Ouch, I Hit A Nerve Ending. Again.

Injections are strange things, there's a sort of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' attitude towards them. If you do them in front of people, you get a lot of people shooting disgusted looks at you, or you get people leaving the room. If you don't do them, you get the 'specialist' nurses, who don't actually have diabetes, judging you, and telling you that's wrong, and that you must, must, must do your injections.

So then where is it appropriate for me to inject with insulin when I'm in public?

Should I roll up my sleeve to use my arm? Or perhaps the bottom of my tee-shirt? Maybe I should use the toilets, so I don't disturb people.

There's lots I've had to learn since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in April; the etiquette of injecting being one of these things. On one hand, some people argue that new mothers breastfeed at the table, so why shouldn't diabetics inject, too? It's still sustaining life, isn't it? On the other hand, though, it makes people uncomfortable because of needles. A lot of people quickly assume the worst when they see you injecting, and decide you are addicted to something. That's why it's so much fun!

It's difficult for me, being a teenager and having had diabetes for such a short time. I had another life, one that suited me very well, thank you very much! The thing is, I've never been frightened of needles, but suddenly, after nine months of daily injections, I'm beginning to feel more and more averted to them. I guess I don't really suffer from the difficulty of having to decide where to inject when I'm at a restaurant, or at school, because I just try and get away with not doing it. This is a really stupid thing to do, and it's actually quite dangerous, but I can't push myself back into injecting when I'm meant to. It's partly because I don't have the discipline to, but also because I don't like drawing attention to myself unless it's a special occasion, and unfortunately, injections do generate quite a lot of interest. With injecting in class, I either sit in the lesson with my sleeve up, and a needle in my arm, or I leave the room and do it in the medical room, or the toilets. There isn't another option, and I am beginning to despair.