Insulin Injections sightseeing in ROME
 

I am taking my husband to Rome, Italy for his 60th birthday. He injects himself with insulin around 4 times per day. Does anyone have experience finding locations in Rome where one can inject safely? For example while walking the city streets can one find restrooms easily and is there privacy in restrooms. Or are there other solutions that I am not considering? Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

Every bar, restaurant and hotel must offer a restroom to the public. Some are openly available whereas some only allow access by way of a key which you have to ask for.

Generally speaking the better the location the better the restroom and for your husband the better the privacy. In other words select a classy hotel with a bar and have a coffee or drink. Your husband can then access the facilities without problem.

In Italy people are quite relaxed about the need to inject oneself. Many supermarkets sell syringes for intra-muscular injections. Sometimes I suffer from lower back pain from exertion and the only solution is an injection with toradol. My pharmacists know I only ask for the medication when absolutely necessary.

My need is infrequent. Your husband's is critical but you will experience no problem in Italy.

I agree with all the above but would also suggest that your husband and you carry with you a small card that says that your husband has a medical need to use a restroom. I suggest that because high-quality hotels are often have the best, roomiest and most easily accessible restrooms and yet they often (understandably) are most concerned about who other than guests are using their facilities and wandering through their lobbies.

If possible, arrange your sightseeing itinerary so that you don't have long, long strethches where you are exclusively touring the sights of antiquity and Rome's most ancient neighborhoods (like the Jewish Ghetto/Trastevere + Colosseo+Forum all in one day.) Facilities may be scarce or mobbed at the ancient sites, and in still-medieval neighborhoods like the warrens of the old Jewish Ghetto, the restroom for a cafe might be down a spiral staircase and the size of a broom closet, and there are no grand hotels in sight. Mix up yor day so you spend 2 hours in the antique world and 2 hours nearer Rome's Spanish Steps or other baroque areas (piazza Navona, piazza dei Popoli) where you'll have upscale hotels galore.

That said, if you are the type of traveler who plans a day-by-day agenda for city sightseeing, you can look ahead on Google to see where there might be big hotels with lobbies along your route.

Those are just some thoughts to make things smooth. But you as already said above, your need will be understood, respected, facilities will not be hard to find and you will not have a problem.

I had to inject insulin three times a day for a while when pregnant.

Sorry.. last place I would go is some places bathrooms.. they are often rather unclean and very often POORLY lit.

I would politely ask at hotel desks if I could site in corner of lobby to "take some medication" lets face it your hubby likely does not look like a heroin user..so relax.

I also have shot myself up at tables in restaurants, and park benches. , its not that hard if one is discreet , I am sure you hubby is used to that..

Its nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about and a clean place with good lighting was always more important to me then hiding away somewhere sketchy. I used a pen.. super easy to do in public.

My DIL is a type 1 diabetic, and until she got her insulin pump had to inject herself several times a day, initially with a syringe and then with a pen.
She would just quietly inject herself wherever she was. She never used public, restaurant or hotel toilets.
She could inject herself in her thigh or stomach very discretely so that most people had no idea what she was doing.
Yes it is harder for a man, not having a bare thigh readily available, but it must be possible to find enough injection sites he can access discretely, whist out an about. He can use the harder to reach sites when he is back at the hotel.
She has been diabetic since she was three, and injecting herself (rather than her parents doing it) since he was 7. She will be 40 this year.
The insulin pump has changed her life!

I'm type one and it looks like I'm on the same regime as your husband i.e. 4 injections a day. I've been to Rome a good few times and have always take the insulin when sitting at a restaurant table. I have never been aware of anyone noticing me injecting in stomach or upper arm areas. I promise, at least in my experience, folks tend not to notice.

If not at a restaurant and we fancy some street foot and it's enough for me to take more insulin I always find somewhere I can take it - usually a wall I can sit on! Again, I've never been aware of anyone noticing.

The only time I did have a problem was at an airport in Greece a good few years ago when I took a little blood from my finger to test in my gluocose meter. It was backpacking time, the airport was full and we were sitting on the floor waiting on our flight to be called. I guy spotted me doing it came over and had a good old rant about how disgusting I was to be doing that in front of a child. It's not polite to write my response here.

jon

Glad those who have shared a medication regime of the OP's husband chimed in. I can certainly confirm one thing:

If there have been people around me in restaurants or other places in Italy taking medicine through injection, I have certainly never noticed it. But if I had, I would have accepted it totally, and so would every Italian I can think of.

Most of the restrooms I have been to in Italy attached to lobbies of high-end hotels have been spotlessly clean, well-lit, well-maintained, modern and roomy. Often restaurants and bars are in extremely old buildings and may not be well lit and be tiny. Museum restrooms in Rome are like airport bathrooms in that they get a huge amount of use all day long, and occasionally cleaned through the day.

I agree with you sandralist about condition of restrooms. They have been clean and you are spot-on about the poorer lighting in some. I think that is perhaps why I inject at the table because in Spain one summer I had major problems using restrooms in restaurants high-end or otherwise.

I'd no idea that lighting in many Spanish restrooms/cubicles go out if no movement is detected. On our first day I went into one, locked myself in a cubicle, put the needle in and all went pitch dark! It freaked me out. In the darkness I moved my other arm down to slowly take out the needle when the darn light went back on again. Ding! I realised then what was going on. For the first few days a mate travelling with us had to come into the restroom and walk about to stop the lights going out while I took the injection. It was either that or I would have needed to move my legs or other arm about when using the insulin-pen and I'm not that good at multi-tasking! On the third day, for the first time, I took the shot at the table and have never used restrooms again.

jon

good point about the motion-detector lighting in many European restrooms!

Oh my gosh. Thank you, and thank you. I did not expect so many immediate replies, and such helpful and reassuring ones!!! I feel so much better. We have not travelled to Europe before and we am so thrilled about it. Now I and my husband will be feeling more comfortable based on your replies. Again, gratzi!

YG4TRAVEL one thing I should have mentioned which in many ways is perhaps just good practice (I have no idea where in this wide-world you are travelling from but I guess you will find the same situation).

Whenever I travel I make sure that if I am ordering a sugar-free soft-drink e.g. Diet Coke (Coke Lite in many southern European countries) I always ask for the unopened bottle to be brought to the table. I can then check it is sugar-free. I got caught out years ago when asking for a Diet Coke, it came to me already in a glass and caused me a major sugar spike later as it definately must have been the full-sugar version. Your husband doesn't need that problem when travelling.

So, be cautious of bar or restuarant soda guns as the staff don't always get it right!

In Italy, no one knows Diet Coke. The sugar-free versions are called "Coca Cola light" (available everywhere) and "Coca Cola zero" (not that common because newer). "Zero" tastes more like classic Coke and is designed for male customers while female customers tend to prefer the "light" version.

Another tip for a quiet place for an injection: Go into a church (they are everywhere) and sit down on a bench.

Thank you traveller1959, that's why I mentioned Diet Coke is known as Coke Lite in many southern European countries. I apologise though and agree it should have been 'Light' not 'Lite'. I figure the OP will understand though?

Pepsi Light and Pepsi Max are, if I recall correctly, also available in Italy.

I agree churches are a good place to inject but the lighting in some isn't always great. I can't speak for the OP's partner and it will always be a personal preference but when I inject I find it more awkward in subdued lighting.

The insulin dependent diabetics that I know inject themselves discretely wherever they happen to be. I'm not sure why you lock yourself in a toilet cubicle? I'm glad you've sorted this out and I hope you love your first trip to Europe.

Glad to read all replies. Who would have known about the diet soft drink difference if not from experienced travelers. Thanks so much!

One more question about travel to Rome. I have been looking at a service that arranges your sightseeing schedule and then one is on their own to go at their pace. This service also books a hotel and provides a local host. I looked at the prices and I think it is high. I think I should be able to figure all the details out myself.

The only thing that caught my eye about the service is that they say they can get me into the Basilica and the Colosseum without having to wait in line (summertime). Do people normally chose travel guides and tours for their first trip to Rome? I dont' want to spend more money than I have to.

thanks for any advice and/or sharing your experience.

You would do best to start a different thread with a different subject line callng attention to your new questions. Right now people who can't help with questions aobut insulin injections aren't reading this thread, and some might be able to help answer your more typical questions about tour guides, skipping lines, etc.

Rome is very easy to explore on your own. If your accomodation is centrally located you can do 80% of the tourist attractions by walking. For the other ones you may take the subway or the bus or you pay a few euros for a taxi.

95% of the attractions are easy to visit. You buy your ticket at the ticket booth and go in. No guide needed for this complicated task.

You might find lines in high season at the Colosseo (actually, not really worth it because it is more impressive from the outside than from the inside) or at St. Peter's. Throughout the year, even in November, you find long lines at the Vatican Museums. But here is an easy trick to skip the lines and it is free:

http://www.revealedrome.com/2013/06/...e-vatican.html

Frankly, better read a good guidebook before you travel and save your money for a guide.

Simply book your hotel with one of the usual booking engines (e.g. tripadvisor.com) and go out at your own pace.

These guides and service will make you spend a considerable time in souvenir shops and restaurants which are operated by their cousins and pay them commission.

Point well taken about trying a different thread for more guidance not related to insulin. I thank you all for responses that have inspired me to handle my stay in Rome on my own. Good ideas and thanks for the helpful link. Well I guess I am done with this thread. I learn as I go with these forums. Thanks and safe travel to all.