Looking for practical advice

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Attila

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Type 1
Hi,

I was diagnosed with diabetes at the end on March 2020 and so all my life with diabetes overlapped with different levels of lockdowns and restrictions. As a result, even after a year and half I don’t really have experience living a normal-like life with diabetes and don’t know how to do many things that previously never required any thought or consideration. For example, since my diagnosis I never was out for more than a few hours and always got home by the time I had to measure and inject. I have no idea how I’d do those in a public space, and I’m here asking for any tips and practical advice.

A few simple questions to start with.
  • How do you measure blood glucose and inject insulin before meal in a restaurant?
  • In a museum?
  • On a train?
Thanks,
Attila
 
Attila said:
A few simple questions to start with.
  • How do you measure blood glucose and inject insulin before meal in a restaurant?
  • In a museum?
  • On a train?
Thanks,
Attila
Click to expand...
I think most of us would recommend just doing it wherever's convenient. So in a restaurant, go to the toilet to wash your hands but then go back to the table and test and inject. (I think most of us would wait until we actually get the food before injecting.)

Though clothing might be an issue for injecting, so in some cases you might want to do that somewhere more discrete.

Otherwise just be public about it all. I think it's a general thing that if you act confidently and just get on with what you're doing, nobody's really going to care. Or, in many cases, even notice: it's all going to happen in a couple of minutes, after all.
 
Hi.

I used to go to the toilets when I was first diagnosed 2.5 years ago but I have been encouraged to be more public about it and I think from an education and normalizing point of view, it is quite important to do this. Whilst I am not brazen about it or draw attention to myself, I also don't hide it. It is just part of my condition and if people are upset by it then it is their problem for watching.
When eating out, it is always best to wait until your meal is in front of you before you inject in case there is any delay in the kitchen or problems with the order, so I certainly wouldn't want to leave the table at that point to go to the toilets to inject leaving my companion(s) sitting staring at their plate of food and waiting for me to return. I find most people don't notice you inject and I can easily reveal a bit of midriff or jab my thigh below table height and no one be any the wiser. Similarly on a train. Can't imagine you would ever need to try injecting on a packed tube or bus unless it was a long distance coach journey and again, just do it in your seat. Only time I could envisage injecting in a museum would be in the cafe when you were intending to eat, so same as a restaurant in that I would check levels and inject at the table.... Did it recently at the theatre bar for some nibbles.

Have to say that the Freestyle Libre sensor system makes testing so much more discrete and quick that it really helps in such situations.
 
Very early on I went to the toilets to inject. The cubicle was tiny so I was doing it by the washbasin when a young woman came in. I said "It's insulin, I'm not a drug addict". She replied that she was also T1 and advised me just to do it discreetly at the table in future. I did and over the years I've been sat at a table when someone on the next table was injecting at the same time as me. We just gave each other a conspiratorial smile. As others have said, most people don't notice
 
Pattidevans said:
Very early on I went to the toilets to inject. The cubicle was tiny so I was doing it by the washbasin when a young woman came in. I said "It's insulin, I'm not a drug addict". She replied that she was also T1 and advised me just to do it discreetly at the table in future. I did and over the years I've been sat at a table when someone on the next table was injecting at the same time as me. We just gave each other a conspiratorial smile. As others have said, most people don't notice
Click to expand...
Interesting that it was the openness of the young women on my DAFNE course which encouraged me to be more open about it.... even though they were both more recently diagnosed than me.
I wonder if it is a generational thing that we were perhaps brought up to be more private with our bodies. Anyway, I was happy to learn from the younger generation and follow their lead on this and definitely feel better for adopting their approach.
 
A few simple questions to start with.
  • How do you measure blood glucose and inject insulin before meal in a restaurant?
  • In a museum?
  • On a train?
Test and inject at the table in the restaurant. Think about what you’re going to wear and plan where you’re going to inject eg tummy, arm, etc. Rest your equipment on the table. Don’t try to fumble around on your lap.

In a museum, I’d find a place to stop and test there. If I needed to inject, I’d find a quiet place and do so.

On a train your main concern is bumpiness. Test resting on the table and inject when the train is running smoothly. Don’t inject when you’re at a station else you’ll get people barging around and possibly jolting you.

I’ve injected in many, many places. It’s not an issue. If you’re sitting by a stranger eg on a plane or train, just explain what you’re about to do a) so they can look away if they want to, and b) so they don’t accidentally jog you or choose that time to get up.
 
I’ve never worried about it and I was 54 when I started using insulin. I’m definitely not “brazen” about it, but my metre and insulin pen go on the restaurant table until I’m ready. I also do my air shot under the table. Then depending on my clothing, I’ll lift my top and inject in my tummy or lift my dress/ skirt under the table and inject in my thigh. Usually as I’m tucking into my meal my hubby will suddenly look up and exclaim “ have you injected?” He doesn’t even notice and I’m sitting across from him!
 
Attila said:
Hi,

I was diagnosed with diabetes at the end on March 2020 and so all my life with diabetes overlapped with different levels of lockdowns and restrictions. As a result, even after a year and half I don’t really have experience living a normal-like life with diabetes and don’t know how to do many things that previously never required any thought or consideration. For example, since my diagnosis I never was out for more than a few hours and always got home by the time I had to measure and inject. I have no idea how I’d do those in a public space, and I’m here asking for any tips and practical advice.

A few simple questions to start with.
  • How do you measure blood glucose and inject insulin before meal in a restaurant?
  • In a museum?
  • On a train?
Thanks,
Attila
Click to expand...
The answer for all is identical. I wash my hands if I can, put a test strip in the meter, prick my finger and apply the blood then lick the spare (I know you shouldn’t lick with Covid but can’t get out of the habit). Remove used test strip and put in tic tac case then inject the insulin.
 
If you think about it injecting and testing is way more hygienic done at your table than in a wash room. Tables are cleaned and usually sanitised these days after each use… pretty sure toilets and the surfaces that surround them are not. X
 
I’d never go to the toilets to do any of this.

Trains / planes were trickier for injections before I was on an insulin pump - but as others have said, even if you’ve got someone sat right next to you it’s still possible.

And if I’ve not got a double-seat to myself I’m pretty uncomfortable eating on a train anyway! I don’t like the idea of imposing all that chewing and slurping / crumbs / smell on someone sat right next to me.
 
Thanks for all the responses. Everyone is really saying the same, so it's clear what to do 🙂
Like some of you said, I also thought that testing and injecting at the table would be more hygienic than in a wash room, just didn't know that people were actually doing it. But now it sounds like it's pretty common, just one of those things I never noticed.
Well, all is left for me is to make that final step from theory to practice...
 
When I first started injecting I used to ask my OH to sit/stand between me and any other people there so that I had a privacy screen - or quite often I'd go out to the car to inject for a bit of privacy - now I'm as brazen as everyone else on this thread! Having multiple immune diseases I'm a bit of a germophobe, so if I'm going somewhere where I think I won't be able to wash I always carry wipes to clean my hands before testing (I found some baby wipes which are biodegradable & compostable), and I prefer to keep my kit on my lap rather than on a table as I don't know how clean the table is!
 
I've got a big and long week behind me now. Finally, and first time since I've been diagnosed with diabetes, I went out for longer than just a few hours.
Well, didn't only go out but flew out. Both my outbound and inbound flights overlapped with my usual meal times, so I tested and injected on the plane. Right there in my seat, as everyone here recommended. It felt a bit weird, to be honest, but I think at this point the important part is that I did it and I know that I can do it. I'll probably get used to it over time, just need to practice more 🙂
Thanks again for all the help.
 
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