# NEED TO KNOW - Insulin and eating out **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352 "2001-03-24T22:27:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/1 "2001-03-24T22:27:08Z")
Insulin dependent diabetics… when you go out to a restaurant, where do you do your pre-meal routine? Do you do the finger-stick and injection at the table, or slip off to the restroom, or is there another option? Its going to be like an hour or so between leaving home and eating. Gotta know, first time out since becoming an injecter. ---
**Author:** ![Bboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Bboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bboy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/2 "2001-03-24T23:17:50Z")
Damn. I thought for sure this was going to be a _“How much oral sex can I have before I need another insulin fix?”_ thread. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/3 "2001-03-24T23:51:10Z")
Well, I am not diabetic but one of my good friends is and he always tests and injects in the car before entering the restaurant. I know that isn’t feasible sometimes when you take public transportation, so when he doesn’t drive himself he usually just goes to the bathroom upon arrival. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/4 "2001-03-25T13:03:33Z")
All the insulin dependent diabetics I’ve known invariably enter the restaurant then excuse themselves to the restroom. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/5 "2001-03-25T14:28:05Z")
OK, I **am** Type 1 - have been for 19, close to 20 years now. My tester is the Fast Take, and it is small and requires an incredibly small amount of blood. I test at the table - if it’s with people I know, I will test on the table. With company, I will test in my lap. I have done this from Arizona to Poland and never had anyone seem uncomfortable - and I’m a good judge of body language. I take my shot in my side typically when eating out. I am very fast and efficient at this. It typically is a 10-second process, that I often do and no one at the table even notices. I do warn people not to look, if it seems like I may not have as much privacy as I thought. But I’ve found that an enormous number of people are incredibly unobservant. But overall, I really don’t like to go to the restroom room to do it for two reasons: 1. First, I really do not care too much how people feel about it, as long as I give them ample warning to avert their eyes. I’m the one dying from this shit - give me a little leeway, as long as I don’t surprise you or make a scene. 2. The cleanliness of most all bathrooms in public places is abominable. There is no way in hell I’m doing anything in there that I don’t _absolutely have to_. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/6 "2001-03-26T10:49:26Z")
I tend to do things out of sight. I don’t like a lot of questions, and if they’ve never seen me do it before, they ask. But I don’t test directly before eating out too much. I don’t eat out that often. But I test in the car frequently. It’s not hard. If you’re worried about your blood sugar rising too much, avoid the carbs during the meal. Steak and salad will not affect blood sugar much in the short term, breads and pastas and deserts will. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/7 "2001-03-26T11:15:18Z")
I went down on a diabetic chick and she was very sweet. ---
**Author:** ![sleeplessinseattle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@sleeplessinseattle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeplessinseattle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/8 "2001-03-26T11:36:13Z")
My husband will either do his shot before we leave the house or if we leave early in the day before his second shot, we will take his supplies with us and he will do his shot in the car before we enter the restaurant. If it’s a long drive to the restaurant or you expect a prolonged wait for a table I suggest the second option to avoid having a dangerous drop in blood sugar. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-know-insulin-and-eating-out/59352/9 "2001-03-27T03:51:45Z")
Thank you to everyone who shared (well almost everyone, Mr. Maru, your initials are so right on … ok, it was kinda funny, in a Lex and Terry way). Turns out we selected the “in the car” option serendipitously, as we had to leave for the restaurant (in the interest of full disclosure, dinner theater - Me and My Girl) before reading the first replies. Again, thanks to all. (more full disclosure, re-reading the OP, sounds like I’m the diabetic, its really Mrs. PlanMan, the problem of rushing to get an answer. Our first night out since a spell in the hospital - some sort of blood infection - and a lengthy recovery, it was during this time she went from once a day to 4x a day).