I was out for dinner last night and after the meal (and a number of beers) I needed to refill my pump cartridge. Normally, I would always do this at home but I was running late and didn’t have time so I just chucked the stuff in my bag instead and out I went.
Going through the motions as you do, I eventually ended with priming the line with a good couple of units being injected onto my finger since I didn’t want to get it on the table for the next lucky diner. Immediately upon doing this I remembered just how much the smell of insulin really, really reminds me of the smell of a hospital! Maybe it is just as associative smell but I don’t think so and when I prompted my sister-in-law to check she confirmed that it was like ‘distilled hospital cologne in a bottle’.
Is anyone else of the same opinion as me or am I simply going mad?
- Aaron
Posted in Insulin Pumps, Slice of Life
Tagged as eating out, insulin smell
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10 comments have been made on this post
Nic wrote
Yup, that smell of insulin is so MEDICAL… there’s no denying it. Perhaps we should see if they can do scented insulins…
Lucy wrote
Totally agree and i actually like the smell.
I find it comforting, maybe because it is the elixir of life??
Alison wrote
Yes, I can smell it too, quite like the smell, my husband doesn’t like it at all. He always says, ‘oh yuk you’ve been fulling up your pump’.
Aaron wrote
I have to admit that I quite like it too even though it reeks – it’s a bit like an abusive relationship though isn’t it?
Saffy wrote
I’m not a huge fan of the smell as a ’scent’ but appreciate that it does have a smell when it comes to things like leaking pens/lines etc etc. The ultimate combo would have to be insulin + that industrial scented liquid soap so unique to hospitals. Mmmm.
Sarah wrote
It’s very distinctively chemical, and man does it taste strong too. I have to scrub my teeth if I accidentally eat some. I wonder whether the old pig/cow insulin was more meaty in scent/flavour. Also means that we can’t claim to be GE free.
Paul wrote
!!!!!!Eat some!!!!!!??????????????
Aaron wrote
Sarah, please tell us all how you managed to eat your insulin?!?!? Was it mere curiosity or some other circumstance I am having trouble imagining???
Ali wrote
I like the hospital smell but my friends all hate it (I have been known to squirt the odd unit or too in their direction if they’re getting lippy!). Not sure about the eating thing though…
Sarah wrote
I don’t do it on purpose! Just if I accidentally put my finger in my mouth after pressing on my injection site – hasn’t happened for a while, and used to happen more often when I primed my pump and accidentally sprayed the fruit bowl/butter etc. None of this changing sites in hygenic places business.