Time off work

[maryrachel]

Hi

I was wondering on average how often T1's take time off work when we are feeling c*ap or just soldier on. I woke this morning 16.5, 2 hours later dropped to 3.5 (over corrected) ate a jaffa cake then ok. 1 hour later 3.2. I feel washed out now and a waste of space. I run a small engineering company and want to go home but is that giving into the disease? I feel it gives us diabetics a bad rep if we are seen to be "flaky".
What do all you guys do when you feel like this? Stick it out or curl up in bed?

 

[shedges]

When I feel rubbish I just keep my head down and try to keep a low profile at work. Get on with stuff that doesn't involve people so much. And keep an extra vigilant watch on my levels and try to do all the other things that I should, ie. drinking lots of fluids, eating relatively low carb / slow release carbs.

Definitely have days where I want to just sack it all in, but you have to get through it, get home and get an early night, watch something funny on telly ... or whatever else helps you feel better. Personally, on days where I've had to stick it out, I go home, have a moan to my wife and we go for a walk. Usually feel much better after that.

Sam.

 

[maryrachel]

Thanks for the reply Sam. That is pretty much what I do but sometimes the pull to give in to it is pretty strong. Still here at work and BS up to 6 now so should feel better but I usually find with a day like this it takes a nights sleep to put you right again. As you say, early night makes a difference big.
Just wish all these people would go away and stop bringign me their problems.

I notice you live in Hampshire. Me too. Southsea.

 

[shedges]

Yep - if it weren't for pesky customers/users coming to me with problems, my life would be a lot easier.

I work in Southampton, well Totton really, and live in North Hants - village called Hartley Wintney.

What kind of engineering company do you run? Is that in Southsea too?

Sam.

 

[maryrachel]

Its actually an assembly and engineering company. We produce and design loading automation and flow products for the oil and gas industry. Based in Fareham.
I used to live in Totton
I know what you mean about pesky customers; always complaining
What does your company do? Software?
Being the boss I have to set the example so you cant go taking time off all the time. its hard work though cos if you are at work you are saying you are able to work and so the expecations are as with any other day.
When your head is woolly and you cant think straight its not good when you have to deal with staff and customers and appear to know what you are talking about. :?

 

[simplyalex]

Hi Maryrachel

I felt as if I had to share what happened to me last week at work. I work in a digital marketing agency in london and last wednesday i collapsed at my desk in front of the office. The paramedics came and took me to hospital till 10pm (they hypo happened at 3pm) and the following day was office sports day but i decided to go in the following morning (got in late all the same 11am) and i proceded to score a home run for my team in the softball game we played in the day.

My boss offered me a few days off work when i had the hypo but didnt want to appear as if it affected me so forced myself to go into work the following day. I then went out for drinks on the thursday night and then woke up the friday morning with the paramedics in my bedroom. I think i over did it with the sport and alcohol and it caused me to have a hypo in the night.

Basically my advice is to only go back once you feel 100% and nobody can blame you if you do need to take time off. i regret now going in straight away as it just made me have another serious hypo the day after (although i was pretty foolish).

Just remember its you who has the condition and only you who can know if your actually good enough to go back to work. Dont think about what others may think as that should really be the least of your worries!

All the best

 

[Dollyrocker]

I've only ever taken 1 day off due to diabetes and that was the day I got woken by paramedics. I was changed to a different insulin regime after that.

Yes, a high reading can make you feel a bit cra**y but I would I would never take off for it, just correct and carry on!

 

[Amanda Hugankiss]

Im type 2, but suffering greatly first thing in the morning, unfortunately I start work at 8.00am and straight away I have to log onto the bank web site and am paying lots of money to customers via bank transfers (plenty of scope for mistakes) its a bit of a nightmare actually, but I am trying to put it right.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Diabetic 25 years and up until this last 4 weeks, never had a day off sick from work except for normal operation- hysterectomy.

I have always worked on the basis that I never take time off because one day I may need to on a long term basis, and I need to keep my NI contributions and pension etc going.

My husband has a type 1 diabetic at his work who is always off sick for 1 reason or another, and it really cheeses me off, that Company's like his would be less likely to employ me-sopmeone who never takes time off, because of diabetics that do take alot of time off.

Each to their own though, I have always made appointments if possible for my check ups whilst I have been on holiday, but this is the same for dentists and doctors and hospitals. When diagnosed T1 I went in to hospital on Tuesday, released on Friday and back to work on Monday.

 

[lovinglife]

I certainly don't believe in "taking time off for nothing" - but also believe we have to put ourselves first because no-one else will - our health is our no1 priority and being a martyr isn't always best thing to do for ourselves

 

[donnellysdogs]

Loving Life...

I agree, we do have to put ourselves first, and we shouldn't have to Martyrs. I have just been pretty lucky that unlike some diabetics in 25 yrs I haven't had complications or difficultys until now, and for that I have been so, so very lucky that because of this I have never had to take time off to go to appointments outside of my holidays, but when I was having bad night hypo's I never took time off the next day, like other's I just kept my head down at work, and nobody else from work was aware what was happening during the nights to me.

Like said, each to their own. We are all different, as are all non diabetics, there are always people that will have lots of time off work, and there always people that will never have time off work.

 

[Patch]

Interesting thread. Depends on what you do, I suppose. There's certainly something to be said for just keeping your head down when you feel bad, but some people can't do that in their job.

I think you just have to take reponsibility. A machinist certainly shouldn't be operating machines while they are feeling bad...

 

[donnellysdogs]

Intersting though to hear how hypo's affect different people, I had a hypo 20 years ago, 4 floors up on automated warehousing machinery. My colleague stayed with me, and another went to get me a mars bar and sugary drink. After my levels were back to normal within 5 minutes, I just carried on working and finished the rest of the shift off, just making sure I checked my levels every hour, and that I had a good meal for lunch.

I think it's really interesting to hear how hypo's affect people afterwards. I never feel horrible or any different when my levels return to normal, so it would be good to hear from diferent people, I would love to gain an understanding of what affects other people, as I just have my own experiences and sometimes it can be difficult to appreciate how diabetes affects people in different ways.

It is a good learning lesson for me to hear how others cope with work etc, because I really want to appreciate and understand how other people are and cope etc. It is good to learn and to appreciate other people's handling of illness and hypo's in work situations.

 

[Amanda Hugankiss]

I mostly feel very beat up for quite a while, and my friends tell me that I look pretty awful too......maybe it depends how quickly your BG drops as well as how much.

 

[maryrachel]

How I feel after a hypo and when hi varies quite a lot. If I have a few hypo's in a row, eg 2 or 3 a day for 2 or 3 days they get worse and worse. Most times I can have hypo's and eat something and within 15 minutes feel a bit groggy but ok to function. On some occasions, especially with the repeated ones, I feel completely wiped out. Barely able to keep my eyes open, achy, headache etc. Again same when high. A lot of time just feel a bit groggy but somethimes completely washed out, dizzy, achy, fluey etc. I think it depends on frequency.

 

[Amanda Hugankiss]

I never thought of that - you could have something there actually