Injecting in public

[alicerebekah]

Hi all,

I recently have found myself having to inject in public. Once I went to the bathroom but didn't like doing it in there. A second time I did it out where people could see. I obviously did it as discreetly as possible but some people did see and I got a lot of glares!

What does everyone else do in public? I'm stuck at what to do! I don't want to sneak off to do it but I don't want people looking and whispering about me when I do it


Alice x

 

[johnny37]

I used to do it anywhere, through my trousers, through my shirt into my stomach. I guess that would be a probelm for a lady! Thought it was normal until a friend at dinner mouthed to my wife 'does he have to do that.? Also had some comments at work which surprised me. Some people think we are flaunting our condition. I tried to be more discreet after that. Now on a pump.

 

[azure]

Do it in public! It sounds like you were doing it fine

I've always injected in public and I'm not particularly brave or anything. It's not hygienic to use toilets as there are not only germs on the surfaces, but airborne germs too.

If you have a search, you'll find similar threads to yours, and the overwhelming response is that people inject discreetly in public and are fine Find a quiet place where you're not going to be jogged or bashed into and do what you have to do. Don't be self conscious.

 

[azure]

I used to do it anywhere, through my trousers, through my shirt into my stomach. I guess that would be a probelm for a lady! Thought it was normal until a friend at dinner mouthed to my wife 'does he have to do that.? Also had some comments at work which surprised me. Some people think we are flaunting our condition. I tried to be more discreet after that. Now on a pump.

Some people can be ignorant or lack empathy. Their problem not yours. Of course, if someone has a phobia, alerting them so they don't catch a glimpse is considerate, but really people shouldn't be looking or commenting (and the vast majority of people don't, I've found)

 

[CapnGrumpy]

I quite openly inject in public, at work, or wherever (the same with testing my BS) these days. If anyone doesn't like it, it's not my problem. I need to do this.

I have nipped into a pub toilet before to 'shoot up' in the past and gotten grief from the barman. They lost the custom of me and a number of friends as a result, and frankly, (edited so a mod doesn't have to) 'I don't care'.

 

[Kristin251]

I do when I have to. I agree about not liking the bathroom. I just turn toward my husband so he can block some of it but I also don't care what other people say. My 29 year old son hates seeing me do it so I will go in another room. I think it's just hard for him to accept I do this. We live in different states so it only happens a couple times of year. If anyone said anything I think I would apologize and also remind them how fortunate they are NOT to have to do it just to eat some stinking food. My bad

 

[azure]

I do when I have to. I agree about not liking the bathroom. I just turn toward my husband so he can block some of it but I also don't care what other people say. My 29 year old son hates seeing me do it so I will go in another room. I think it's just hard for him to accept I do this. We live in different states so it only happens a couple times of year. If anyone said anything I think I would apologize and also remind them how fortunate they are NOT to have to do it just to eat some stinking food. My bad

No need to apologise unless they had a phobia. I'd explain if it was clear they didn't know what I was doing or why, but some people are just inconsiderate and that's their problem Presumably, they'd also say something about people using an asthma inhaler or a wheelchair. As you say, they should count themselves lucky and say nothing.

(Talking about members of the public, not your son. )

 

[Kristin251]

No need to apologise unless they had a phobia. I'd explain if it was clear they didn't know what I was doing or why, but some people are just inconsiderate and that's their problem Presumably, they'd also say something about people using an asthma inhaler or a wheelchair. As you say, they should count themselves lucky and say nothing.

(Talking about members of the public, not your son. )

The apology would be to kill them with kindness 1st then put it back on them. The pen and needle are so small it should not offend anyone IMO. They can't even see the needle and the only blood is on the strip. Hardly anything to pass out over.

 

[noblehead]

I just injected away but didn't make it too obvious, so tried to keep it as discreet as possible without drawing too much attention.

You have to remember that you are doing nothing wrong and are only injecting a drug that is keeping you alive @alicerebekah, if anyone objects just ask them to look the other way.

 

[Ratty_Kat]

I try to inject in public as much as possible now - though I used to be really self conscious about it and always hide away. If people have a problem with it - that is their issue to deal with. Not mine I don't mind people asking about it. In fact, I'm glad if I can educate them. I do be discreet about it and if I think that it may be a problem with children around, I will disappear somewhere else to do it. And of course, sometimes clothing dictates where it is suitable as I personally don't inject through my clothes - Lifting one's dress in a restaurant to inject would be considered most inappropriate!
I think that since I have felt more comfortable with injecting in public, I have felt a bit better about my diabetes. If you treat it as something that needs to be hidden away and you spend too much time disappearing off to a grotty toilet, it can have at least a small impact on how you view yourself and diabetes. Well, it does for me anyway, but I didn't realise it until I started to inject in public.

 

[CollieBoy]

I used to do it anywhere, through my trousers, through my shirt into my stomach. I guess that would be a probelm for a lady! Thought it was normal until a friend at dinner mouthed to my wife 'does he have to do that.?

As you appear to be T1 (on pump) I would turned and said "So sorry, but yes, since my pancreas packed up, I need insulin to stay alive"
It's not as if you're yelling "look at me, I'm shooting up!" just quietly injecting your insulin.

 

[borderter]

I inject in public and because it does not bother me its not as noticable as if I gave furtive glances around
asked hubby if hes ever seen anyone watching me and he says never, so just do it

 

[catapillar]

I have never made any attempt to be discrete when injecting/testing. That's not to say I'm shoving it in everyones face, I don't think I'm flaunting it, it's just not crossed my mind that I should be being discrete. Anyway, injecting into your belly or thigh when youre sat at a table just naturally is quite discrete - you just are going to be doing it under the table. I don't know about you, but when I'm out for dinner I hardly ever stare into the laps of other strangers in the restaurant - so why on earth would anyone be doing that to you? I'm sure your lap is lovely, but honestly no one will pay it attention.

I don't think I've ever noticed anyone noticing me - I think the more you embrace it as your normal the more likely it is that people will just accept that it IS normal & therefore won't even realise that there is anything to be noticed.

 

[LeanneBurdett]

I do my daughters anywhere anytime! i want her to grow up knowing its not shamefull, it needs to be done so be it. People can be so ignorant now, but would be less so should them or a loved one have to do somthing similar! do what your comfortable with x

 

[Diakat]

My husband hates that I will inject anyplace anytime! I refuse to hide in the loo - unhygienic and much more shameful! No one apart from him has ever commented. At work I go into an empty office, no noted for colleagues to see my pants if I pull up a dress!

 

[alicerebekah]

You're all so amazing and have made me feel a lot better! I've only been diagnosed for a couple of months so have avoided doing it in public but had no choice a couple weeks ago. That's when I got funny looks and I did hear one lady gasp and say oh my god hahah! But you're all so right, I have no choice in doing this!

I deffo do not like doing it in a bathroom, makes me feel dirty


Thank you all for making me feel better xx

 

[BrianInMidlands]

Deffo do it in public (testing too!). When I was first diagnosed I used to go into the toilets but stopped that when on holiday to India soon afterwards (you can imagine! )
I've not had any adverse comments.
Another point is that if you are injecting when your food arrives then if you had to dissapear to inject you'd come back to cold food !

 

[Shar67]

I was a toilet user as well, til one of my friends said you wouldn't use a public toilet to pee in so why use it to inject. She had a point, so after that I do it discreetly as possible in public.
One time I was in a restaurant and this woman seemed to be paying interest to my group of friends, maybe because we were having a giggle. When I tested blood she told her friends they all turned round to stare, so I gave it to them, big deal of squirting air bubbles, almost stuck my bum in the air to inject they had the grace to look embarrassed.
Just recently was invited to a lovely birthday party that was black tie, so all the ladies had ball gowns on, wasn't til sitting down for meal I realised throwing gown over my head to reach thigh wasn't going to look elegant, fortunately there was other diabetics there who had same problem, it gave us the giggles to see what position we were going to do to inject, I opted for upper arm.

 

[Nicola M]

I always used to inject in public but always tried to be as discreet as I could. Really people shouldn't be watching you inject unless they are being nosey. I always feel that other people with other medical conditions get to use their medicine in public without people complaining so we should be able to as well.

 

[Kristin251]

I wonder if clueless people think we are 'getting our fix' ! We are but NOT what they think!