When I used to have injections I quite often injected through clothes (unless they were white in which case I didn’t because you end up with nasty blood spots on your clothes). Am I strange or does everyone inject through their clothes every once in a while?
I do sometimes but it’s only when I inject through my clothes I seem to bleed. Best to bare a bit of flesh. I don’t see the problem with injecting in public. Some people complain but it’s perfectly natural for us diabetics. It’s like when those with – dare I say the word – children – pass comment yet it’s perfectly acceptable to bare their breasts in restaurants! I used to work as a waitress and as a young girl I didn’t know where to look – or put the pizza! Injecting is much less obvious than breast feeding a baby in the middle of a restaurant, or high street, or shopping centre, no?
Never ever – apart from the fact that clothes compromise the keenness of reused needles, I prefer to have a nice clear look at the target and avoid reravaging spots that already are ;
@cecile I have to admit I’ve no idea what “tough twilly stuff” is, but yes, I could get through most things with my little needle. And it seems people may want to shoot me too as I always reused my needles. I’ll hang my head in shame and celebrate the fact that all limbs are still attached and not oozing with infected pus despite such reckless abandon.
Tsk tsk… You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Nothing wrong with dropping your trousers for a quick buttock-shot – though it does raise a few eyebrows in busy restaurants and should be avoided if you are helping out at other peoples’ children’s parties. In retrospect that was a mistake.
I always used to jab through clothes if out and about and too lazy to nip into the toilets, never caused any problems apart from the odd blood spot which was a pain if wearing anything white !
I’m only saying what the ‘specialists’ recommend. I’m very guilty of jagging through jeans, jumpers etc. I used to get a right earfull when on the wards because “you don’t know what could be on you!” Well miss-know-it-all staff nurse – isn’t that why we wear protective clothing? To keep our uniform clean…? Maybe I’m going into the wrong profession, but on the other hand – perhaps I’ll up the numbers in nurses who care haha! And Tim – Pizza Hut in Dundee and Falkirk had many women baring their breasts. Not a pretty sight. Just glad I was only serving the food and not sitting with them.
The trouble with the majority of specialists/nurses/etc is that they know all the rules and the whys and wherefores, but they have never actually had to experience it for themselves. So they find it difficult to understand WHY the rules get bent or broken.
Which is where you and your ilk come in @Gillian – been there, done that, got the needle marks etc!
I have never liked the idea of injecting through clothes, and as I am happy to get my belly out in public and stab away, it’s never been required of me.
The only time I scurry away to a toilet is if I’m in the company of someone who dislikes needles a lot. There’s a guy at work who went quite a funny colour first time I shot up in front of him!
I definitely re-use needles though. I just can’t stand the waste if ‘ don’t! Usually not more than 2-3 times a needle, though lancets last forever They are too fiddly to change often…
So do you have special “Shoot Up” t-shirts to hand out? (been there, done that… ha ha) I was told when first diagnosed that yes, injecting through clothes was the way to go – “that’s what pens are designed for” as the consultant said… Through jeans, the lot, but as previously mentioned, it does blunt the needles and as I always reused them anyway, it did get a bit painfull.
Did get a bit confused and nipped to the loo to inject (I think it was my Mum’s idea – she has a lot to answer for..) but several years later, was perfectly happy to breast-feed in public.
The only comment I ever got was the first time I did it. A family with three young boys (4,6 &8ish?) were all staring, the Mum apologised for them all, they were amazed because they’d never seen such a tiny baby (Felix was born very early at 32 weeks weighing 4lb 12oz). I was my first trip out in public, and made it memorable!!
These days, with the pump I don’t think anything about it… but have had some strange looks as I shove my hand down the front of my top/dress to retrieve it from my bra!!