Explaining to collegues

Hi @dazzeur Just a house keeping point - your profile states type 2 so you may want to change this so as to not confuse members, let me know if you need help doing it ?

Generally when we have hypos we don't need assistance, they can be self treated and in most cases within 30-60 minutes you will be right as rain again. However hypos requiring assistance do happen, they are incredibly rare and depend on how well controlled you are, but if they do then your colleagues need to know that getting glucose (not chocolate) in you as quickly as possible is a priority, so sipping fruit juice, coke, lucozade will all help, unless of course that you become unconscious and then an ambulance will be required. It's unlikely it will happen if you have good hypo awareness.

Just make sure that you have glucose, whether it's glucotabs or jelly babies on you at all times, including keeping them on your bedside for night time too, and let your colleagues know where your stash is kept too.

Good info here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/how-to/treat-a-hypo.html

I just told my colleagues if they thought I was behaving weird to ask me to take a BG reading.
As @Juicyj mentioned we can typically manage it ourselves but sometimes I need someone to point out I may be having a hypo.

You may want to tell your colleagues where to find your hypo treatment in case you are away from it when you experience a weird moment.
Some people stash them (hypo treatments not colleagues) in their drawers, coat pockets, bags, etc. I just keep some with my diabetes stuff.

dazzeur said:

I am new to Type 1 and I am working out counting carbs and injecting appropriately. I havent experienced a hypo yet but I know I will and want to prepare for it, but also want to prepare my colleagues. I don't want to have to tell them 6 pages of information, but a short explanation of what might happen and what to do if they see me hypo. Can anyone help with this please?

Thanks

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Hello and welcome, I copied and pasted the following quote from Beyond Type 1 the Co-workers guide to Type 1 diabetes ;-
Highs and lows, and everything in between
Be aware that our moods can be affected by blood sugar levels, high or low. When you are high or low, you don’t feel like yourself. Staring at a computer, trying to pay attention or making decisions are difficult when we are dizzy, confused, fatigued and just out of it. You might be able to tell if your co-worker is not acting like himself or herself in a meeting. Take note of any signs or symptoms that your co-worker might be experiencing that seem out of the ordinary.

Symptoms of Hyperglycemia or “going high”

• nausea
• deep sighing breaths
• confusion
• flushed and warm skin
• drowsiness
• very thirsty

*When we are hyperglycemic, we will need to administer insulin through an injection or a pump.

Symptoms of Hypoglycemia or “going low”:

• shaky
• pale and sweaty skin
• headache
• hunger
• weakness
• confusion

*When we are hypoglycemic, we will need to eat a snack that has a good amount of fast-acting carbohydrates to raise our blood sugar quickly. This could be anything from fruit snacks, a juice box or crackers.

Emergency situations

• If we are conscious, encourage us to check our blood sugar so we can treat accordingly.
• If we are conscious but incapacitated (unable to respond or seem out of it), immediately contact emergency services.
• If we are ever passed out or unconscious, immediately call emergency services.

Most likely an emergency situation would be caused by hypoglycemia or a low blood sugar and in that case, a fast-acting glucose needs to be taken immediately. This means juice boxes, candy, glucose tablets, or any other sugary food or drink that can be consumed easily.

If we are unconscious, you may have to administer emergency glucagon. Determine ahead of time with the person who has Type 1 if you’d like to be the point person for such an emergency and would like to be trained to help.

What is glucagon?
Glucagon is a hormone medicine used in emergencies when a diabetic is experiencing hypoglycemia and cannot take sugar orally. It comes in powder form and must be added to a solution in order to administer it. It is the opposite of insulin.

You could tweak a lot of this to fit your own needs and how you would like it to come across in your work place.
Take care.

dazzeur said:

I havent experienced a hypo yet

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Your missing out on all the fun. I was terrified of having my first Hypo. At the moment all you can do is advise your colleagues if you are incoherent - most probably the same behaviours as a really drunk person call an ambulance and to try and give you sugar / glucose in any form at hand that they can safely get you to swallow.

As for the early onset signs, you will need to work that one out for yourself as we all exhibit different behaviours and hypo sensations. Guaranteed a really good hypo will ruin the rest of your day,

Don't worry they won't be as bad as you think they will be.

Arh! the joys or not of hypo's we all different in the way they hit/affect us and how people deal with them.

I know of one chap who when he had a bad hypo would have his wife in tears because of the things he would say to her but have no recollection if it when he was back in the land of normal, they are still married by the way

As others have said if people think your acting strange then get them to get you to check your BSL.

When I hypo bad I'm like a perpetual 6 year old and the best thing to do is treat me like a kid and get me to eat something.

But that is just me.

Its a bit of a learning game I'm afraid but it is certainly worth being open about Diabetes amongst your work colleges.

Good luck

Hi
I just told my colleagues if I start talking gibbersish (more than usual) and stuttering then I'm hypo and to leave me alone with my haribo's until I'm fit to have a normal conversation again. On a serious note, I keep a glugogan pen in the fridge at work should it be a really bad one and I have advised people on where to inject it.
Hope your first one is a minor one!

kareeta said:

Hi
I just told my colleagues if I start talking gibbersish (more than usual) and stuttering then I'm hypo and to leave me alone with my haribo's until I'm fit to have a normal conversation again. On a serious note, I keep a glugogan pen in the fridge at work should it be a really bad one and I have advised people on where to inject it.
Hope your first one is a minor one!

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To have to give a loved one or a friend or a glucagon injection is not easy for the other person. I would never tell work colleagues to do a glucagon... they would be better off calling ambulance. An important thing is that they don’t leave you alone and that someone stays with you.
Have you instructed them how to draw up the injection and mix it?

Please tell them to call for an ambulance

donnellysdogs said:

To have to give a loved one or a friend or a glucagon injection is not easy for the other person. I would never tell work colleagues to do a glucagon... they would be better off calling ambulance. An important thing is that they don’t leave you alone and that someone stays with you.
Have you instructed them how to draw up the injection and mix it?

Please tell them to call for an ambulance

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Hi

Luckily I have good friends who are also colleagues who are very well versed in how and where to inject but I appreciate not everyone would be comfortable in that situation. And it has never resorted to that in the last 15 years or ever at work , so fingers crossed

Dazzeur, just make sure you have glucose available in some form and tell your colleagues where it is. You should always have your chosen hypo treatment in your pocket, in your bag, in your desk drawer. A packet or tube of glucose tablets could be given to whoever on the staff is a first-aider just in case of emergencies. You should be capable of dealing with a hypo yourself, but it may make your colleagues happier if you tell them you are chewing glucose tablets and why, until they get used to the situation. In my experience, people usually over-react the first time and want to call an ambulance in a panic, but they soon get used to the situation if you reassure them and explain.

I have had a hypo at work that caused me to completely pass out (over 10 years ago). I don't really remember it apart from coming round in the staff room with a paramedic in front of me. Luckily I had told people I worked with about the diabetes.

In my current job I told a couple of people I work with closely that I was diabetic, inject insulin and sometimes need to grab a sugary drinks if my sugars drop too low. That's all I tell people initially, but when people see you check your sugars etc they tend to ask questions and tell me stories about Thier friend/relative that also has diabetes so then I go into more detail. I recently started wearing a libre sensor and people that didn't know I'm diabetic have asked what it is.

The people I work with are great at picking up when I am low, they can notice I am low before I realise and will say to me that I'm talking **** again and to check sugars lol

Everyone knows about my T1D in work. Luckily my nephew works here and he is T1D as well.
It can be difficult for then to know on times as I talk rubbish pretty much all day