Hi all

[sd3oaa]

Hi, guys, my friend has Type 2 Diabetes and he works full-time as a retail assistant at a large chain. This is what recently happened to him. He said his boss pulled him into the office and told him he doesn't understand his condition or why it is such an effort for him to manage it, that he just has to man up and work harder... He is devastated and seeks some advice from people who have had similar experiences...


Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am new to the forum and I am a Southampton-based carer for people with different conditions.

Thank you.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi, guys, my friend has Type 2 Diabetes and he works full-time as a retail assistant at a large chain. This is what recently happened to him. He said his boss pulled him into the office and told him he doesn't understand his condition or why it is such an effort for him to manage it, that he just has to man up and work harder... He is devastated and seeks some advice from people who have had similar experiences...


Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am new to the forum and I am a Southampton-based carer for people with different conditions.

Thank you.

Oh yeah, man up. That's helpful.

You mentioned in another post your friend is tired all the time. High blood sugars will do that to you. Working in a stressful enviroment'll also up bloodsugars, alas. I think what your friend may be experiencing is the predjudice a lot of us get to deal with. The common misconception being that T2 is brought on by one's own failings; usually gluttony and laziness. It's a genetic predisposition that means we can't process carbs like other people can, so we often gain weight (when glucose can't be burned off because we're insensitive to our own insulin, it gets stored in fat cells instead, meaning 90% of T2's is overweight when they get diagnosed), and yeah.. That makes the general public less understanding and just, you know... "You did this to yourself", while the one laying blame might be eating a way worse diet than the T2 in question, never mind their level of exercise. You have no idea of the amount of people who come in here with "But I eat all the right things! EatWell plate! Low fat! Lots of fruit!", they walk the dog for miles every day, and still have insanely high blood sugars. For people not walking in our shoes though, we're just lazy, fat liars who stuff their faces when no-one's looking.

Far as I know though your friend can make a case on discrimination at work though. He can't legally be bullied like that. Might not do much for the atmosphere at work though.

Anyway... If he gets his blood sugars under control, he should be less fatigued, get more energy and mental clarity. Maybe even enough to find a position elsewhere!

Keep asking questions!
Jo