[sandyhandz]

We eat out way too often (approx 50% of our meals). At first, I was injecting my insulin when I got home because I was never sure what I was going to be eating. But with the increasing need for insulin, I feel I can no longer wait pc. So I started bringing my pen with me to restaurants. I order my food and then go to the bathroom to inject.

Do you guys do it this way too? Or do you just pull it out in public? How do you contain your needles afterwards? Leave it attached until you get home? Is there such a thing as a portable sharps container that would fit in a small purse?

I'm new to the pen also and have been constantly forgetting to bring my dern needles! Is there a certain system you use?

What do you do about the alcohol scrub? So far, I've been carrying around a little baggie with a presoaked alcohol cotton ball.

Any tips you could pass on about how you do it would be helpful.

[Cyborg]

Before the pump, I would usually carry insulin in a cooler and left it in the car. I was a little shy so I would just go out to the car to inject. I think bathrooms are too dirty. I have to assume with a pen it is easier and more convenient than with a syringe. Less conspicuous also...

I buy alcohol swabs. They come in the little packets like the wet dinner napkins you get at a rib joint. They are cheap and convenient. I have seen small sharps containers. You could use an empty test strip vial or something similar.

[sandyhandz]

Oh yeah! The test strip container would be perfect. Especially for those little needles with the insulin pen. I'll have to try that.

At first I would also inject in the car, but then never knew what I would end up ordering from the menu. Some of the restaurants can have you waiting forever and I have a fear of going hypo.

Where do you guys take your big sharps containers for disposal? Where's the cheapest place you know of to purchase the containers?

I used to get the boxes of alcohol pads, but find it cheaper just to buy a bottle of alcohol with some swabs. I'm a penny-pincher, as you can probably tell. You have to be with this disease! My diabetic station has already claimed the corner of my kitchen table - I can't let it also claim my bank account!

Thanks Cyborg for the tips.

[Cyborg]

When I used to inject in the car, I would definately wait until the food arrived. Kind of a hassle and one of the reasons I like the pump so much.

[notme]

I am a pumper now so I can only tell you what I used to do. I do test in restaurants....still do. I try to be a bit discreet, keeping the meter on my lap. I would inject also at the table, but I am one of those through the clothes slobs so I can't help you there. I would draw it up at wait height at the table, just under the table cloth and inject at any location that was below the table or in my arm if I was against a wall. I never went to the bathroom to inject. I agree with Cyborg on that one.

I love my pump. Right at the table bothers nobody.

[poodlebone]

I used to test my BG and inject at the table. I didn't want to gross anyone out so I'd often put the meter on my lap. I would use my Humalog pen to inject right through my clothing. No wipes, nothing. Straight through the clothes. I reused pen needles and just left it attached to the pen, with the little inner cap on plus the pen cap.

I'm pumping now which makes it much easier. I do sometimes have to change my infusion set at work, which means I'm left with a long needle to dispose of. I carry an empty Altoids tin in my bag and put any sharps & used test strips in that and then transfer them to my home sharps container. When that's full I just seal the lid and put it in the regular trash. We're allowed to do that in NYC, but I'm sure different places have different rules.

[valc3]

I use a pen and inject at the table, through clothes, no alcohol. I keep needles in a zip lock bag in my purse. I do take it off after I inject, because insulin will leak out. Just put the cap back on and dispose of it when you get home.

Check with you health department on their policy for needle disposal. I use a liquid laundry detergent container. Fill it up, tape the top and write on the outside "Do not Recycle" and put it in the trash. Your local hospital or Dr may also take them and dispose of them.

[rzrbks]

With a title like that I was expecting something COMpletely different (no, not really).

Since I have an InDuo,

Accu-check Compact

checking blood and injecting are no hassle. Besides, if it bothers them, they shouldn't be watching me.

And I do NOT go to the bathroom to inject, those places have more germs and infection in them than..........I'll leave it to your imagination.

[Tokyo Cate]

I have a small bag (18 cm by 10 cm) that holds both my pens and a bag of unused pen needles (which I keep in the bag but can tell because of the paper tab over the end) and I throw the used ones in the bottom of the bag until I get home and then put them in my sharps container. The bag also has room for band-aids, my iPod, headache medicine and could fit my test kit, too, but I keep it in its own case.

I test and inject at the table, though I try to be discreet and will most often use my lower leg because some people are squeamish and nobody really needs to see my frighteningly white belly.

[sandyhandz]

Maybe we're just the products of how our parents handled things. My Mom is type I and over the more than 20 years since she has been injecting, I have only on rare occasion seen her test or inject. The times I can remember, it was when I woke up early and she hadn't put her kit away yet.

Perhaps I'm still a bit ashamed, or something. I don't know. I feel I don't want anyone to know my weaknesses. Sometimes I get embarrassed when my husband takes out his non-vitamin meds in public to take at the table.

Everyone is so funny about the bathrooms! It's only the door that I touch to open and lock before I test/inject. But I guess I've been lucky so far with single bathrooms vs. having to go into a stall. That might be a bit trickier.

Thanks for the tips about tin containers/bags and ways to handle disposals.

[notme]

[quote=rzrbks]With a title like that I was expecting something COMpletely different (no, not really).

hehehehehe rzrbks....

[Diana]

I pump now, but when I used shots I would generally inject at the table. If I was somewhere I felt uncomfy injecting, I would go to the toilet and do it there. Or if you are going to somewhere like a fast food place and have a good idea of what you are going to eat and how long it will take to get it, I guess you could inject before you go in, in the car. I found it reasonably easy to give shots without anyone noticing. With a pen it is easy to dial up the dose under the table, and then I would just inject through my clothing, no swabbing. As for disposing of the needle, I would suggest leaving the needle on the pen until you get home and can use your normal disposal method. Personally, I would often use the one needle all day. To help with the problem of forgetting the needles, I just put a handful into every bag I normally used. That way you are pretty sure of being able to dig one up no matter where you are. Or put a stash in your car if you like.

I dont really believe that injecting in the toilets is so unhygenic. I mean, I dont go dropping my needles down the toilet before using them, or dragging them along the bathroom floor. I really dont think there is anything wrong with injecting in toilets, if thats what makes you comfortable.

ETA: Actually, sometimes I would choose to use the toilets if I was out on a family thing, as quite a lot of my family have T2, and are far too nosy for their own good. I find nothing more annoying than having someone leaning over your shoulder looking at your gluocose monitor, so that they can then counsel you on what you should eat for dinner! But when I am out with friends or other people, often no one will notice what I am doing.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by Diana

as quite a lot of my family have T2, and are far too nosy for their own good. I find nothing more annoying than having someone leaning over your shoulder looking at your gluocose monitor, so that they can then counsel you on what you should eat for dinner!

lol... I'd think with the pump your numbers are probably better than the rest of the diabetics in your family. As far as eating, I believe type 2's are the ones that need to be more concerned about what they eat.

[Diana]

Yep, but you try telling this to my family. Grr. And no matter how many times I try explaining, they just dont understand the concept of my pump.

[dgrilli]

I always before would just inject from the car. Also it is very annoying to me to get you can't have that because your diabetic. They often have no clue, the only thing they think know is diabetics cannot have sweets.