That’s the way I do it too.
It’s not a bad thing if it works.
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There is no one specific answer to this question. It depends on how much insulin a person uses per day. And that depends both on how the person using insulin experiences diabetes and what their diet of the moment might be.
In my particular case the number of days it takes me to use a vial of insulin can range from 22 to 27 days. In the last few months it averaged around 25.4 days. I would expect your experience to be different. But unless you also keep a log of your pump cartridge/syringe changes in a spreadsheet, you might not have easy access to the numbers you’d need to crunch this out. 
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Me too - I use them until they are empty. Of course I also used to re-use U100 syringes and inject myself through my shirt. It’s not a bad thing changing when the vial is empty. Re-using the syringes is a bad thing; it hurts and it risks infection, but in my 20’s time constraints and not trying to get loads of syringes out of the NHS was more important.
Originally (early '70s) I had a glass syringe when I left hospital. They also gave me three needles (18G), but no instructions on when to replace them. My mother boiled these things regularly; once a week IRC, and they were stored in surgical spirit which helped make the injections extra painful.
In this environment, even without the added effect of injecting through garments, the chance of contamination of the vial is much increased over what we do today. I believe the “28 days” number probably comes from a combination of this and the fact that an in-use vial is out of the 'fridge so subject to variable storage conditions. It’s difficult to stop insulin working by freezing it but it’s easy by heating it.
In fact I replace my vials at least every 22 2/9 days; that’s because I always inject 1.5ml into my Omnipod. If I changed the pod every 3 days and didn’t mix vials on the last pod I’d use a vial every 18 days. When I use a pen I use a (3ml) pen every 6 days.
Nevertheless I would maintain that pump users and, for that matter, the OP are very well protected against contamination; I only do 7 withdrawals from a single vial and the @Nora only needs to do 10 for a 10:1 dilution (assuming 10ml vials of diluent.) I do store the vial in the bathroom because Insulet say not to use vials straight from the 'fridge, but the bathroom hardly ever reaches 37C/100F (body temperature.)
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Add that to the list of things to which I do not pay attention.
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@Eric @jbowler
I don’t know how many days my vials last, I don’t keep track. I guess I have pretty sorry insulin protocol, I usually reuse syringes until they start to hurt, and I store the Humalog in a pretty antique teacup on the kitchen island because I like it, and the Lantus in the bedroom closet as I take it at bedtime. (I do refrigerate the unopened vials.)
One strict protocol I have learned is not to store the Humalog and Lantus together, through a bad mistake of sleepily taking my nighttime Lantus dose as Humalog instead. 
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I think all of that sounds really good!
An antique teacup sounds ideal. 
And keeping Lantus and Humalog apart sounds smart.
I don’t track days either. It lasts until the vial is empty, and then I open a new vial.
Guess what? It always works!
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Thanks for the offer Chris. The directions I have are to always feed first and only inject after he’s eaten. AND that doesn’t seem to be working well at all. He’s not hungry at the times he’s “supposed” to eat, and he does get hungry once the insulin has dropped the blood sugar.
(I’ve tried explaining to him that he’s diabetic but he doesn’t seem to pay attention…)
I’m doing just that now. Trying the option of a snack at the time of peak insulin action. We’ll see how it goes.
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If dilution of NPH was approved by Lilly I’d do 28 days.
Since they don’t recommend diluting it at all I’m being more cautious.
I’ve started diluting now. We’re on day 5 and it’s working. (Possibly because I’m cursing at the vials now ;))
And I’ll be making a new batch once a week just to be safe.
And thanks for telling me about the younger you not injecting in sterile conditions. It’s helped me relax about the whole thing.
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@nora,
Can you post a picture of your dog? 
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@jan Don’t feel bad, I did about the same thing, but in reverse… Early one day about a month after dx, I commented to the wife how I seemed to be getting on pretty well with my insulin shots. I kept both pens in the same carrier I’d bought. That night I took my fast acting instead of slow acting in one big dose of 11 units! Realized the mistake right after finishing the injection! Said “Oh, @^&#” and she and I went downstairs to drink oj and eat whatever was necessary to head off the low I’d just caused! ….and yes, sorry, I’m off topic yet again….
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@Nora
Like @jbowler, I have injected through my jeans. Not that I’m proud of it, but I also reuse syringes, don’t use alcohol swabs before injecting, don’t draw up the syringe to see if I’ve hit a blood vessel, etc. etc.
I’m sure you are doing a great job with your dog! 
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Indeed. Back when I was, I don’t know, 14, I went to my Endo with my mother. This was kindof special - in the UK at the time diabetics didn’t get to see endocrinologists, but my father was a senior executive of a foreign company and had various Benefits, which included the ability to see doctors outside the NHS…
So amongst the several things I learned (none of the others are relevant to diabetes) said Endo observed that it may counterproductive to swab down with surgical spirit and cotton wool swabs of dubious origin; it was maybe better to inject directly without attempting to clean the skin.
Yahoo!!! I’ve never cleaned my skin since.
Jeans; cool. I’ve done that too, though these modern short needles might be a problem; blood on the jeans is cool, a wet patch, hum… Bigger needles, we need bigger needles.
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We have several “hamburger joints” that are like the old drive-ins, with no bathroom to go to take your shot. Sitting in the truck, injecting through my jeans, worried that people watching would think I was some kind of a drug addict! 🤷
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I would never have injected through my clothes both for fear of contamination (infection) and of the injection not working correctly because it was not “deep enough”. I think when I felt uncomfortable about dropping my pants I injected in either my upper arm or my abdomen.
I also was never that worried about someone thinking I might be doing drugs. My reasoning was that if someone was actually concerned about that I could just talk it over and explain I injecting insulin.
Unfortunately, these days I might be less sure about people behaving rationally. We live in sad times. 
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@Jan I’m too old to worry too much about others seeing me injecting myself, not that I flaunt it either. I may try to be discreet or at least take into account the surroundings (kids, formals, etc.), but running off to the bathroom isn’t a norm either. I haven’t been approached about the “drug habit” perspective…either people are to afraid to, or see it’s a professional kit I’m “shooting up” from, or don’t have the cojones to say something or ask! If/When it happens, I’ve a prepared statement depending on how it occurs…either the plain “I’m a diabetic taking care of myself” or the alternative “I’m a diabetic taking care of myself, perhaps you’d like to have to give yourself 5-9 injections everyday in order to live?” depending on how its brought up and how froggy I’m feeling.
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I am with you @TomH.
I have rarely been approached about injecting in public. But one time at dinner, someone seated next to me said, “Would you like to go into the restroom to do that?” I simply answered, “No.” Nothing else. No apologies or explanations, just the word “No”.
One time at a nightclub, security guards saw it on camera and approached me and asked me what I was injecting. I told them it was insulin, and they said, “No problem”, and promptly left.
On other occasions, I have given them a glib answer, “My pancreas is in the shop, so they gave me this loaner.” And offered no other explanation.
Yes, I have to take insulin to keep my BG in check. But I do not need to explain it.
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I really like the “pancreas in the shop” comment….I may have to put it in the rotation!
Tom
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I’ve never been concerned but before I started using pens I would carry profiled syringes. I was in a Kroger parking lot and was bolusing before my lunch. I held the syringe out the window, expressing the excess. Just then I notice a deputy sherrif’s car and driver catty corner from me. He didn’t even bat an eye.
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This is the one and only Hakuna Matata.
I wasn’t sure asking for help with a dog would be received well. Delighted to have been wrong.
Your support has been priceless.
If he knew what you did for him he’d be licking your face now.
Thank you everyone who made suggestions or shared experience.
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OMG your cute dog is priceless. We do love our dog and cat friends around here just as much as their human handlers. Say, if you don’t mind asking, could you let us know what worked for the next time someone with a diabetic dog is trying to figure things out? Thanks.
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