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Just want to share this brief experience with my volunteering

Lulu9101112

Well-Known Member
Messages
378
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Football, Rugby, Sweede, Parsnips, Beetroot
So I was volunteering earlier today in a doggy daycare. It started of fine later on and involves a lot of hoovering sweeping mopping etc... like 1 hour before I finished I could tell I was sweating even though it wasn’t warm. (Were in different area so I went to test). The staff member who was team leader at the time was trying to find me and did. I just told him I needed to check my levels which is why he stopped as I’m diabetic and then he went off asked if i needed anything I said no because i have everything I need. He went back to his work. Later on he came back asking if I was ok again. I just explained my blood was low and I needed to wait till It goes back up to continue which would take 15 mins at least. He then asked jf j could do anything. I said no because jf I keep doing things that is lie excersize which includes cleaning it could cause it to drop lower. He then left me alone and came backs in 20 mins an then by that point I was able to continue as my sugar had gone back up. Thing is it’s like he wasn’t aware of my diabeties I guess the owner never passed the message to staff or they forgot because I’ve never had to stop to check before I guess after explaining sort off he finally understood I just got annoyed when he kept asking me to do things when I just couldn’t due to my blood being low as it would be to risky for everyone including the dogs.

just my opinion do you think I should email them to explain again.
 
I have always told employers I was a type 1 on insulin, but have routinely told any colleagues I worked with as well. I would rather explain myself than leave it to others who know a lot less about it and may make assumptions that are inaccurate, or forget to mention something of importance. Is there somebody responsible for First Aid at the place where you are volunteering ? Perhaps you could provide a printed sheet for them, as to how you deal with your diabetes and what they may need to do in an emergency to help you. You could also give your employer a copy to keep with your records just in case. Just a suggestion.
 
You got annoyed because someone cared that you are ok and checked on you? Most people know little about diabetes, of any sort and only see very dramatic life and death scenarios in the media.
 
Lulu9101112 said:
Thing is it’s like he wasn’t aware of my diabeties I guess the owner never passed the message to staff or they forgot

just my opinion do you think I should email them to explain again.
Click to expand...

To be honest when I tell my company that I'm diabetic, I do not expect them to tell the whole company, in fact I'd be very upset if they did, it is my private medical info that I choose to give out to whoever I give it to - it is not their information to give out (in fact you could probably get them on data protection laws if they give it out to anyone without your consent), my team know, a couple of others who I work with know, but it's my choice who knows.
 

Well this is the only place where this has happened. In this dog volunteer place I don’t think there is as there’s literally only one staff member in on a Sunday.

at my other volunteering at animal park everyone’s aware there. Perhaps this is because there’s a couple of others with it or their family have it. Plus they do have a first aider.

my work place forgot once I but remembered after they checked on the system and was wondering my medical id braclet was for.

The dog volunteering is the most recent placement.

@lucylocket61
I wasn’t slightly annoyed j was just confused how he didn’t really understand or confused since my other places I have know about it and understand

@Rokaab good point i forget about data protection Ben though my work is a receptionist and we can’t give details out including medical conditions. We can ask about it for safety reasons but that’s ussually the managers job
 
@Lulu9101112 - reading through your post, I was reading he was concerned for you and that you were OK, not that he was irritated by you having to take time our., although obviously I wasn't there "in the moment".

I know if I'm feeling "off" for whatever reason, and somebody keeps asking I I'm ok, I can find it irritating, because I want to concentrate on feeling better, not giving status updates, so sometimes I think others can really get on our nerves when they're just being nice, and maybe a bit worried.

I hope you're feeling better now.

Maybe if you are working with the same person again, you could explain that sometimes you need to take a few minutes to look after your diabetes, which can be a bit irksome when exercising? He might really appreciate it.
 
I have never made a secret of having type 1. I have always told my boss /immediate superior and anyone I am in contact with a lot. As nobody needs to do anything about it, they generally forget, until they catch me getting out the glucose and then suddenly ask if I need help. It's a fairly normal reaction, in my experience. I have always believed that educating people about it is a good idea. It can crop up abruptly in any family, but if somebody has at least been aware of a colleague living with it, looking normal and still doing their job, it must surely be a less frightening prospect. (I haven't been so confident about everything though. I spent years hiding in the ladies' loo if I needed to inject insulin when at work.)
 
Hello @Lulu9101112 Sorry to hear about your hypo at work. in the workplace it's best you inform those around you of your t1 status as your employer wouldn't necessarily communicate this to other staff, I always tell anyone I am going to be with of my t1 and just give them a quick account of 'have to test, take glucose if I drop' and leave it at that, I don't feel it's necessary to say much other than this but it's good to give them the heads up, sounds like he was quite helpful though as he was checking on you which was reassuring. Hope it hasn't bothered you too much x
 
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