Injecting in restaurants etc

[sugarfreerach]

to be honest i never used to inject at the table as before i was a diabetic i was terrified of needles (still am really but you just get on with it) and would hate for someone to be ill or feel queasy because of it. i know you dont have to look but when someone is doing something "wierd" then your eye is drawn to them. I would go to the toilet and test my sugars (without having to balance anything!) and then get a fresh needle out and do my insulin without it touching anything other than me. It took 3 minutes at most and could usually tell the waiting time for meals by looking at the people around you and see if they were getting food etc so just estimated the time. A couple of minutes wont make any difference and i could always have aslurp of mums coke if necessary. I have apump now so i just do that at the table but people dont see the needles and so its different. I think its really big headed and such a bad attitude for us to say "deal with it" it just ends up making us bitter people. Also some people have loads of problems but they dont make us aware of them all the time, so why should we make them uncomfortable just because i have to live with diabetes. (im talking about strangers not the people im sitting with)

 

[bev]

I dont think we should 'rub peoples noses in it' so to speak! I think discretion is the key - but my son is 10 and i really dont want him going into the toilets on his own- with all manner of dirty things in there - trying to do his blood and injection! I also think that if we keep it all a 'secret' it is almost as if we are ashamed of what we need to do. There are plenty of people with disabilites - some you know about - some you dont - but its a personal perspective i think to decide where and when to inject. I dont want Alex to ever feel ashamed of being diabetic -he has enough to deal with as it is. The more we do injections in public - the more the public will get used to it and it will become just like someone answering a phone or something equally mundane.Bev

 

[grahams mum]

hi i always inject graham in public because i do it on his arm and nobody never said anithing to me only when i am in mc donald some children really look that i have got a needle i guess

 

[delta]

i allways inject my son in clear view of people i could'nt give a monkeys what people think i want my son to know having diabetes is nothing to hide and be ashamed of obviously a nurse who has a needle phobia

 

[Northerner]

I think the problem is that people who don't inject have misconceptions about it. If you took out a ballpoint pen and drew a spot on your tummy people would think it was weird but wouldn't be 'disgusted' or 'horrified'. Before diagnosis I, too, would have associated injections more with syringes and long needles and a certain amount of pain - this is what people fear, but it's just not like that any more.

 

[katie]

I think the problem is that people who don't inject have misconceptions about it. If you took out a ballpoint pen and drew a spot on your tummy people would think it was weird but wouldn't be 'disgusted' or 'horrified'. Before diagnosis I, too, would have associated injections more with syringes and long needles and a certain amount of pain - this is what people fear, but it's just not like that any more.

I assumed it was a huge needle to. but she is a nurse so surely knows that injecting insulin is nothing like jacking up a hit of heroine

 

[aymes]

I would go to the toilet and test my sugars (without having to balance anything!) and then get a fresh needle out and do my insulin without it touching anything other than me. It took 3 minutes at most and could usually tell the waiting time for meals by looking at the people around you and see if they were getting food etc so just estimated the time. A couple of minutes wont make any difference and i could always have aslurp of mums coke if necessary. I have apump now so i just do that at the table but people dont see the needles and so its different. I think its really big headed and such a bad attitude for us to say "deal with it" it just ends up making us bitter people.

Were you carb counting at this time? Surely, unless you happen to have eaten the same thing in the same place before you can't inject before it arrives?
I really don't think it's a big deal to do a quick injection at the table, the injection pens are so quick and subtle that it's vary rare that anyone would notice, anyone who's likely to I do 'warn' before I do it. I do feel there is so little offense to be caused by me injecting at the table that I have to disagree that it's a bad attitude to expect others to cope with it. The most frequent answer tends to be 'so long as you're not injecting me I don't care what you do!' If someone else is more comfortable injecting out of sight then that's fine but I don't feel I should have to do it in secret.

 

[sofaraway]

Were you carb counting at this time? Surely, unless you happen to have eaten the same thing in the same place before you can't inject before it arrives?
.

reminds me of something I read in John Walsh 'Using Insulin', he suggests injecting for a % (I think it was 50%) of the estimated carbs before you get the meal. Then when you actually get the meal and works out how many carbs there were/how many you've actually eaten and give the remaining insulin required.
Not something I've ever been bothered to do, I prefer to just inject the whole lot after eating, even though I'm aware that does mean insulin chasing my food.

 

[delta]

the only thing i find a pain is having to hold the needle in my sons arm for the count of ten as we were told to do when he was first diagnosed if it were'nt for this injections would be so much quicker i sometimes wonder if i could just give him an extra half unit and not have to count to ten

 

[bev]

Hi Nikki,

Alex's DN has told him never to inject after or even half way through a meal as it takes 10 minutes for the insulin to start acting and if you have eaten first the food is being absorbed without any insulin to chase it round! So we always inject before a meal and try to do it within a couple of minutes of the food arriving.

Also, if the restaurant doesnt have a table in a corner where he can inject privateley -he stays in the car with his dad whilst i order the food and then ring him to let him know how much insulin and when to take it etc - so he can be more private about it!

Bev

 

[bev]

Delta,

We were told the same for Alex - i know it seems a long time when your counting -but it is important to do it as we were told that different pens release the insulin at different rates so he may not get all the insulin you have dialled up.Bev

 

[janine19]

Hi Nikki,

Alex's DN has told him never to inject after or even half way through a meal as it takes 10 minutes for the insulin to start acting and if you have eaten first the food is being absorbed without any insulin to chase it round! So we always inject before a meal and try to do it within a couple of minutes of the food arriving.

Also, if the restaurant doesnt have a table in a corner where he can inject privateley -he stays in the car with his dad whilst i order the food and then ring him to let him know how much insulin and when to take it etc - so he can be more private about it!

Bev

Hi Bev,
I always inject after meal as I have a habit of not finishing my meal, especially when im out. I was told as long as I do it straight away its fine. I just prefer to do it this way o im not forced to eat more than I want to.

 

[sofaraway]

Hi Nikki,

Alex's DN has told him never to inject after or even half way through a meal as it takes 10 minutes for the insulin to start acting and if you have eaten first the food is being absorbed without any insulin to chase it round!

Yeah I do know this is ideal but it's something I haven't been able to do. I've tried recently to inject before eating and wasn't able to maintain it. I am in the habit of injecting afterwards and can't really break it. I should probably try and give it another go. I starting injecting after I ate because I used to have problems with bulimia, so it was safer for me to inject once I'd eaten and knew that I would actually need the insulin. Thats not a problem now but I still inject afterwards.

 

[bev]

Janine,

I suspect that children are told these 'rules' to follow as a starting point - but obviously as an adult you are best placed to decide when you inject - it does make sense to inject afterwards if your unsure of the amount you are eating! For us it sort of works in our favour as it makes Alex eat all his veggies (he knows some have carbs) which makes a mum happy!Bev

p.s. How are the wedding plans coming along? There was another post about a young lady wanting to know where to put her bag of insulin etc on the big day - any ideas? I thought a silk bag attached to her garter would be a good idea!Bev

 

[tracey w]

Hi Nikki,

Alex's DN has told him never to inject after or even half way through a meal as it takes 10 minutes for the insulin to start acting and if you have eaten first the food is being absorbed without any insulin to chase it round! So we always inject before a meal and try to do it within a couple of minutes of the food arriving.

Also, if the restaurant doesnt have a table in a corner where he can inject privateley -he stays in the car with his dad whilst i order the food and then ring him to let him know how much insulin and when to take it etc - so he can be more private about it!

Bev

sorry bev, i have to disagree here on both counts. only my opinion though. I was told i could inject, immediately before, during or within 15 mins of finishing a meal by my team. The only time i have been injecting after is if i have been quite low, ie treqted a hypo then eaten a meal.

also, i thought you wanted alex to not feel difffernt? I would feel very ifferent waiting in a car whilst others in my party are enjoying themselves inside. Although i do understand what you are saying about not having a private table, just my opinion, it is difficult for all of us at times.

 

[bev]

Hi Tracey,

Obviously we are very new to all of this - but - we are just doing what his Consultant is telling us to do! Its not my personal opinion - and perhaps when he has been doing this for a lot longer we may be told to do something different? But until then, we will follow the guidelines given to us by the experts.

The only times Alex injects in the car is when there is no table that he could sit at and do it privately! As i have said , discretion is the key, and if Alex is likely to feel embarrassed (like there is a group of other kids who may look and tease etc) then its far better to do it in the car - in private - without him feeling embarrassed - and clean! You must remember that he is only 10 and therefore doesnt have the maturity yet to not be bothered by what other people think! That, i hope, will come with age! I absolutely dont want Alex to feel different or left out - but i also dont want to put him in situations that may make him feel awkward either! And please remember, 10 year olds can be extremely difficult at times and what may suit them one day - may not another!
As i said in my post , we only do this when there is nowhere appropriate to do it in the restaurant. Would you rather i forced him to do it at a table where he is on show and feels embarrased - or do it in private in the car?
Its good that you feel happy to do it anywhere - but thats probably because you have the maturity to cope with it - Alex doesnt (yet).Bev

 

[tracey w]

Hi Tracey,

Obviously we are very new to all of this - but - we are just doing what his Consultant is telling us to do! Its not my personal opinion - and perhaps when he has been doing this for a lot longer we may be told to do something different? But until then, we will follow the guidelines given to us by the experts.

The only times Alex injects in the car is when there is no table that he could sit at and do it privately! As i have said , discretion is the key, and if Alex is likely to feel embarrassed (like there is a group of other kids who may look and tease etc) then its far better to do it in the car - in private - without him feeling embarrassed - and clean! You must remember that he is only 10 and therefore doesnt have the maturity yet to not be bothered by what other people think! That, i hope, will come with age! I absolutely dont want Alex to feel different or left out - but i also dont want to put him in situations that may make him feel awkward either! And please remember, 10 year olds can be extremely difficult at times and what may suit them one day - may not another!
As i said in my post , we only do this when there is nowhere appropriate to do it in the restaurant. Would you rather i forced him to do it at a table where he is on show and feels embarrased - or do it in private in the car?
Its good that you feel happy to do it anywhere - but thats probably because you have the maturity to cope with it - Alex doesnt (yet).Bev

fair points! I dont have children and can only imagine how difficult it is for all of you. but i must say you are all doing really well, and giving alex a good grounding for good care/control in the future.

sometimes the problem is the so called professionals all seem to have different advice?

 

[katie]

Yeah I do know this is ideal but it's something I haven't been able to do. I've tried recently to inject before eating and wasn't able to maintain it. I am in the habit of injecting afterwards and can't really break it. I should probably try and give it another go. I starting injecting after I ate because I used to have problems with bulimia, so it was safer for me to inject once I'd eaten and knew that I would actually need the insulin. Thats not a problem now but I still inject afterwards.

I inject afterwards too, which I know is probably very naughty. It's partly laziness and partly because I don't know if i'm going to eat a carby dessert afterwards, or not be able to finish my meal etc. My DN always said it wasn't too bad to inject after so I wasn't too worried.

 

[bev]

Your absolutely right! Professionals do seem to differ - he was even told when first diagnosed by a rather old fashioned doctor - that he can never eat anything sweet again! Can you imagine what that did to him?

I know that diabetes isnt an exact science - but you would think the experts could at least have an agreement on the basics!
Perhaps children are given slightly stricter advice than adults so as to get a good basic grounding - before they turn naughty and start drinking alcohol etc...! lolBev x

 

[Northerner]

I inject afterwards too, which I know is probably very naughty. It's partly laziness and partly because I don't know if i'm going to eat a carby dessert afterwards, or not be able to finish my meal etc. My DN always said it wasn't too bad to inject after so I wasn't too worried.

The theory is that your fast-acting insulin will peak at the same time as your food is putting its maximum glucose into the bloodstream, but as food digests at different rates anyway I would have thought it's more than likely that the two peaks won't coincide. So if you're injecting an hour after starting your meal, then the insulin will peak at two hours after starting to eat, which I wouldn't have thought was a huge problem.

I read somewhere that, in a non-diabetic person, insulin starts to be produced before the food even reaches the stomach, as signals from the mouth/taste buds send messages to the pancreas to get working, so I suppose that, if we are trying to crudely mimic a pancreas, injecting after eating isn't the thing to do.