How do you balance teaching and your diabetes?

[sheepareevil]

I'm a secondary school history teacher who was only diagnosed in January with Type 1 diabetes. My sugars are well controlled and in most aspects I am coping well with my job. However, I am hoping to get some advice from other teachers that are living with diabetes. At the end of last term I had an incident where I had a Hypo whilst teaching a year 7 class.
What had happened is that I had detentions at break and then duty for the first half of lunch time. For the second half of lunch I was guilt tripped into attending a meeting (Because you had over a month off you missed this important meeting and we really need to fill you in. This is the only time we can do it blah blah blah) being told i would be able to eat my lunch i injected before the meeting. We then spent the whole 20 mins wandering around and I did not have chance to eat. I know that I could have said something to them about needing to eat but the school is very high pressured, my contract is only till summer and I am hoping that they will extend it and finally I've already been made to feel guilty enough about my being away. I then had no choice but to teach my year 7 class as there was no one else around and they can be a tricky class.
I have complained to the school and made clear the problems ( not least how worried some of the pupils were when i was swaying etc)

I love teaching, especially in schools where the pressure is higher due to behaviour problems etc, but i am really freaked out now by the prospect of more situations like this. Before i was diagnosed out of the 5 days a week I would only usually eat lunch about twice because I have a lot of teenagers coming to me for advice or support.

I honestly don't see how I am going to cope with teaching, allowing myself time for lunch, without feeling like I am letting my pupils down. Most of them have serious problems outside of school and need to feel like they have an adult there for them.

So does anyone have any advice on how they have coped with teaching?

 

[hanadr]

I'm not an insulin user, but I was a teacher. You need to be a bit assertive with your colleagues. If you need to eat, you need to eat.
Couldn't they have a meeting with sandwiches if it's so important?
contact your union reep and check on your rights. You might check with your SENCO too, so you can act as backup for any diabetic students.
Hana

 

[Yorksman]

Make a point of having a routine and sticking to it. A quirky routine can be something you play on and some kids will even be intrigued. Other staff will just have to comply. 'Not now, come back in 13 1/2 mins precisely. Come early and you'll be dismissed. Come late and you'll be disappointed'. You have to be a bit of an actor to carry it off but with your history and some practice, you can create an eccentric persona. Just keep a very very strict time table, no deviations, and make a play of it, like The Wolf, in Pulp Fiction, only diabetes, not bodies.

 

[mo1905]

I am not a teacher but have a high pressure job in the emergency services so difficult to plan meal breaks etc. the only way I cope is not ideal but I won't inject until after food. Just in case I get called somewhere. This way, at least I know I won't go hypo ! Good luck and hope you can manage to make things work !


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[Ambersilva]

As a Type 1, on my current regimen, I can have delayed meals or miss a meal completely. When I am away from home, I make sure that I do not inject insulin prior to seeing food in front of me.

I work in a place where food and drink are not allowed. Coats and handbags have to be left in a locker. Everyone is closely monitored by CCTV. Medication is allowed, as is my test kit in my pocket or in a clear plastic bag. In my pocket I carry a supply of jelly beans to pop into my mouth in case of warning signs of an imminent hypo. None of the security staff have noticed when I have popped a jelly bean in my mouth. Even if one does notice, I am allowed medication. If I feel the need to test my blood sugar in that environment, I use a quick 'all in one' meter.

 

[kangoo]

I'm also a secondary teacher. I'm lucky to be on a permanent contract and so I can try to ignore any pressures to do extra things like hall monitoring at morning break, lunchtime detention, etc. You do need to be firm if asked to do something outwith the classroom, your own wellbeing has to come first.

I agree with those who inject after eating. I never inject before food at work because you never know what's going to happen when there are 1000 "free range" teenagers in the building. Personally, mornings are the worst. I have really high blood glucose first thing and often find myself bursting for a pee before morning break. It can be difficult to leave the classroom and dash to the nearest staff toilet.

Thinking about hypos, make sure your colleagues in your corridor/surrounding rooms are aware of the situation and let them know where to find your emergency stash of lucozade or whatever you use. Is it possible to identify a pupil in each class who you can speak to about going to fetch a colleague if you have a hypo during their lesson? This isn't always an easy conversation but it is better to try to speak to a pupil yourself than have a year head discuss your situation with pupils without your knowledge - it happened to a former colleague.

 

[Geocacher]

I work in a school, not in a teaching position myself, but I did share an office with a fellow diabetic who was a teacher. First time either of us had worked with another diabetic so we did compare notes.

Interestingly we both coped by being creatures of habit and just being a little selfish if we needed to be. Testing at regular times and before meetings and classes expecially if they disrupted our regular habits. Eating at regular times, even if that meant hiding in our office to do it. Keeping a meter handy and sweets that could be discreetly eaten without students noticing.

Most of my colleagues know I'm diabetic. Those that don't soon figure it out and it's no big deal. I've had to refuse many pieces of cake over the years and saying I can't have sugar is a good excuse that doesn't offend. We all bring food and drinks to staff meetings so it's nothing unusual when I do. I've had people drop in to see me in my office when I've got my meter out, I just carry on the same way I would if I were checking messages on my phone of finishing an e-mail.

On rare occasion I've had to leave a meeting that's run long to sort out a hypo or I've arrived a few minutes late because I've scoffed some of my lunch to avoid a low. To me that's no more of an offense than having to leave to get water if I was coughing or arriving late for any other legitimate reason. If the person holding the meeting doesn't know me well, I'll apologise afterwards and if they need to know why, I tell them in a matter of fact way. Far better that than trying to ignore a hypo and ending up sliding off my chair and causing all manner of fuss and bother.

I've found that just getting on with what I need to do is the best way to deal with things. It keeps stress levels down, and by managing my needs properly I don't end up taking any more time off of work than any normal person would.

 

[sheepareevil]

I just wanted to post a qucik thank-you for all your advice.
After talking with my consultant my long term insulin has been reduced, it turns out my nurses has been telling me to take too much. It means that I am able to delay meals and not have hypos. I'm also setting up a support network for pupils at my school with type 1.
I'm trying to be positive, slowly getting there. It helps that my collegues recently witnessed me having a serious hypo ( blood sugars down to 1.5). I think they now realise how serious it can be for me and so have been very supportive now.