No, I'm not a drug addict – I'm diabetic

[Northerner]

People can get the wrong impression when you inject yourself at university, writes a student blogger.

"Is that drugs?" I heard someone say as my insulin pen rolled across the floor of a crowded bar. I'd dropped my bag as I was trying to make my way back to the dance floor, sending needles, blood testing strips and my insulin pen flying in all directions. I gathered everything up, quickly stuffed it in my bag and walked away, red with embarrassment.

Being a diabetic and trying to live a normal life at university isn't always easy. Despite being a pretty common long-term illness, there is still a lack of awareness about what it is and the effect it has.

At first I struggled to tell people. It's difficult to open up to new people about something as personal as your health. Freshers' week friendships are often formed over jagerbombs, dance moves and a pizza on the way home. It's not the time for deep conversations. Before I knew it, I was a few months into university and no one knew about my condition.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jun/13/diabetes-university-student-experience

 

[HOBIE]

Can remember getting picked up by ambulance & over heard stand bye people saying I must be on drugs. When you are fighting to stay alive you don't need to here that 😉😉 Hypo

 

[gail2]

i can rember freshers week o so well one night i drunk 15 apple sours and a mate said slow down i ended up in hospital that night paramedic was not impressed when i told him i was an insulin depenant diabetic. my mate of two weeks heard it all and said everybody thought you were a bit weird keeping disapearing (this was to trest bs take insulin) after that everybody was fine with it. and i started injecting/tesing in class in front of people

 

[Laura davies]

I remember going to an Indian restaurant years ago and doing the jab in my stomach and a waiter running over asking what I was doing!! I also work in a university on reception and a call came down for an ambulance for a 17 year old student that collapsed i heard the words diabetic so i ran upstairs and comforted him i was talking to him reassuring him im sure h could hear me after speaking to his friends he had been out the night before drinking and socialising and a week later i saw him and I said to him please eat before u go out and snack he hadn't you see then i asked all his friends to keep an eye on him and make sure he eats. He worried me i thought about him, he's doing fine now 🙂