Any other self employed diabetics?

Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi everyone, just wondered if any of you happen to be in a similar situation or have any advice. I’m a well controlled type 1, been diabetic since age 13 and I’m now 36.
I’m also a self employed tattooist, with a studio on a high street. Obviously this means I can’t work from home during the Covid19 pandemic!
I’ve been carefully social distancing, and today I received my 80% funding from the government, which is amazing and I should just about survive on that, but obviously there will come a time when I’ll have no choice but to go back to work.
So far all of the advice I’ve found is for people in the vulnerable group who are in employment, to talk to their employers about safe working practices etc. but not a lot for the self employed.
I suppose it’s both a blessing and a curse that I can choose when I feel it’s safe for me to return to work, which is difficult as I can not work at a safe distance from others, so it scares me, but also I know there are type 1’s who have no choice but to work in dangerous situations such as frontline nursing.
I wondered if anyone else is in the same scenario, and what your thoughts are? I want to prioritise my health but I also don’t want to feel like I’m “Playing the diabetes card” while other type 1’s are working away.
Any thoughts?
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I imagine that there are a lot of people in similar circumstances to you.

I know of 3 people (family and friends) whose work involves physical contact or close proximity with customers/patients in therapy rooms.
My chiropractor works in a room she hires from a gym. It has air con and ventilation, but no windows.

All 3 of them are deeply concerned that their businesses may never recover, but are intending to put as much effort as they can into making their customers feel safe. Use of PPE (Both client and practitioner), As much social distancing as possible (wait in car, not waiting room) length of time of appts (to reduce viral load and prolonged exposure). I suspect that while I like and trust my chiropractor, I will avoid seeing her as long as her treatment room remains a 10x12 windowless room in which she has spent all day, and half a dozen other patients have each spent an hour, before I turn up and breathe all that in...

I would imagine that tattooing must require even more, even more stringent, measures.
 

urbanracer

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,186
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
The 'problem' as I (am starting to) see it is that the World Health Organisation is predicting that C-19 will become endemic in the population - basically meaning that it could continue circulating around the world forever. If ever a vaccine is developed it will not work for everyone anyway.

So we are all going to have to learn to live with it and get by as best we can. If you want to carry on working as a tattooist then you'll probably have to take the plunge at some point and just brave it. The furlough scheme has been extended I think, which may give you some breathing space but I don't know what the rules are for yourself and clearly it cannot continue forever.

I assume that you wear a face mask and gloves at work? Maybe consider what other types of PPE may be useful to you. Do you not have some kind of tattooist's membership group or society that you could ask for advice?
 

ert

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,588
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
diabetes
fasting
I'm certainly worried. At this moment in time, I'm able to work from home, but that's only in the short-term. I'm considering a career change and country move. I've been trying to establish what places diabetics at risk for Covid-19. I had originally thought it was uncontrolled blood sugars, which I don't have. But the latest medical evidence suggests abnormally low T-cells (lymphocytes.) Interestingly, I've had abnormal lymphocyte levels (below the normal laboratory range) since my diagnosis and never before.
 

Bittern

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I had to have an injection this week and the nurse wore plastic apron, googles, clear visor, surgical face mask, and rubber gloves. I had to wear a surgical face mask and rubber gloves. On leaving the surgery I removed the mask and gloves placed them in a bin and washed my hands with sanitising gel. As I understand your work this could be a starting point for you and your clients protection.
You probably need to risk assess it but whether many of us have the knowledge to do that in an informed manner I doubt.
 

kev-w

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,901
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have a window cleaning round and haven't worked since the 'lock down' as it's not an essential service but am re-starting next week, I'm ok with that as it's working outside and hope the customers are too :)

Everyone else is back at it being the motivating factor.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
The DH and myself drift along. I have a partial state pension, he is not old enough, but we have few outgoings, no debts, which is the main thing. I usually work at the local Arts university in the summer - not happening, likewise the events I would usually attend at weekends and evenings so we are spending almost nothing on travel, but income is also less.
I can't see any of my activities restarting in the foreseeable future and the only bright spot in the future will be himself getting his pension, when we will be quite a bit better off but have nothing much to spend it on.
 

Daphne917

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,320
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
My husband is self employed doing gardening and farm work. He is not diabetic but has, amongst other probs, Asthma, Parkinsons, high BP and AFib. As he is not deemed to be in the very high risk group, he has just restarted working albeit only 2 days a week. When he mows lawns he ensures his customers stay indoors and, on the farm, whereas he used to have lunch with the farmer he now comes home and his current task means he’s working on his own.