Inspired by BF Thread-Testing/Injecting in Public

[Eeyores Butterfly]

This came up on a diabetes forum that I go to, and I wanted y'all's opinions on it.

I have diabetes and sometimes have to test my blood sugar in public. I am prone to episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and when that happens I have to test to know how low I am so I can treat it properly. Sometimes I'm actually too high, but the symptoms are similar. When this happens, I will test wherever I am, but will try to be discrete about it.

The question came up on the board about testing or injecting in public. The general consensus was that most of us do it and people don't even seem to notice. Then one person spoke up and accused people of flaunting it and said that he doesn't us exposing his child to it. For those who have never seen a diabetic test their blood- it is very quick and you probably will see little to no actual blood. You will also never see the needle.

I was wondering how non-diabetics feel about this. I start my student teaching next semester and I know this will come up. I can't exactly leave the room to test. This past semester I would just go to my desk at the back of the room and be as dicrete as possible, but sometimes the kids noticed. It didn't phase them at all, but I don't want to offend any parents. So, do you care if somebody with diabetes tests their blood sugar or injects in public if they are being discrete about it?

 

[HelenePA]

this offends people? Really?

As a non-diabetic I can tell you its never bothered me.. I really can't believe this offends some people..

 

[rascalmom]

Nope - doesn't bother me at all. You have a medical necessity....you should take care of it when you needed.

My only concern as a parent was to be sure there was a proper method of sharps disposal, but I really don't know enough about the testing & injection devices used to know if this is necessary.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I was rather taken aback myself, especially as the person being so strident about it was also a diabetic.

He mentioned that he was in the park and he and his son were walking by a man who was injecting insulin. According to him the man should not have "flaunted it" instead of waiting for them to pass before injecting into his abdomen. I can understand if you are injecting into your tush, but your stomach? Really? That's why I figured I would get some other opinions on it.

 

[Aimeedyan]

IMO, diabetes is nothing to mess around with and when you need to test, you need to test. Period.

I have a child at church with a pump - she tests herself often. The kids don't even notice what she's doing it's so discreet. And if a 9 year old can do it that discreetly, an adult definitely does.

I don't see why anyone would want to flaunt such a thing?

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Nope - doesn't bother me at all. You have a medical necessity....you should take care of it when you needed.

My only concern as a parent was to be sure there was a proper method of sharps disposal, but I really don't know enough about the testing & injection devices used to know if this is necessary.

I certainly understand that concern. Most lancets come with a top that can be reattached in such a way that the needle is not exposed. I only change my lancets at home as they can be reused multiple times. They tell you to change it after every test, but it's not necessary. Most people who use pens or syringes to inject carry a portable sharps container I believe. I have a sharps container at home, and a little portable one if I am travelling for an extended period.

My pharmacist told me that it is not necessary to use a sharps container for lancets, but that makes me uncomfortable, so I use one.

 

[Soarin08]

My high school science teacher used to test her sugar and insulin all the time in class. My boss is diabetic and checks her sugar frequently as well. I would not even DREAM of being offended by it! A good friend of mine has a pump and always had to check his sugar/insulin in class..... once he forgot (not sure how- I think he was rushed to get to class after lunch) and fainted at the lockers.

 

[honugirl]

I am in the "pre-diabetic" stage, AKA, insulin resistance and have to test my blood sugar to know what my cortisol levels are doing so I know when to test for my Cushing's Disease (yup, complicated, I know...) I also have hypoglycemic episodes so I have to test for those too. I've never had anyone get mad at me or give me dirty looks over testing. I've had people give me the concerned look. No big deal. I don't change my lancets when I'm out, I do it at home. So I can't understand why someone would have a problem with it. It's a medical necessity! You can't even see the needle and the amount of blood is minimal and I always use an alcohol wipe so no one is going to catch anything from me.

 

[cruellababy]

My DH is diabetic w a pump; but even before the pump he would go to the restroom to check/inject. We're both nurses; but I could see that yes, it might bother some people.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Yuck, the last place I want to go is the bathroom. At school, I don't even have that option. I can't exactly leave a room full of students to go test. My options are test discretely in the back of the room, or don't test and pray that I am treating a low and not a high.

If I am somewhere else, I still refuse to test in the bathroom. Honestly, I feel more conspicuous there. I need somewhere to lay my kit which means testing at one of the sinks and taking up space. When I get low, I end up shaking real bad and I have a hard time juggling all that, sometimes I'm lucky I can get the blood on the strip! If it really bothers people, I suppose I could go out to my car or just treat blindly.

 

[Sparx]

my friend is diabetic. since 5th grade i've been watching her test her blood sugar. she has this pump thing on her hip that administers the medication i think, but she still has to prick her finger.
it doesn't phase me at all. in my experience, more non-diabetics make a big deal out of it than diabetics. people are always asking her "can you eat this?" or "you're eating that!" shes a normal person to me, she just pricks her finger once in awhile. lol.

 

[rparmfamily]

Doesn't bother me but neither does a baby on a **** either, LOL. I'm not that oversensitive I guess LOL.

 

[Michelle67]

Doesn't bother me but neither does a baby on a **** either, LOL. I'm not that oversensitive I guess LOL.

Yeah, that.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Has anybody actually seen somebody doing it? I'm sure people have done it around me, but I have never seen another person test or inject. For that matter, I have never seen somebody breast feed, so maybe I am just exceptionally unobservant.

 

[HelenePA]

my mom was a diabetic as was my gram and great grandmother.. Yep I've seen it before

 

[Rachie0507]

Wouldn't bother me at all but I don't think I've every noticed anyone do it before! I had Gestational Diabetes in my last pregnancy--I would often test out in public. I would keep my test kit open at an angle and it was nearly impossible to tell what I was doing. I'm also a nursing mom and do that in public too , discreetly.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

Doesn't bother me at all. It can be done very discretely & even out in the open, you really don't see the blood, the drop is so tiny.

We were in the bathroom at a diner one day & my 4 YO DD watched a woman give herself a shot in the tummy. She asked me about it, I explained, end of discussion & not a big deal at all.

 

[Cool-Beans]

My guess is that most diabetics could check their sugar in their sleep. And those machines are really small these days. So, there's really no reason for it to be a big production.

If you don't want to make a spectacle of yourself, set the thing in your lap and just do it. It's so quick.

I'd find a private place to do the injections though.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I have tested in public, injected in public and breastfed in public. So I certainly don't see any issues.

Testing in public is a no brainer - you need to do it right now and most places are cleaner than a restroom.

Injecting - sitting in a booth at a restaurant, depending on what I'm wearing, again a no brainer. If I can discreetly access my belly button area or thigh, then I do it right there. Hold the pen or syringe under the table and just do it. When the girls were younger and going to the restroom was always a group event, it didn't make sense to go there for a 2 sec shot, and really - how many of the other diners are staring at you instead of chatting with their companions? The only time I go to the restroom to inject is if I'm in a really nice restaurant, wearing clothing that I can't get to an injection site easily, or with one friend who I know really really doesn't like to see the injection, however brief.

Breastfeeding - I don't have much tolerance for people who think they should be able to go through life and never see a child nursing. So I don't really care what they think. I nursed in restaurants, at the mall, at family gatherings, in church, pretty much everywhere. I was discreet - but anytime I nursed in a separate space was because the child needed the quiet - not out of worry of offending others.

 

[Laura]

My DH is a type 1 diabetic, and uses pens/syringes to inject his insulin. So he's testing and injecting around me all the time. He doesn't seem to worry about the testing part and what others think (it's just a finger prick and you don't see anything), but he doesn't inject without warning around strangers and will go to the bathroom to do it. The reason is that many people are afraid of needles or get queasy around them--he injects into his stomach, by the way. If there's no way for him to get to a bathroom, he'll warn people around him and/or turn so folks can't see.