Limitations from type1.

[Maco]

Has anyone else found being Type 1 diabetic had any major limitations on what they’ve wanted to do with there life’s?

Personally I’ve never let it get in the way of friendships, socialising, exercise, eating + drinking etc etc. I’ve always tried to live my life as normal as possible, doing what I wanted when I wanted. If I really wanted that naughty high carb meal I’d have it.

2 things up to now type 1 has stopped me doing is as follows. No.1 I’ve always had a massive interest in aviation. Becoming a commercial airline pilot was always a fantasy/dream from a young age but I soon found out that due to costs & mainly how intelligent you needed to be that wasn’t going to happen. I decided to set my sights at getting my private pilots license. I even started learning to fly, got around 3/4 lessons in before the lockdown started but that’s when the whole diabetic medical came about. Increased costs which would of included a number of trips from Newcastle to stansted to have consultations with the CAA’s medical officers and just the overall depth of control needed to actual gain + maintain a license sounded extremely difficult. At the time I was also using Libre which as far as I’m aware isn’t accepted from the CAA so I would of had to start from scratch with at least 6 months worth of blood glucose readings. Decided it wasn’t worth spending £175 per hour on lessons with the risk of not passing the medical. It’s maybe something I’ll think about after COVID now that I have really good control.

No2. I wanted to get my HGV license for work. Again like No1 i needed a friggin medical. I applied for the license, paid some fees, went for a private consult which I passed & sent everything to the DVLA. 1 week later I get a letter saying I need another medical with my Gp & he would need to see my meters. So I book the appointment go along & again he’s happy and signs all the paperwork. Again, 1 week later another letter this time saying I now need an independent medical with a consultant out of my area. If I remember rightly they wanted me to travel around an hour to see a consultant they had picked. At this point I was getting worried that something wasn’t quite right & that the HGV medical could have implications with my normal driving license so I pulled the plug.


So just the two small limitations from me, both probably easily overcome-able now that my heads in a better please & my control is better.

Over too you guys?

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

Well I'll tag in @searley regarding the HGV stuff..

I took a different path pushed it as far as it could go & had a great time along the way.
But then the only rule was. "As long as I did what made me happy."

 

[Maco]

Hi,

Well I'll tag in @searley regarding the HGV stuff..

I took a different path pushed it as far as it could go & had a great time along the way.
But then the only rule was. "As long as I did what made me happy."

Hi @Jaylee, the HGV side of things has come & gone for me now with a different career path. One day I definitely aim at getting the private pilots license.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi @Jaylee, the HGV side of things has come & gone for me now with a different career path. One day I definitely aim at getting the private pilots license.

Lol, a number of years back I was called in by my old boss. Operations manager at the time. Ex army.
What had I done wrong? He wanted to put me up for training with the HGVs..
I pointed out that there may be an issue. He knew i was T1. He seemed totally non-plussed. Hard nut, considering I'm a peace loving "hippy." He was always on my side..

I wish I'd backed his plan now. Just to see how far it could be pushed?

 

[Maco]

Lol, a number of years back I was called in by my old boss. Operations manager at the time. Ex army.
What had I done wrong? He wanted to put me up for training with the HGVs..
I pointed out that there may be an issue. He knew i was T1. He seemed totally non-plussed. Hard nut, considering I'm a peace loving "hippy." He was always on my side..

I wish I'd backed his plan now. Just to see how far it could be pushed?

I wonder what the procedure was back then, I bet it was easier than the hoops we need to jump through these days haha!

 

[Jaylee]

I wonder what the procedure was back then, I bet it was easier than the hoops we need to jump through these days haha!

This was aprox 15 years ago? I was grafting in the warehouse at HQ, "riding shotgun" as drivers mate. (There was a fair bit of customer service involved.) & driving smaller commercials when needed. I shyed from nothing, turned my hand to everything..

I miss the job. It was a great buzz. My wife also worked there in admin. Both made redundant when the franchise got bought out by corporate & the jobs either went central miles away or roles changed.. Lol, I cut my hair for nothing.

 

[Ushthetaff]

I remember when I was first diagnosed my diabetic consultant told me there I are only two things you can’t do and that is be a pilot or a HGV driver ! That was in 1979 , I worked in the oil industry so both of those weren’t an option so it didn’t bother me . I did however apply for a transfer to the oil rigs ! I got the job seeing as it was a transfer I didn’t have any medical questions and the company I was working for knew my medical history so ! I went to Aberdeen for the off shore survival, went in was giving a form as was everyone else fist question was due you suffer from any of these ! Diabetes being one of them , guy read my form said follow the yellow line I did and it eventually led to the exit ( via the doctors) , I asked why I couldn’t go offshore he said in case you have a funny turn I said you mean a hypoglycaemic incident he said aye. , we argued the toss for a bit I told him his policy stank and I ended up back in my original job . That was in the early 1990s I do know that offshore has changed its policies since, I also know that trying to insure a car back in the 80s was a nightmare too , I once was asked by an insurance broker when I went to insure a Ford Orion ( I know it was beige too ) how many units of insulin I was taking ! I told the lassie she said that’s a lot ! I said when did you become a diabetic consultant ? Needless to say they wouldn’t insure me ,I went on a outdoor pursuits course when I was an apprentice and was told I couldn’t go on a 15 mile hike ! Hmm after telling them to to go and have sex with themselves I packed my rucksack full of Mars bars and sandwiches and off we went , needless to say I came to no harm lol
I think these days since allegedly you can’t be discriminated for disability things have changed . As you might gather I don’t try and let Diabetes stop me doing anything , it’s just these days my body stops me ! But I have learnt to listen to it I think that comes with experience and being an old crumbly lol

 

[Juicyj]

I feel there's absolutely no limitations with type 1, however I have personally made some adjustments to make life easier, so stopped working in an industry that was burning me out and now work in finance, but I would of done that at some point due to age anyway. It has on contrary pushed me to do more than I would of had I not been diagnosed with t1, like a parachute jump and last year running a marathon, I run 2-3 times a week and I still ski each year.

Things do require a little more thought and preparation though, and that's a pain sometimes as it affects spontaneity but it shouldn't hold you back from living a full life.

 

[In Response]

Type 1 has not stopped me doing anything. This may be because I was older and already set n my career path when diagnosed or because I am stubborn so won't let it or because the first discussion I had with my DSN she told me "diabetes should not stop you doing what you want".

But I have travelled a lot, sometimes to obscure places and sometimes at very short notice. I have partaken in lots of different sports. I have eaten what I want (and what I didn't want but had no choice in some of those obscure places). I have partied. I have had great social relationships and progressed well in my career.

Some of this has taken more planning than I would have other wise but I was still able to make a 48 hour work trip to Seattle at less than 24 hours notice.

 

[urbanracer]

For me, I was diagnosed late in life at the age of 54 and haven't changed anything in the last 6 years.

Sometime ago, I was interacting with a young woman on a different forum who wanted to be a Paramedic and I told her that we had a member in our forums who had successfully acheived it. But when the young woman contacted her local ambulance service they flatly refused to even consider her application.

I did suggest that she should try to take it further, but I don't know if she did or not.

 

[searley]

as time goes by there are less and less limitations on T1's its just how many barriers are put in the way..


on the HGV front, a new applicant will have typically 3 medicals and possibly an optician appointment depending on whether you have been good and had eye screening done..

1st medical will be the standard D4 medical which all HGV drivers need
2nd with GP to make sure you meet the criteria as the GP is cheaper than a consultant
3rd will be with the consultant, if he signs it off you will get your license within a couple of weeks

the d4 only needs doing at the same time periods as any other HGV/PCV

DR and consultant will be done yearly, once you have done it a couple of times they may make the decision to skip the DR and go straight to the consultant.. which is what they do with me..

i don't ming the consultant appointment ive seen the same one for 5 years now, know him reasonably well and he is one of hampshires leading diabetic consultants, so get to chat to him after the official stuff, and its due to his advice that i got an insulin pump etc..

so now i have a full hgv, and ADR for the carriage of hazchem..

is HGV a job i would recommend to a insulin dependant?? no probably not.. its more of a lifestyle than a job.. makes control very difficult.... i start work at 4 am every morning often don't finish until after 5pm... often fo 70 hours a week, and some of that can be very physical.. and my bg can crash... there isn't time to deal with hypo's etc

bosses don't understand/ignore the face that its difficult moving 8ton of goods and the risk involved.. as their only concerned is moving the goods... if they understood id get only jobs where the goods were forklifted off... but still keep getting the heavy stuff..

so if your considering it.. think hard, its expensive to get HGV and the hassle level is high... but as i said above its doable... i did it because everyone told me i couldn't

 

[Maco]

For me, I was diagnosed late in life at the age of 54 and haven't changed anything in the last 6 years.

Sometime ago, I was interacting with a young woman on a different forum who wanted to be a Paramedic and I told her that we had a member in our forums who had successfully acheived it. But when the young woman contacted her local ambulance service they flatly refused to even consider her application.

I did suggest that she should try to take it further, but I don't know if she did or not.

Now that you mention being flatly refused a job application, I remember a friend applying to join LNER or Virgins apprenticeship scheme to drive trains a few year back. They had a big campaign needing drivers in the North east for the mainline to London & back. From what I can remember the application was done online & soon as he ticked ‘type 1 diabetic’ they booted him from the process.

 

[Lordy100]

I would love to have done my HGV but had to be content with getting my 7.5t bits back on my licence. However, you still had to have yearly medicals and had C and D categories withdrawn because I couldn't provide evidence of the required testing. Obviously it would be easier now with the Libre. It may well have changed but as I'm unlikely to need the categories I've not bothered.

 

[searley]

I would love to have done my HGV but had to be content with getting my 7.5t bits back on my licence. However, you still had to have yearly medicals and had C and D categories withdrawn because I couldn't provide evidence of the required testing. Obviously it would be easier now with the Libre. It may well have changed but as I'm unlikely to need the categories I've not bothered.

Incorrect it’s no easier with libre as these can not be used as blood checks for goods vehicles you still have to use a regular meter

 

[sleepster]

Has anyone else found being Type 1 diabetic had any major limitations on what they’ve wanted to do with there life’s?

Interesting question, I think it very much depends how old you were when diagnosed, if you're diagnosed as a toddler for example would be different to someone diagnosed in their 50s. I was diagnosed at 9 and at that point probably had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I sometimes think about what I would be like without the diabetes, but maybe if I didn't have diabetes I wouldn't have the other (autoimmune) health problems that I do. Maybe I would have gone away to university instead of staying at home and maybe then I would be more outgoing and sociable, but maybe not
I've had to leave a job because of my diabetes and my diabetes has definitely affected whether I have applied for other jobs, because of the experiences of that job.

 

[Maco]

Interesting question, I think it very much depends how old you were when diagnosed, if you're diagnosed as a toddler for example would be different to someone diagnosed in their 50s. I was diagnosed at 9 and at that point probably had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I sometimes think about what I would be like without the diabetes, but maybe if I didn't have diabetes I wouldn't have the other (autoimmune) health problems that I do. Maybe I would have gone away to university instead of staying at home and maybe then I would be more outgoing and sociable, but maybe not
I've had to leave a job because of my diabetes and my diabetes has definitely affected whether I have applied for other jobs, because of the experiences of that job.

Interesting read & made me think more deeply about my condition.

I’m 26 now, diagnosed when I was 13. Probably the worst time to be diagnosed, starting out in secondary school, meeting girls, alcohol becomes a thing. Never been into drugs so that wasn’t a problem. My dad is type 2 so I started to blame him for it & then moved onto blaming my mam saying it was because of the food she fed me. Thinking back I can’t actually remember a day where I had my insulin pen & meter with me during school so no wonder I was always angry + hated being there. I was a bright kid & in the 2nd highest classes across the board, first year I was probably the most well behaved kid there. And now from what I can remember diabetes hit in my second and things went down hill from there. Ended up getting kicked out before finishing my last year & didn’t even get a chance to sit my GCSE’s, luckily left with maths & English GCSEs due to sitting exams early.

From there I went onto college, studied something I enjoyed (vehicle technician) & absolutely thrived. Finished 2 years & ended up getting an apprenticeship with VW. Unfortunately never needed up completing the apprenticeship & moved away from cars all together.

Certainly not saying it was becoming diabetic that ruined my chances at school, but thinking about it definitely contributed to my downfall. Would better control, better understanding & coming to terms with being diabetic at an early age of helped? Without a doubt.

 

[sleepster]

It's interesting when you think about it and how it's affected your life, not always in obvious ways.
I don't envy you being diagnosed as a teenager, I hated being one I'm sorry you had a rough time of it, but thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[Wanderer89]

Diagnosed at 17 for me was really bad timing. Going to visit my diabetes team not really taking it as seriously as i should of. Got in to habits as a teenager that had to change overnight. It’s almost impossible at that age. No CGMs at the time just a prick needle & a monitor. It’s only when you look back on it years later you could of handled it better. I’m sure the kids these days are better equipped when they are first diagnosed.

 

[Circuspony]

I was diagnosed in my 40s and i do think it's stopped me doing some things. I used to travel a lot - wild camping, hiring horses to go to remote places etc. Even leaving aside the effort in trying to keep insulin cool in those kind of places the heat causes my blood sugars to be really unpredictable so it just wouldn't be safe. I actually find my energy levels are nowhere near what they used to be. Perhaps that's old age but I was on the go and really active before my diagnosis and that's never really come back.

 

[PeteN11]

I had lived in both Greece and Italy from the late 80's, teaching skiing and owning a couple of watersport centres, bars and restaurants. Came back to the UK in 2001 as my Mom need a couple of knee replacements. They went badly and after a few years Dementia took hold and I stayed to look after her. With the help of live in carers, I managed to take lots of sailing courses and qualified as a Yachtmaster Instructor and got an Officer of the Watch Ticket which allowed me to skipper large yachts both sailing and "Gin Palace" type.

When Mom died after 17 hard years I got a job delivering all types of boats around the world and odd bits of teaching. With no pension my "later" years were looking good.

Then just 3 months after the funeral I was in ICU with T1 which as an added bonus also includes an instant fail on the yearly medical. At least I was lucky that it didn't happen whilst crossing the Atlantic although burial at sea does have a kind of romantic appeal.

Got to agree with @Circuspony in that my fitness/energy levels have not returned in the 3 years since diagnosis so wouldn't be up for the challenge even with the a medical pass.