diabetes and lateness

In my honest opinion, I don't think the lateness is justified at all.

I am type 1 and used to start work at 6am which meant going to bed early, waking up still shattered, doing my insulin & having breakfast then walking to work.

Why use diabetes as an excuse?

If your GP does diagnose you with diabetes, you could then talk to your employer about it and that would give you an opportunity to explain the lateness and apologise, if you feel that's necessary.

Hopefully, if you do need treatment, you'll soon be feeling better in yourself, and less sleepy

You could look at your diet, and cut down on particularly high sugar and starchy foods - large quantities of carbohydrates can make you sleepy - they used to knock me out completely. Try going to bed earlier and get a loud alarm clock to help you wake up in the mornings. But if this is seriously affecting you, you definitely need to see your GP to find out why, so that something hopefully can be done to help you.

Robbity

Besides looking at what you eat, perhaps consider going to bed earlier and getting up earlier.
Diabetes should be and is easy to diagnose. If your GP can not do this then perhaps ask to see his qualifications.

This sounds like the symptoms of Type 1 Laziness rather than Type 2 Diabetes.

Guess what? EVERYONE wakes up tired when they get up for work. That's why the alarm clock was invented.

Not only that, but you're already asking to use diabetes as an excuse and you haven't even been diagnosed yet.

You know what sucks? Staying awake all night testing your blood sugar to regulate hypos in fear that you may never wake up if you don't. Then, getting ready for work extra early to ensure its safe to drive, and still worrying if you might be late. Sorry, but you're not going to get much sympathy from most of us.

Sometimes the best help is hearing what we don't necessarily want to hear. If it were me, I'd step back and look at my priorities and decide if it was diabetes (or lack thereof) that was making me late, or if that's just the kind of person that I am.

greener said:

hello!
I am often late at work and have increased sickness days off, due to mainly feeling extremely sleepy when I wake up.
How likely is that my GP, after diagnosing me with diabetes, will advise my employer that my absence and lateness are justified?
What could I expect?
thanks!

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If you were one of my employees, I'd be suggesting you get up earlier if you need longer to wake up.

Undiagnosed and untreated, and yet it's OK to be late? It'd be open season with mass undiagnosed and untreated diabetics. Once diagnosed, I might listen a little more, but I'd want to know what steps you would be taking to resolve matters. By resolve matters, I mean, dealing with the tiredness.

I like to think I have always been a caring manager with a very strong moral compass, but that cuts both ways.

Diabetes is not an excuse for arriving late at your place of work or anywhere.

I have just reached my sixth anniversary with diabetes. Two days each week hubby and I need to wake at 6:30 to be ready to leave home at 7:00 to drive to my daughter's house to look after our Grandchildren before taking the children to school. I usually wake, on time, without an alarm. One day I woke and looked at my clock. It was 6:45. No sign of hubby. Quickly, I got ready. In the lounge hubby was still in his pyjamas watching the television.

"Aren't we on duty today?" said I.

His response, "What! On a Sunday?"

@greener Perhaps your GP should be investigating what other health issues could be causing your morning sleepiness.

Whilst I agree with the sentiment of above posters that it is not an excuse to be late, I feel some of above comments are quite harsh. 6 - 12 months before my diagnosis I was off work a fair bit and late or just on time regularly. I explained to boss I wasn't feeling right, sometimes worse than others, and had been making regular visits to the doctors wanting some answers. Tested each time for numerous things other than diabetes. Wasn't until my last visit where I had been vomiting, was physically shaking, and had lost about 2 stone I got my diagnosis. Even then after the surgery visit I had to chase them for results of analysis of blood and urine from hospital to be told I was in dka. 30 minutes later I would of been none the wiser about anything and surgery would of been closed. Luckily, and thankfully my employer had much patience otherwise I would of lost my job due to being not yet diagnosed. Since diagnosis and gaining control of things, I am rarely late and not had any absences. I would urge the poster to see their doctor and have relevant tests such as blood sugar,iron,vit d and any others relating to symptoms. I used to tell people im really tired and often told numerous things

I'd get back to the doctor. If you're not diagnosed, don't eat carbs, are ketogenic, being so tired you can't manage to get out of bed may need further diagnosis.

greener said:

when you are hungry, eat something highly fat and you're done, for few times
your brain will be retrained and you won't need carbs anymore and you won't be hungry anymore (when on keto, I could go easily 24h with no food at all)

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greener said:

please keep in mind that I am undiagnosed and untreated type 2

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If you are undiagnosed, how do you know you are T2 ? My sentiments are the same as most others, being constantly late for work is not acceptable. However, if and when you do become diagnosed, some employers will permit more days sickness allowed before trigger points are hit.

There is a guy where I work (type 1, on a pump) who is always 25-35 minutes late. Like clockwork.

He claims that being diabetic makes it very difficult to get up, and his morning routine takes longer than a non-diabetic.

I have no sympathy at all. Especially since I watch him take the same cavalier attitude to work deadlines, meetings and returning phone calls. I have no idea why he still has a job.

There are many, many people who struggle with all sorts of health issues who manage them without being late to work. And the fact that he fails to compensate for his issues is down to his personality, not diabetes.

I did point out to him one day that if he went to bed 30 mins earlier at night, and got up 30 mins earlier in the morning, then he wouldn't turn up late every day.

He looked at me as if I had grown a second head.

It annoys me even more because I have another co-worker who is wheelchair bound, has huge issues with travel, access and equipment and whose health is steadily deteriorating. He never complains. Never uses his failing health as an excuse. Is determined and conscientious, and never late. I admire him tremendously.

Brunneria said:

There is a guy where I work (type 1, on a pump) who is always 25-35 minutes late. Like clockwork.

He claims that being diabetic makes it very difficult to get up, and his morning routine takes longer than a non-diabetic.

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I would politely suggest he looks for employment elsewhere.
Many years ago I worked on a dairy farm which entailed me being at work by 5am, there was no leeway for being late the cows needed milking before the milk tanker arrived for collection at 8am. This meant being up by 4am at the very latest. Time waits for no man.
I have type 1 diabetes and have never ever in 50 years of being diabetic used it as an excuse for anything.

I agree here with the majority of people here...

I work offshore and whilst away I work every day/night depending on my shift I am placed on with a minimum of 12 hours per shift upto 16 hours... I don't have a commute obviously but I am never late and always perform 100% we all get tired... But we all need to kick ourselves up the "bum" sometimes to get through the difficult times...

Diabetes isn't an excuse I see it as another challenge... I am looking to run a 106km ultra marathon in 2016 "with diabetes" it definitely doesn't stop you doing anything you want to do and should never get in the way of leading a "normal" life