Inspired by BF Thread-Testing/Injecting in Public

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I cannot imagine someone equating exposing your abdomen for an injection as "flaunting" . That makes it sound like he is doing shirtless dirty dancing or something! Or maybe waiting with a just a trench coat covering his hairy belly....just waiting to flash and forever scar innocent children !

Why would you give an obvious idiot any power over what you think?

It's the first time I have heard such a sentiment, and I am getting ready to start my student teaching. I don't want to get m yself in hot water with the parents or the school if I need to test, so I figured I would see what hte general population had to say. If it was a huge deal, I would just not test and treat blindly. I'm at the point right now that I control with diet and exercise, and it's not overly dangerous for me to treat hypos blindly. I can feel them and do carry glucose tabs. It's not ideal for me to use them without testing as the feeling is not the most reliable (I could also be high and having the same symptoms) but there won't be any immediate or long term damage from treating blind at this point.

 

[rentayenta]

I cannot imagine this being bothersome.

 

[Stacerita]

I cannot imagine someone equating exposing your abdomen for an injection as "flaunting" . That makes it sound like he is doing shirtless dirty dancing or something!

Isn't that the lambada? Aka, the forbidden dance.

 

[IndyBride]

I haven't read everything here. I have seen people do it, or really I have seen the leftovers of people checking their blood sugar. As a server, I have to clean up tables and people leave their testing waste on the table. I don't particularly like cleaning that up. Of course, I also don't like when they leave their used tissues on the table for me to clean up. So it certainly doesn't only include those with diabetes.

 

[#1MMFan]

Wouldn't remotely bother me. What does bother me is all the adverts on the US television promoting blood testing for people who are not insulin-dependent. There have been several medical journal research articles concluding that testing glucose regularly in that group of diabetics does not lead to better outcomes/better control than if you just had it done by your physician at intervals. (Different matter if you're insulin-dependent, or having regular hypos etc).

 

[honugirl]

Wouldn't remotely bother me. What does bother me is all the adverts on the US television promoting blood testing for people who are not insulin-dependent. There have been several medical journal research articles concluding that testing glucose regularly in that group of diabetics does not lead to better outcomes/better control than if you just had it done by your physician at intervals. (Different matter if you're insulin-dependent, or having regular hypos etc).

There actually are good reasons for someone who is not an insulin dependent diabetic to test their blood sugars. I test my blood sugars up to 4-5 times a day because I have a rare disease called Cushing's Disease, which is an excess of the hormone cortisol. I know that when my blood sugars begin to rise that my cortisol levels are rising as well and that it's time to test my levels to see where I'm at. So for me, it's an indicator of what else is going on within my body. I also am in the insulin resistant stage of things due to the Cushing's so I need to make sure that I'm not going into diabetic range. At that point I would need to let my endo know.

 

[mfd25wife]

I can't imagine it bothering anyone. One of 16 yr old DD's friends has been either injecting or using a pump since she was 12. Her good friends know how to check her sugar in case she gets ill. DD learned how to calculate what needed to be injected before her friend got her pump and learned how to give her the shot. I would think the parents and students would rather you check than to pass out.

These days, I have more problems with tongue piercings just because I think they would be unsanitary. I'm not offended, just nauseated at what might get in the hole.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Offended? No.

Concerned about potential exposure to microscopic bloodborne pathogens and hazardous medical waste in public? Sure.

From the Centers for Disease Control, this gives an example of which diseases can be spread if good practices and clean up do not occur. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/diabetes/

As those who do testing know, it can get quite messy sometimes, ie blood can spill and/or can be left on hands. Most people would hopefully clean up and clean their hands. But not all will. Some, as the server above noted, will also leave their waste at the table. The thought of eating at a table where someone just tested their blood and gave themselves insuln isn't something I relish. I would also hate for anyone in my family to get stuck with a used sharp, which would require immediate painful antiviral injections and lots of follow up and anxiety (BTDT). Just being honest here. I don't know that good practices are used, hands were sanitized, or that the table was adequately cleaned.

I'm sensitive to the pains of diabetes, for sure. I come from a family of diabetics, and even gave my father his insulin injections when I was young. I had gestational diabetes, too. I've also given myself injections for other reasons at various times in my life, sometimes in public, and I did go into a bathroom. Why do I think a bathroom is preferable? Because one is expecting germs in there so is very careful about germ transmission. As opposed to a table out in public that one is not expecting bloodborne pathogens to be. For the injectee, it's not a problem, but it can be for the person who sits there next. JMO.

EB, you mentioned in an earlier post you re-use lancets. I know a lot of people do it but the thing you have to be concerned about it germ growth on the needle in between fingersticks. At room temperature, bacteria grows exponentially so each time you stick yourself with a used needle you are potentially exposing yourself to disease. FYI. I was also curious to know, and I'll ask some of my teacher friends when I see them tonight, is what do other teachers do when they have a medical (or other) issue that has to take them away from the classroom on occasion? Your post got me wondering about it.

 

[Judy from Boise]

It's the first time I have heard such a sentiment, and I am getting ready to start my student teaching. I don't want to get m yself in hot water with the parents or the school if I need to test, so I figured I would see what hte general population had to say. If it was a huge deal, I would just not test and treat blindly. I'm at the point right now that I control with diet and exercise, and it's not overly dangerous for me to treat hypos blindly. I can feel them and do carry glucose tabs. It's not ideal for me to use them without testing as the feeling is not the most reliable (I could also be high and having the same symptoms) but there won't be any immediate or long term damage from treating blind at this point.

I understand why you asked the question, it is always interesting to get other's take on things. But on the flip side you are in your last step at becoming an educator. It is time to identify the things you feel strongly about, and are willing to take a few lumps over. If it was me, I would make educating the children in my class each year about diabetes, as a personal and professional goal. You could even talk about how obesity and lifestyle choices can led to type II. I think it would be a fabulous public health campaign, and something you could be proud of doing.
I would not be wiling to be sent to the bathroom on the basis of fickle public opinion! I would identify my boundaries and be willing to calmly and profesionally back them.

 

[ktrain]

I work as a server on a moving train and it makes me uncomfortable when I go to a table and someone is giving themselves an injection. 1)Seeing the needle stick itself makes me queasy. 2)I am always nervous that the train may lurch and I will fall into the needle. 3)People are seated with strangers and it seems a to me that injecting ones self at a public dinner table is rude. Even if you ask, most people will probably say it's fine just to be polite.
Is it not possible that injections can be taken care of prior to actually sitting down at the dinner table in a restaurant? In ones accommodations, car, at home, etc..

 

[Judy from Boise]

with todays fast acting insulins, the peak is within 15 minutes! We teach people not to inject until the food is in front of them.
Of course this is the meal doses, not the basal am or pm doses.

 

[Laura]

with todays fast acting insulins, the peak is within 15 minutes! We teach people not to inject until the food is in front of them.
Of course this is the meal doses, not the basal am or pm doses.

At a restaurant, DH orders his food and then goes to the restroom for his injection. If we're getting fast food, he'll probably inject earlier, like in the car.

For ktrain, if my DH has to inject in front of strangers, he will mention it to warn them that that's what he's about to do. If they don't want to see it, they can turn their heads for the few seconds it takes. He's not asking their permission. Bathrooms on planes and trains aren't always immediately available, especially at mealtimes. With you being a server, he won't know if/when you're coming to the table so he can't warn you. I guess it's something you'll have to deal with. As for falling into a needle, I hardly think that's likely.

He also doesn't leave used test strips, lancets, or any other sharps behind at a restaurant. Those things wouldn't even touch the table if he had to use them there.

 

[bookgirl]

I used to work with a diabetic/autistic young man. We were often in public. We tried to never blood test in public places and not because it's offesive but because it involves blood. He had no diseases but everyone does not know that. We tried to do it quietly and we made sure to clean throughly anyplace that we did test even if there were no drips, just to be safe. We also bagged all trash and took it with us. If we did have to test we did so on a bench over our legs (never at a public table) or in the bathroom where there were plenty of non pourous surfaces that could be disinfected. That's just common curtesy, and responsible blood bourne pathagens awarness.


I am actually still invovled with the family and around them a lot. His father is also diabetic and is MRSA (staph infection) so there were always issues and they are very aware of keeping things sterile, so it rubbed off on me. One of the pages at work is on the pump, so she never injects but she has tested at work. I'm not sure how she cleans or anything because she is very fast and unobtrusive. Most diabetics I know are.

 

[chris1gill]

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.

Well, actually, this is a bit of a problem. My MIL lived with us for many years and she too was a diabetic. She did not want to inject into her stomach in front of the children, she felt it sent them bad signals. That was her choice to say it, I can see her point. Children remember what they see, and not necessarily that it was due to a medical conditions lets say. I do think it made my children uncomfortable to watch, but perhaps that was MIL's attitude of not wanting them to see that sort of fostered that feeling.

As for testing that was never any big problem at all, but the injections, that was a bit of a deal in the house.

 

[themarquis]

Well, actually, this is a bit of a problem. My MIL lived with us for many years and she too was a diabetic. She did not want to inject into her stomach in front of the children, she felt it sent them bad signals. That was her choice to say it, I can see her point. Children remember what they see, and not necessarily that it was due to a medical conditions lets say. I do think it made my children uncomfortable to watch, but perhaps that was MIL's attitude of not wanting them to see that sort of fostered that feeling.

As for testing that was never any big problem at all, but the injections, that was a bit of a deal in the house.

bad signals about what? I guess it seems weird that anyone would think that children who witnessed a diabetic give an injection (or for that matter, who ever went to the doctor and got a vaccination or visited a relative in the hospital and watched blood be drawn or an IV be set up -- wouldn't all of us have witnessed these things sometime in our lives?) would somehow forget the "she has an illness and the injection is medical" part.

Of course, you're talking about your MIL, and obviously she can think anything she wants. I just find the whole concept that watching a medical procedure would communicate "bad ideas".

ETA: I told GF, who is sitting here on the couch, about the idea that watching a diabetic give a shot might make kids do drugs or something because they might forget the "medical" part (if that was what was being implied by your MIL!), and she said "well, you'd better not drive in front of your kids because they might forget the needing to have a driver's license part... hee hee

 

[disykat]

For me, the "rules" would be the same as for nursing. If you can do it without flashing a whole lot of extra skin that isn't vital to what you're doing - go right ahead. If you have to strip, I'd prefer you left the room.

I think it's a natural thing and if they notice you explain. No big deal. I've used my inhaler in the classroom and I don't think anyone's ever even noticed.

 

[#1MMFan]

I appreciate what you say, hongirl, but Cushings is a different ball game. For uncomplicated non-insulin dependent diabetics the current research shows no advantage to regular blood glucose testing by the patient. (I'm a physician).

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I asked one of my closest friends about this last night, she's a teacher. She said the policy at her school is that if there's a medical condition like this, especially for teachers of younger children, the school nurse needs to know about it and any testing or injections could be done in a private area in the nurse's office.

Someone else also that mentioned when he was in high school he had a diabetic teacher who sometimes used to have them "run and get him a candy bar" if he was feeling hypoglycemic. He said the teacher would be a little "foggy" until his blood sugar came up but that "the class learned how to deal with it".

 

[Tikitoi]

Can't believe people would accuse one of flaunting this in public, yet there are one's who choose to breastfeed in public, and that's OK with some people. With Blood Sugar testing, what are you flaunting, the fact that you have diabetes.

 

[merryweather20]

Offended? No.

Concerned about potential exposure to microscopic bloodborne pathogens and hazardous medical waste in public? Sure.

From the Centers for Disease Control, this gives an example of which diseases can be spread if good practices and clean up do not occur. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/diabetes/

As those who do testing know, it can get quite messy sometimes, ie blood can spill and/or can be left on hands. Most people would hopefully clean up and clean their hands. But not all will. Some, as the server above noted, will also leave their waste at the table. The thought of eating at a table where someone just tested their blood and gave themselves insuln isn't something I relish. I would also hate for anyone in my family to get stuck with a used sharp, which would require immediate painful antiviral injections and lots of follow up and anxiety (BTDT). Just being honest here. I don't know that good practices are used, hands were sanitized, or that the table was adequately cleaned.

I'm sensitive to the pains of diabetes, for sure. I come from a family of diabetics, and even gave my father his insulin injections when I was young. I had gestational diabetes, too. I've also given myself injections for other reasons at various times in my life, sometimes in public, and I did go into a bathroom. Why do I think a bathroom is preferable? Because one is expecting germs in there so is very careful about germ transmission. As opposed to a table out in public that one is not expecting bloodborne pathogens to be. For the injectee, it's not a problem, but it can be for the person who sits there next. JMO.

EB, you mentioned in an earlier post you re-use lancets. I know a lot of people do it but the thing you have to be concerned about it germ growth on the needle in between fingersticks. At room temperature, bacteria grows exponentially so each time you stick yourself with a used needle you are potentially exposing yourself to disease. FYI. I was also curious to know, and I'll ask some of my teacher friends when I see them tonight, is what do other teachers do when they have a medical (or other) issue that has to take them away from the classroom on occasion? Your post got me wondering about it.

I don't think going to the bathroom is safe. I'm not diabetic, but I have had blood sugar issues from some of my medication. Being in low blood sugars sometimes meant I could pass out. This only happened twice and I'm sure a diabetic can keep better tabs on there health than that, but it is a very real risk when someone decides to delay treatment to use a public bathroom alone.