injecting insulin at the dinner table

[Sliver]

So I'm out for supper last night at a decent restaurant (entrees were about $20, so it's not McDonald's or anything), when the guy at the table across from me pulls out his little diabetes kit, fills up the syringe, and injects what I assume to be insulin.

I can handle needles fine, but seriously, this completely put me off my meal. I was sitting directly across from him and couldn't help but notice (our tables were in the middle of the restaurant, so we didn't have the small amount of privacy a booth could have afforded).

IDK, I thought this was totally rude. Not sure why he couldn't have done that in the bathroom or in his car or something. Am I out of line here? Should people do their best to keep their medical issues like that somewhat private so the rest of us don't have to be subjected to them (whenever possible)?

[burn_this_city]

He's not a junky shooting up, I think you can afford a little tolerance for someone with a pretty crappy medical condition.

[habernac]

I've got a friend who has to inject himself. I am not a huge fan of needles, but I have no problem when I see him do it. Probably a little insensitive on his part for doing it at the dinner table.

[Street Pharmacist]

I honestly thnk what he dd was fine as it's such a small needle and simple procedure, but I can see the issue. Worse is a patient of mine who was kicked out of a BP's for innjecting insulin in the bathroom!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

He's not a junky shooting up, I think you can afford a little tolerance for someone with a pretty crappy medical condition.

I don't know enough about diabetes, but was he having an attack or something that required him to do it in the middle of a restaurant? He seemed very calm, so it didn't look like an emergency. I'm not sure that I'm being intolerant by expecting that he should do that somewhere more private. It might be a run-of-the-mill thing for him, but I was off-put by it and I think a lot of people would be.

[Flacker]

Pretty intolerant to be "put off" as you put it by a necessary medical procedure.

If there was someone there with CF or MS that was making a mess of themselves eating, would you be equally put off. Should they be made to eat behind a screen to accomodate your dining experience.

There is no risk to you or others, mind your own fracking business!!

[DownhillGoat]

I can see your point, but hypothetically, if I was inconvenienced with having to inject insulin X amount of times every day for the next 50 years I probably couldn't care less about you losing your appetite at Mickey Dees.

Originally Posted by Flacker

Pretty intolerant to be "put off" as you put it by a necessary medical procedure.

Come on now. I wouldn't exactly call it intolerant. Needles don't bug me, but I'd feel put off in this situation too. No different than breast feeding in public, IMO. Just because a kid needs to eat doesn't mean a bystander can't be 'put off' by it.

It's not like he went over to the guy and told him to take his needles elsewhere.

[Daradon]

Maybe there was a better place to do it, but I don't think he was in the wrong. What really hit me was one sentence you wrote:

Should people do their best to keep their medical issues like that somewhat private so the rest of us don't have to be subjected to them (whenever possible)?

I don't know if you meant that the way it came off, but it comes off really cold. Instead of focusing on how it makes you uncomfortable maybe just take the opportunity to be thankful you don't share such a condition? I mean, heaven forbid we be subject to viewing someones else problems or pain. They should probably keep it away from our nice happy times. Especially if you aren't squemish with needles, which you said, I'm not sure what the big problem is. A reality check once in a while isn't a bad thing.

[Canada 02]

many diabetics need their insulin shot within 15 minutes of eating, thus ruling out taking the shot at home or in the car because it might be much longer before their meal arrives.

Taking the injection in a public washroom may not be the most hygienic

[ken0042]

My mom is diabetic. She excuses herself to go to the washroom to inject herself.

Keep in mind what insulin injecting looks like. They inject it into a fatty part of their body, so often they grab a roll of fat on their belly and inject themselves there. Not what I would call "pretty."

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Flacker

Pretty intolerant to be "put off" as you put it by a necessary medical procedure.

If there was someone there with CF or MS that was making a mess of themselves eating, would you be equally put off. Should they be made to eat behind a screen to accomodate your dining experience.

There is no risk to you or others, mind your own fracking business!!

Pretty inconsiderate to inject yourself in the middle of a restaurant unless necessary. And your examples are ridiculous, in each of those situations there is no ability for the person to control their actions. Here it would be quite easy to step into the bathroom for 2 minutes.

[REDVAN]

I sure hope that you've never sneezed, Silver.

Because I find that pretty gross, and it puts me right off my meal.

What about people on oxygen tanks? Sheesh, keep that junk in private ffs.

Why can't they do "that somewhat private so the rest of us don't have to be subjected to them (whenever possible)?"

But honestly, I think if it disgusted you that much you should have asked him more about his condition than just come to CP and whine. A productive way to deal with it (while still expressing your uncomfortableness) would have been:

"I have never seen anyone do that, what sort of condition do you have?"

[Aegypticus]

There are many, many people in Calgary with diabetes, correct? Considering I cannot recall ever seeing someone inject themselves in public, I have to believe there is some generally accepted protocol for doing it in a private place. Either that or I am blind to the world, which I don't think is the case.

[REDVAN]

If the guy was comfortable doing it in front of someone, then why should he have to hide in the bathroom? For YOUR eyes? How is it hurting you at all? If you let it bug you, then how is that his fault?

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

many diabetics need their insulin shot within 15 minutes of eating, thus ruling out taking the shot at home or in the car because it might be much longer before their meal arrives.

Taking the injection in a public washroom may not be the most hygienic

Can't see how a public dining room would be all that much more hygenic.

Also, is this the guy?

[valo403]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

If the guy was comfortable doing it in front of someone, then why should he have to hide in the bathroom? For YOUR eyes? How is it hurting you at all? If you let it bug you, then how is that his fault?

Are we still talking about injecting insulin??

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by valo403

Can't see how a public dining room would be all that much more hygenic.

depending on the restaurant, hopefully the absence of urine and feces at the table

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by valo403

Pretty inconsiderate to inject yourself in the middle of a restaurant unless necessary. And your examples are ridiculous, in each of those situations there is no ability for the person to control their actions. Here it would be quite easy to step into the bathroom for 2 minutes.

Why should they though? I don't see why someone with a condition should hide it away. When I see something like that I'm thankful not have to deal with that bull#### day in and day out for the rest of my life.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Why should they though? I don't see why someone with a condition should hide it away. When I see something like that I'm thankful not have to deal with that bull#### day in and day out for the rest of my life.

Basic manners? Look, if it's unavoidable then sure, but if it's being done at a restaurant table simply because he didn't feel like walking over to the bathroom I'd say it's more a case of lack of consideration. And as said previously I've never once seen anything like that, and I eat out a lot, which leads me to believe this isn't exactly common practice.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Maybe there was a better place to do it, but I don't think he was in the wrong. What really hit me was one sentence you wrote:

Should people do their best to keep their medical issues like that somewhat private so the rest of us don't have to be subjected to them (whenever possible)?

I don't know if you meant that the way it came off, but it comes off really cold. Instead of focusing on how it makes you uncomfortable maybe just take the opportunity to be thankful you don't share such a condition? I mean, heaven forbid we be subject to viewing someones else problems or pain. They should probably keep it away from our nice happy times. Especially if you aren't squemish with needles, which you said, I'm not sure what the big problem is. A reality check once in a while isn't a bad thing.

I think most people handle their medical problems in private. Social spaces, like restaurants, are there for people to have pleasurable experiences. I think if it's possible to avoid bringing medical issues - like injecting ourselves with needles - to the table and in front of others, we should. That's not cold, that reasonable.

I mean seriously, we hold off doing a lot of things in a restaurant like:

• farting
• scratching our balls
• picking our nose
• flossing our teeth
• etc

I think this could be put in the category of something that should be done away from others.

Originally Posted by REDVAN

But honestly, I think if it disgusted you that much you should have asked him more about his condition than just come to CP and whine. A productive way to deal with it (while still expressing your uncomfortableness) would have been:

"I have never seen anyone do that, what sort of condition do you have?"

You must be the most socially inept person on the planet if you think that would have been a reasonable thing to do. It's way more polite to finish your meal and pretend it was no big thing, which is what I did.