I will be able to check at my desk soon…
i’m not discrete at all. i just do it whenever and wherever i need to. with that, i have yet to see any other fellow D peeps doing the same (i’ve been with my D for 6 [?] or so years now) so i do wonder if i’m the only one in the whole world… phew, tudiabetes tells me i’m not! i just got a pod and dexcom several months ago so i don’t prick often but i lay all the devices out on the table with my phone, looking like a complete moron with too many handheld gadets, at restaurants when i was still shooting up, i’d do it in plain sight as well. I only do the pump refills away from others in a restaurant since it involves needles poking into the air when i de-bubble it
I have started to check my blood sugar st my desk. Thanks for all the support.