I'd like some advice please. In the last month or so, my diagnosis changed from type 2 and taking pills to type 1 and injecting insulin. Since injecting I've had no problems in public or at restaurants or at work to inject. The weekend just gone was the first time I was around my family as we all live in different countries. Anyways at dinner I sat at the table and discreetly tested and injected. As I did, one sister made a scene to look away as she has an aversion to needles, which I wasn't aware of. My other sister asked me 100 times if I was allowed to eat dessert and had I allocated for it, not in a concerning way, more sarcastic and irritating way.
On discussing this with my mother, she had told me of my dad being somewhat horrified a few years ago when they were out for dinner with a friend who was type and he injected at the table. She suggested that I should have gone to the toilet to do it, or away from the table. Additionally she suggested that around the older kids in my family (ages 8 to 17) I shouldn't inject in front of them at all.
So the advice I need is, are they living in the stone ages? How can I educate them more? Should I not inject around them?
I'll admit I am quite upset with all of this, especially from my family, who normally support anything and everything I do.
They are utter neanderthals. They need someone to sit down and seriously educate them about Diabetes. We all need sugar, we just have to control our intake. Many of us need insulin, whether T1 or T2. Someone needs to sit down with them and explain how it all works, and the best person is yourself, especially if you have read up on your condition and fully understand how it all works. If not, get family members to talk to your Diabetes professionals, so that they may learn something, rather than sticking their heads in the sand.
I refuse to sneak off to the toilets when having an injection, if asked, I explain that I have a medical condition and am not a junkie. If they don't like it, I leave and they lose a sale.
The best tale I can tell you was when my late mother was seriously ill, with a condition that threatened her life, nearly 30 years ago. I went to the hospital in the ambulance with her. I called my brother to bring my insulin bottles, and my syringe, along with food (this was in the days before pens and I was using a bespoke mixture of two different insulins. As I was waiting in the A&E area, three lads came in, one of whom had broken his wrist. My brother arrived with my insulins. I began to draw up the insulins out of their various bottles, so that I could eat my food. I was aware that these lads were staring intently at me. I just pulled up my shirt and rammed the syringe home and injected. The next thing I noticed was two of them wetting themselves lughing, while the chap with the broken wrist had passed out whilst watching me and was now an unconscious heap on the floor. Serves you right was my thought before I tucked in to the meal my brother had brought me. My mum made a full recovery and live on for another 25 yrs, until her death of old age!
Be strong!