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Why do I never see people testing their blood or injecting?

TrinaU

TrinaU

Newbie
Messages
1
Location
Leeds
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I was diagnosed earlier this year with Type1 and I find it really strange that I never see people testing their blood or injecting insulin? Do you all hide away to do this?
 
Do it in the car when convenient. Injected at pub table on Sunday morning when out for breakfast. Test when out with accu check mobile all the time. Like diabell I try and be discrete
 
I test and inject all the time when I'm out and about and never had any issues with it.

I don't hide it but wouldn't stand up and annouce what I'm up to either.
 
Initially I tried to hide it, would go to the bathroom to inject insulin if in a restaurant. After a few times though I found this was more disruptive than just doing it at the table, and let's face it public bathrooms are not the cleanest of places. It's amazing how many people don't notice at all. Generally if people do notice and take an interest they just want to ask a few questions, I've not really had any bad reactions - my friends who have issues with needles tend to just look the other way.
 
ArtemisBow said:
Initially I tried to hide it, would go to the bathroom to inject insulin if in a restaurant. After a few times though I found this was more disruptive than just doing it at the table, and let's face it public bathrooms are not the cleanest of places. It's amazing how many people don't notice at all. Generally if people do notice and take an interest they just want to ask a few questions, I've not really had any bad reactions - my friends who have issues with needles tend to just look the other way.
Click to expand...

I used to be the same @ArtemisBow for the few months until I realised it wasn't the most hygenic thing to do.
 
Cautionary tale here . . .

Went out to dinner with a type 1 diabetic friend and his wife - many years ago - pre-booked restaurant table
in a rather dubious suburb of Sheffield.

Wife went ahead of us, I stayed with diabetic friend, parked on side street, dark evening, interior light
in car switched on, friend loads syringe and injects into stomach, whereupon there is a very loud
tap on window - Bobby on the beat thought we were injecting illegal substances! A little explaining
had to be done!

You may guess that it was some time ago - when we still had policemen pounding the pavements!
 
How interesting - I guess it depends where you look. I posted something similar to this a while back (but probably named the title inappropriately) as I was amazed at how much I have noticed it since I was diagnosed. I swear I have never noticed it before, but now whether to do with coincidence or whatever, I see it quite a lot. There have been a few incidences now in restaurants, where people have openly tested and injected in public places. I also spent a few days with someone who (albeit discretely, did test and inject at the table when eating. I see no reason why people should hide away in the loos for example. I have found this very reassuring as if I was ever using insulin again, I know I would feel nervous in public, but seeing these examples has really helped me feel no need to worry should that ever be the case.
Maybe you just need to look more carefully, but trust me, it does happen!
 
I often test my bloods in public places so yeah! But in general terms I tend to go to the bathroom to inject as I usually do in the tops of my legs/thighs.
 
It could also be down to the very small percentage of people who actually inject insulin - T1's account for only 0.006% of UK population.
 
I have always been very public about injecting. If women can breast feed children in restaurants, why shouldn't we inject ourselves. I admit to dramatising it a little and making a bit more of a show.

I've been challenged once, with a comment along the lines of "How disgusting". They got a mouthful back.

But if you consider how many people actually inject in the UK, (421,300 in 2010 - read this story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26065673) and consider that a fair proportion of these will be using only long acting (lets say half), then 210,000 people out of 63,000,000 is a tiny proportion who might be bolussing in a restaurant. Roughly a third of a percentage. Put another way, in a town the size of Liverpool, that's 1400 people, or in the UK as a whole, that is a total that is less than the population of Liverpool.

That's why you don't see it that often!
 
I test when ever and where ever I am. The only time I was questioned was my a female colleague who asked that I test in the bathroom/loo as she did not want to catch anything!! I have a sharpes bin on my desk provided by my company and since I confessed to being diabetic T2 they have now employed a T1 diabetic. I work for a small open minded company most of the time - there are only 15 of us in one large office. Since starting basal insulin they all know what to look for if my sugars drop - normally I go very silent and pale.
 
On insulin since July 2014. Felt very nervous testing and injecting in public at first. More for not causing someone else to pass out or call the police because I was using drugs. I have got more used to it. I inject discreetly where possible at restaurants. It can cause some funny looks. A waiter was bringing my lunch and as he approached the table I was injecting insulin into my abdo area he glanced quickly and dropped my lunch.
 
You should never be afraid to check or test your blood in a public place,sometimes when I am out and about walking with my wife I can tell that there is a hypo about to start or I am already into the hypo so I check straight away ,to date I have never been challenged and equally I never hide the fact that I maybe injecting in a restaurant,my wife used to be embarrassed a long time ago but it's a necessity for the people suffering with the condition and she no longer feels embarrassed just to add one more comment my children have never been embarrassed about me doing it as their first concern is for me and not others
 
i inject in public and test my sugers to have been for the last 14 years since i became diabetic i am not going to hide my diabetes from anyoneone i want to let other diabetics know its ok to inject test sugers in public if they want too
 
When I was first diagnosed I would not test or inject in public.. 15 odd years on and I do it when and where needed.. in all that time however I have only ever seen one other person inject in public..
 
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