13 years ago I was undergoing part of my training with a 'big supermarket' post university. I had been there a few months when I was taken aside by my manager........to be told somebody was 'offended' by the fact that I injected myself, HIDDEN UNDER THE TABLE, THROUGH my clothes! Being so young at the time I promptly cried, especially when my argument in response to my injections being analogised to breast feeding failed! I just couldn't see how exposing some flesh to feed a baby was anything like a discrete pen like device being used without removing any clothing. I could even inject tactically maintaining eye contact if mid conversation without people noticing so I really couldn't understand their logic. Despite my protestations at being told to inject in the toilet and then be allowed to the front of the dinner queue to prevent a hypo, I needed my training and so had to do it. I remember being soooo upset but it did steel my resolve! Once my training was completed and I accepted a job, I completed a single hour before explaining exactly why I now wished to resign! I had already lined up another job luckily but I swore to myself never to go back and I haven't.
Small victory maybe but it has lived with me a long time and those who bother to get to know me have no issues with my diabetes albeit now I 'pump'.
After almost 30 years of type 1 I have no stronger wish than for a cure like anyone. I don't even wish for non-invasive delivery methods or testing.....just something that can promise complications prevention as with time we all now know, even with the tightest control, things still continue to 'go wrong'.
Anyway just wanted to let others know of yet more prejudice out there! We stand together here and that can only be a great thing!
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