• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Fairly awkward moment at work!

J

Jelaca

Well-Known Member
Yesterday at work, my boss was telling me about her friends young daughter who has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.. (She doesn't know I am type 1 as well and have been diagnosed since a young age)

...and she was telling me all about it, like what she has to do and telling me about all the horrible injections she has to do and finger pricks and I was just stood there like, aww no poor girl!
Then she said I know, I don't think either you or me would like it and we're older!

That was just a bit awkward I must admit, so I hope she never EVER finds out I'm also diabetic and have gone through all that too!
haha
 
Isn't it a legal requirement to let your boss know you are diabetic? What would happen if you had a bad hypo at work and no one knew?!
 
Hello!
I was just wondering if you don't mind me asking why you want to keep it secret?? Just my little boy Oscar was diagnosed in feb and is only 3.. Would hate him to keep it secret.. Lots of love x x


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Im not entirely sure why I keep it to myself.. I've always found it quite hard telling people I'm diabetic for some reason, even after 10 years... I don't know how I would tell her now though :/ any ideas?
 
I told my work in my application form and in the interview, had a spell in hospital and when i came back my boss called me in and said i should've told some one and i had to have a meetin with hr lol now i told them twice and also had a medical where i gave them permission to access all my records so that was kinda awkward for me. I'm not sure how well you get on with your boss but if you get on good i would just say that you weren't sure the best way about discussing it and after that conversation you really didn't know how to handle it. You will probably fond she will be more embarrassed(not the right word i know but my brain is startinn to shut down for sleep lol) about it than you are. Let us know how you get on.

Mrs Miles, some people like to keep things more private than others i wouldn't go around tellin people im diabetic but at tge same time i don't hide it. I know people who want to keep it to themselves as they feel people judge them, i go on the thought of people can take me for what i am and if they don't like something i do or like that's there issue. Sure your son will be fine, only advice i would give would be to try and not make it a big deal it annoys me when people make out its such a bad thing, it does suck and it does make a difference to my everyday life but i just get on with it makin it out to be a huge deal jus makes it worse that's my advice/rant hope its helpful is some way
 

I guess you're right, she probably would feel more uncomfortable about it than me! I may just leave it and if she ever finds out (which I don't expect she will) then I will just tell her I didn't know how to say it when you mentioned it before as I find it hard to talk about haha.. then that would be fine I'm sure

Also.. I don't expect I'll pass out at work, I haven't ever passed out yet and don't see it likely, but you never really know I guess :/
 
Yeah probably be fine :thumbup: alternative is if you get on well with anyone if in your work,not sure what you do so might not apply if you work alone alot, is to make sure they know then your covered as well
 
Jelaca said:
Im not entirely sure why I keep it to myself.. I've always found it quite hard telling people I'm diabetic for some reason, even after 10 years... I don't know how I would tell her now though :/ any ideas?
Click to expand...


Slip it into the conversation next time you have a chat, just say you didn't want to stop her mid-flow when she was telling you about her friends daughter.

Whether or not people tell work colleagues about their diabetes is a personal decision, like you Jelica I kept it to myself in the early years as I didn't want to be looked on as different to anyone else, I now know this isn't the case and I'm happy to tell people when the opportunity arises, I've never needed a third party assistance but feel much safer that if I did my work colleagues would know what their dealing with and could pass on information to paramedics if the worst was to happen.
 
I went on a cruise and shared dinner tables with lots of different people. If I ended up sitting next to a stranger and not one of my family I always told them that I had to do an injection before my meal and that I would do it discreetly. NO-ONE objected at all, in fact most of them were interested in what being a Type 1 diabetic involved.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
It's not that I don't like peoples reactions, I just don't know how to fit it into the conversation, or what words to use to tell people, I know it's not really that hard, I've just always found telling people very awkward, I'm getting better though... very slightly
 
I agree it's a personal choice. I personally never had any problem on telling people I'm diabetic. But I guess it is because I became diabetic when I was a child and developed self confidence. I never met anyone who didn't react normally after being told.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I've been diagnosed at age 39, T1, becasue of the industry I work in both my colleagues and clients NEED to know as I could put myself or them at serious risk of harm if things go badly wrong.

I've always had to tell people difficult messages through my job and be able to communicate all sort of things to all sorts of people, so my message would be to just get on with it. I think you'll find most people won't bat an eyelid, and they'll be suportive of your efforts to manage it.
 

Why not ask her how the daughter is getting on, is she coping okay? You could then suggest if she needs any guidance or someone to talk to you may be able to help as you have dealt with the same thing from childhood and know what she's going through. (You could also suggest this site). That may be a way of bringing it up in the conversation, if she queries why you didn't mention it before you could say that it is second nature now so don't regard it as something you talk about much.

HTH
Angie
 
I think if you did decide to tell her it would be a huge weight lifted from your shoulders - also you may find that she confides in you more about her daughter's condition, I know it's hard for parents too to accept their child has it, so it could help her.

Everything happens for a reason I think..

Good luck whatever you decide x
 
I am a very private person so I don't tell people unless it is relevant. However, I do think that it is relevant in a work situation. Bad hypos can happen for what appears to be no reason. They are rare but can happen. Your boss may take it personally not to have been informed in advance. She may well react positively to being told now particularly as she must have a lot of questions and there is no substitute for speaking to someone who lives with it.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hmm I guess, I found it hard enough telling my teacher even when she asked if anyone had any medical issues, is anyone else like this and how have you got past it?
 
I would try not to worry about telling anyone - I felt very awkward to start with but once I started telling people then it became alot easier - trying practicing on a few people first who dont know about it ? It does get easier in time and to be honest telling people you work with is really important, it's more embarressing trying to explain after a hypo why - trust me i've done that one too !!

I have generally found that the reaction I get is the following:

Is that the good or bad sort ?
Can you eat sugar - followed by you shouldn't be eating that !
Tell me all about it.
However the best one I had - I suppose you just get on with it then.

Also don't worry about what people think - we are all extraordinary people who are all different, whatever our race, age, sex, illness etc, I think it's good to be different.
 

That is true! I will practise telling people, hopefully it'll get easier haha
Tomorrow I'm talking about my diabetes with the school nurse (started a new college, it's procedure) and so I guess that'll be good to talk openly and freely about the condition

I sound like i've just been diagnosed, but I used to be worse
 
I used to find it awkward telling people I was a diabetic but then I realised how important it was for people I was likely to spend time with to know (especially work colleagues). I now find it quite easy to tell people and believe it helps others to know more about it as there's so much ignorance on the subject.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…