Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff

Macha · Sep 19, 2019, 1:20 AM

-sigh- So I got pulled into the office at work today. So they can 'request' I test my blood sugars and inject my insulin in the ladies' room or the break room, and not at my desk. Because 'some people' have 'weak stomachs'.

So - when I test, there's a tiny drop of blood I put on a test strip. Unless you're RIGHT THERE, you're not going to see it.

Also? Illegal, per the ADA.

Auspice · Sep 19, 2019, 1:53 AM

@Macha said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Because 'some people' have 'weak stomachs'.

Depending on how you inject the insulin, I can maaaaaaaybe see that one. Needle phobias are a thing and I still sort of flinch when my dad is around and just whips out his kit and needle and everything.

HOWEVER: they can just not look? I mean. I understand the phobia but also just look somewhere else for thirty seconds, yeesh.

Ganymede · Sep 19, 2019, 2:17 AM

@Macha

Very illegal.

Tyche · Sep 19, 2019, 2:36 AM

@Macha said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

-sigh- So I got pulled into the office at work today. So they can 'request' I test my blood sugars and inject my insulin in the ladies' room or the break room, and not at my desk. Because 'some people' have 'weak stomachs'.

I've been insulin dependent for 8 years and none of the employees at any of my clients have ever seen me test or inject. Even among close friends and family it's very rare. I always thought it was totally unnecessary to do it in front of anyone.

@Ganymede said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@Macha

Very illegal.

I guess consent only works in MU*s

Rinel · Sep 19, 2019, 4:23 AM

How do you even inject insulin? Intramuscular? Subcutaneous adipose? I've heard the needles are pretty small.

Ominous · Sep 19, 2019, 4:32 AM

@Rinel

At the jail I work at, the nurses inject it into the belly, about a hand's width to the side from and slightly below the belly button.

Wretched · Sep 19, 2019, 5:00 AM

@Ominous That generally the area, yup. Alternating around so you dont so the same spot every time.

Tinuviel · Sep 19, 2019, 5:05 AM

The upper thigh is also fairly common, but it's not as swift an absorption unless you're just about to start leg-based exercises.

Macha · Sep 19, 2019, 5:10 AM

The needles are very small, and I inject through my leggings, so no one sees anything.

@Tyche uh... good for you? My medications have been being juggled around so much lately I spike and crash with no understandable rhyme or reason. My desk is across the building from the ladies' room and break room. Not something I want to risk if I'm feeling shaky/dizzy like a crash.
So you can feel superior or whatever that no one ever sees you test or inject. I'm just going to fucking deal with my issues when I have to. There's a REASON the law includes Diabetics and is in place.

I also didn't promise HR shit. I told them I'd try, but if I feel way off, I'm not hiking across the building.

Tyche · Sep 19, 2019, 8:21 PM

@Macha said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@Tyche uh... good for you? My medications have been being juggled around so much lately I spike and crash with no understandable rhyme or reason. My desk is across the building from the ladies' room and break room. Not something I want to risk if I'm feeling shaky/dizzy like a crash.

If you're crashing you aren't going to inject insulin and no need to test cause you know your down, so no need to make that trip to the ladies room anyway?

So you can feel superior or whatever that no one ever sees you test or inject. I'm just going to fucking deal with my issues when I have to. There's a REASON the law includes Diabetics and is in place.

No, I'm just more sympathetic to people who have issues with needles and blood.
That's all. I don't like to create drama where I work. The internet on the other hand...

Macha · Sep 19, 2019, 11:44 PM

@Tyche Spike and crash. SPIKE and CRASH. And no, because the side effects of some of the meds I'm on can make me feel dizzy like a crash, but my sugars aren't down low. And sometimes I just feel exhausted, sluggish and off balance, but my sugars aren't High. You'll note I said shaky/dizzy LIKE a crash. I have also not felt symptoms when I'm at like ...60. So I can not depend on just how I 'feel'.
Sympathetic? I'm very discreet when I test/inject. i turn my back to the rest of the room and huddle down anyhow. You literally need to be standing right next to me, looming, to see anything.
I have insulin pens, so the needle is pretty tiny, and I don't uncap it until it's out of sight anyhow. (I wear dressed and leggings, so it's easy to do this.)

It's not causing drama to take care of a medical need discreetly. The only reason anyone knew I was doing it, was my boss asked me when I crashed one day, to let her know when I needed 60 seconds or so to test.

People like you are the fucking reason the ADA exists.

Rinel · Sep 20, 2019, 7:51 PM

@Ominous

Okay, neat. That sounds subcutaneous but idk.

I've gotta make a decision soon on whether to switch one of my meds to patches, subcutaneous injections, or intramuscular injections. Patches aren't as effective, but I'm terrified of messing up and giving myself an embolism.

Auspice · Sep 20, 2019, 8:06 PM

I have hella respect for people who can do needles. I can't. I am terrified of needles.

Macha · Sep 20, 2019, 9:08 PM

@Rinel you can do subcutaneous. Promise. You may bruise occasionally, but youcan do it!

Rinel · Sep 20, 2019, 11:48 PM

@Macha
If it were insulin I wouldn't worry so much! But this is an oil based liquid, so if I bloodstream it there's a pretty significant risk of thrombus formation.

And yeah I know to aspirate the needle but aaaaaa

Tyche · Sep 21, 2019, 4:56 AM

@Macha said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@Tyche Spike and crash. SPIKE and CRASH. And no, because the side effects of some of the meds I'm on can make me feel dizzy like a crash, but my sugars aren't down low. And sometimes I just feel exhausted, sluggish and off balance, but my sugars aren't High.

You've been posting the exact same thing for a year here, not to mention blaming doctors, nurses and your employers for exacerbating your problems. You aren't any closer to fixing your problems. And it seems to me... sad to say... you're on the road to killing yourself.

Macha · Sep 21, 2019, 4:56 AM

@Tyche
well, let's see. My doctors were treating me as a type 2 versus a type one for almost a decade. Add in two doctors completely disagreeing on what conditions I have, and a slew of medication changes (that never seem to end. I'm sure you know steroids are no good for a diabetic, but that's the only thing they'll put me on to help the humira/pain levels, and they keep changing the dosage).

As for medical work problems, THERE IS A PROBLEM when they do not follow the ADA guidelines. My problems are simple. I'm trying to get my diabetes under control (which with changing medication/doses, I'm sure you know is incredibly difficult. If you'll admit it). There isn't any cure for fibro or ankylosing, and pain management is a joke, unless I want on hard core stuff like straight up morphine.

So until you're in my levels of uncontrollable, physical pain every day (which you also probably know fucks with sugars), and you're actually living my life, how about you fucking go back to preaching about how you never need to test or inject in front of anyone, because clearly you're the example all diabetics need to strive to become. OR some such bullshit.

Auspice · Sep 21, 2019, 5:47 PM

Super fucking depressed right now.

Over the last few years, I've been developing vitiligo. It started around my eyes, with a loss of color (and before you go 'well hey at least you don't have dark circles!' it's actually much harder to balance out skintone this way: most products are made for dark circles), then began showing up in places on my hands.

As of today, I'm seeing it around one side of my mouth.

I already have enough self-esteem issues when it comes to my appearance. This is just... solidly in the camp of 'not fair.'

Wizz · Sep 21, 2019, 6:03 PM

@Auspice

My son has a big ol' patch of it on his foot, and a little on his back. We've been looking into treatments and stuff but most of what we find is so noncommittal on how effective it actually is, so I can definitely commiserate there. That sucks.

Auspice · Sep 21, 2019, 6:04 PM

@Wizz said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

@Auspice

My son has a big ol' patch of it on his foot, and a little on his back. We've been looking into treatments and stuff but most of what we find is so noncommittal on how effective it actually is, so I can definitely commiserate there. That sucks.

At the very beginning, it was just turning my eyelashes white and I was like okay, this is kind of amusing and mascara is a fix. W/e.

But it began spreading... I've heard there's not really good, solid treatments, yeah.