Injecting while at work.

Bluemarine Josephine said:

Hello
In my view, the correct way to handle such people or situations depends on the type of person you are and what behavior/reaction of yours makes you feel more comfortable.

Please let me explain what I mean. There are people with diabetes (some of them in this forum) who are very open regarding our condition. They are also very bold and can stand up for what is happening to them and how they handle our condition. They are not afraid to explain themselves in public and even pick up fights to support our diabetes.

I like them, I really do and I admire them for having the patience and the stamina and the strength to be alert and ready to defend themselves at all times.

And, there are people like myself… I can feel hurt by others as my diabetes is still a raw spot for me. I have heard so many clumsy and unpleasant (borderline rude) comments regarding my condition and… I do not argue or defend myself. Instead, I cry silently at the office’s restroom… in the car when driving home… in my bathroom while taking off my make up… in the shower… before I go to sleep.

So, for me, it is easier to keep my diabetes silent and private… just like I keep everything else in my life silent and private.
I cry silently. I suffer silently. I worry silently. I struggle silently.
And, I inject silently.

When in the office I either inject in the ladies room or I do a free carbs meal to avoid the injection.

I know that injecting in the restroom is unhygienic but, I feel that if anyone complains that injecting in public is unpleasant/uncomfortable to watch then, I would perceive this as a direct insult about myself. As if my diabetes has made me an unpleasant person that brings discomfort to others.

My aim in life is to simplify, as much as I can; Simplify my diabetes, simplify my relations with others, simplify the way I live each day so that I can end each day with comfort in my soul. So, I can’t pick up a fight… In between all the things in my life that I have to be brave for, I can’t be brave for this too… having to explain myself and my condition to any idiot who comes along…

Doing things silently and privately is an easier way for me to cope with my own reality. It helps me keep my sanity. It doesn’t make me feel embarrassed (for something that we should not be embarrassed in the first place) and it doesn’t give people food for gossip (because people LOVE to gossip).

Therefore, I think, the only wrong way to handle such a situation is the way that makes you feel uncomfortable with yourself.
Regards
Josephine.

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I am also like you Josefine. I am a man and had it for 50yrs. I try to inject disscreetly. Years ago it was more difficult with the old type syringes. Now i do it while sat at my workbench, I usually swivel around in a chair and do it in my tummy. No one can see like this. Though at my last place of work people were sat all around and it was not possible so I used to do it at my place of work disscreetly and then walk to the staffroom. But it has upset me deeply sometimes.

I'm quite confident with my injections in public to the point I'll be very open with it. I typically inject in my stomach in those situations; if I was to do my legs or somewhere more "cheeky" then I'd take myself to one side. The reason for this is it could be seen as somewhat indecent to pull your trousers down.

But I don't worry about "offending" people when it comes to it, if I notice a person starting to act noticeably squeamish (you know the sort) then I'm more likely to inject in their direction. If they are making a big deal of a fear because they have 4 seconds of discomfort then I'll happily show them what I do 4 times a day. I've only had one person speak to me about it and I kindly pointed out to them that I go through a physical discomfort every day, and but proxy my wife, parents and grandparents do as well. I offered to them my blood testing process and I think they got the idea.

People openly take pills in public that they probably don't need too and they are never questioned or looked at. There are people with a fear of buttons yet that can be seen as "stupid" (not my view BTW) yet we don't change our clothes to zippers.

If you have to do something, have some fun with it. As a teenager with a phial and old-fashioned hypodermic, I used to freak people out by pretending I was shooting up then go to inject in my stomach, confusing them. Probably not the best thing to do, but that was my form of Jackass-style fun. I do embrace it as it's something that is very apart of me; I am a human pin-cushion but it's all I've ever known.

I understand that people will be very shy and keep it under-wraps, that's very normal. The only thing I can suggest is to try and inject yourself like it's a very normal thing for everybody to do. Try and do it whilst in the middle of a conversation with somebody (or rather bodies) you know well and feel comfortable doing it in front of, but with others around who don't really know. Hopefully, that whole process of nobody batting an eyelid in your circle will help your confidence but also make it feel normal. Not sure if it helps or not, but having lots of people around you who embrace your condition helps; probably not that easy at work, but any other situations where you can give it a go maybe?

Side note. Most interesting place to inject yourself is on an aeroplane; I did soon after 9/11 on a flight to Dublin with my parents, a lady freaked out and my dad pointed out I'm diabetic. The cabin crew suggested she didn't make any more unnecessary panic and they apologised to me (think that was BA).