"Balance" letter about injecting in public

Hmmmm well, I too am a nurse AND a Diabetic. It amazes me how some of my colleagues can be so blinkered in their attitude. Sadly one of my colleagues is also a Diabetic and was given a telling off by one of our ward sisters for injecting in our coffee room (He took it higher and she had to apologise to him!). Luckily for me, I have never had this problem, I inject in public all the time, I am discreet about it, wont do it if a waitress is approaching for instance. My friends dont mind at all, and like other forum members I always make sure that, if there is someone in my company who has not seen me inject before doesnt have a needle phobia.
I could really go on for hours about nurses attitudes towards Diabetes. From not knowing how to treat a hypo (seriously!) to being asked as I ate a bag of crisps whilst a patient on a ward if I was eating DIABETIC crisps? (Do you even get such a thing?) But thats for another forum...........

When I was diagnosed I had to inject in the disabled loo at work for several months as I could only face injecting in my thighs. I was so upset about it, it was often dirty and there were often people in it when I wanted to use it (and they all use it to go for smelly numbers twos, which would leave me gagging). I complained about it a lot to my manager, even threatening to lock myself in a meeting room to do it, which she said I couldn't do. In the end I stood outside the occupied disabled loo one day and told off the person who was using it when they came out. A complaint must have been made, for as if by magic I was given access to an empty floor which has a shower room and a sink, and it's cleaned daily. The same manager took us out for a meal one day, a few months after I was diagnosed. I had a skirt on and whipped out my needle to inject in my thigh. She shouted in front of everyone OH MY GOD YOU CAN'T DO THAT HERE!!!! GO TO THE TOILET!!! I assertively refused, because at that point she was still making me use the disabled loo at work and I was already annoyed enough about that, plus this meal was on my private time and it was the company paying, not her.

She also used to tell me that in a hypo I should pick up all my stuff and go off somewhere 'less prominent' - even though in some hypos all I can do is guzzle lucozade and sit in shock until my sugars start coming up, let alone even think about picking up my testing kit, sugar etc. In fact she used to tell me to try and go somewhere else before even testing, which I think is appalling - if my sugars are dropping like a stone it's dangerous to waste time and energy going anywhere at all, plus sometimes my brain isn't working properly at the time so coordinating moving me and the relevant items is a no-no, but she'd still 'remind' me later that I should have moved from my desk even when I was obviously off the planet. She has now left, and my new manager is a longstanding type 1 diabetic.... needless to say I can now do what I like, where I like!!

OMG is she really a nurse !!

I for one will inject and test my blood sugar anywhere and everywhere that I need to - Definately not in a toilet, that to me is just wrong - If I went to the doctors for a vaccination and they wanted to do it in a toilet I'd be disgusted, so why the heck should we do our insulin in the toilet!

I inject in McDonalds, KFC, anywhere and everywhere I go, I'll sit at the table, count the carbs and inject, if somebody doesn't like it then they don't need to look ! At work I have my monitor on my desk, spare needles in my drawer, insulin pens in the fridge and a carton of fruit juice in the fridge marked DIANES HYPO TREATMENT DO NOT TOUCH. It works, I've never had a problem at work.

We are human beings and should be treated like one, if you have a head ache you wouldn't not take a tablet incase somebody saw you doing it so why hide away whilst having your "Insulin fix" !

For a long time I used to do injections etc in the toilets until one day I dropped my insulin pen with the needle exposed down the loo.

As i'm about to do some international travel I wonder what people think about injecting in your seat on an aeroplane. I used to do this without thinking but in the light of recent events are you likely to get jumped on by half the passengers and an air mashall if you get your insulin pen out? Or is it a question of retreating to the loo again.

Hi Richard

I usually inject anywhere when travelling, including on planes. I think it should be fine as long as you make a point of being upfront about it when checking in. It also depends where you're flying. A couple of years ago I had my insulin confiscated for the duration of a 4 hour flight in Asia with Tiger Airways - they wouldn't close the plane doors until I had given it to them.

I also tried injecting on a crowded tube a couple of times recently as I only had time to grab a cereal bar in the morning on the way out the door and was v surprised to see that nobody seemed to notice/care!

Diana

A late response to Richard about injecting on planes. I travel internationally a lot, and obviously inject during the flights. Before travelling we should request and carry with us a letter from our diabetic clinic, GP or health authority stating that we are required to carry syringes, insulin and other medical supplies for our diabetic condition. We need to announce this at check in and as we go through security. I have never had a problem, but some airlines and countries may have different policies and practices.... During a long-haul flight I usually measure my blood sugar a bit more often than usual. I try to be discreet about injecting. Sometimes I can do it in my seat or in the back of the aircraft, especially with pen injections. With the BI (I use Lantus with regular syringes) I tend to go to the toilet. You're right - especially these days people in aircraft tend to be a bit more sensitive to anyone behaving "unusually", and whipping out syringes and injecting oneself is probably not "best practice".

As a second late response to the previous emails about the "complaining nurse" - obviously she's got a bit of a problem, that none of us can fix. I also inject when and as I need to, including in restaurants. I try not to make a big deal out of it, but if anyone notices I explain gently but quickly what has happened. It only takes a few seconds and I usually turn away from the table. Most folks are OK with it. However, I did have one colleague faint away at a table in Italy at the sight of a needle !

Im quite shocked about a nurse reacting to injecting in pulbic offencive. When i was first diagnosed like lots of people i used to do it in the toilets. But after being told by my diabetic nurse that this wasnt a good idear i now do it when i need to. Ive had a few doggy looks from people but i think if i was injecting something illegal i wouldnt be doing it in public would i??

In response to Richards post ive had no problem injecting or blood testing on planes. And the cabin crew have been understanding when i experienced a hypo and needed some carbs to help my sugar levels stay up.

Like most when I first went on to insulin I was very unsure, not embarrassed, about giving myself an injection, therefore retired to a toilet, but after a couple of weeks I figured out what I was doing and began injecting wherever I was at the time.
I inject in public every day as I own a market stall and can't get away to do it elsewhere as the nurse would have me do, and in 2 years there only 1 person has ever noticed me injecting. I have a few ways to draw attention away from what I'm doing, the best I've found is to not to look down at the needle once it's in and look interested in something else, if anyone then looks towards you they'll follow your gaze.

You don't have to get your insulin out and wave it in people's faces to prove a point, but no one is going to make me feel guilty about doing something that keeps me healthy.

I have never had a problem injecting in public (buses, planes, pubs). If anyone asks what I am doing, usually someone I know or has just met me but never a stranger yet, they have not even noticed it was a needle. You can hardly see the needle at all! A quick explaination of what I am doing turns even quicker into a full blown conversation about diabetes and I get the chance to inform people about the condition. Don't know how many hours I have spent dispelling other peoples myths. I like it, education leads to less ignorance and discrimination.