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Struggling

klh-2018

Member
Messages
14
Location
dronfield
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have type 1 and been pretty good with it last few years, i got a part time job as a housekeeper. 16 hours a week over 6 days (i never asked for it and i despise every part of it) anyway my problem is work 3 hours Saturday mornings, i get up at 5 am have to travel 15 miles half by bus half walking. I always end up having 2 low blood sugar readings usually 4 or 5 in by 11 am, then i have to walk a mile for the bus stop then catch the bus. I am so tired and unwell the rest of the day also i have 2 more low blood sugar readings during the afternoon and evening getting down 2.
I am too tired physically and mentally to do anything else on a Saturday.
I love my weekday job it the best ever but i can not do this any more on a Saturday i really cant. My boss is more bothered about me cleaning floors. I am depressed and keep thinking next time my blood sugars drop i shouldn't do anything about it.
 
Hypos are the worst, simply the worst. Non-diabetics look at the injections and the blood tests and say how hard it must be, but I honestly think that nothing is as bad as hypos. They're awful and they make you feel awful (replace with worse word that would probably get moderated out) for the rest of the day. I wish I could give you two hugs for your post instead of one.

So, it seems to me that you have two, possibly three, issues.
1) The hypos. You need to alter your food, insulin or exercise so that you don't get them. Do you feel confident to take extra carb or reduce your insulin so as to avoid this situation? If not, ring up your clinic and ask advice.

2) The job. Do you have to do it? Can you alter the times so that it's not making you get sick and depressed? (Not sure why it's OK during the week but not on Saturday?) Tell your boss it is making you both sick and depressed?

3) The depression. Sounds like it's caused by the hypos and the job. You could see your GP for some help but make sure you concentrate on the underlying issues as well: ie the job and the hypos.

Don't give up: you're stuck with diabetes but you don't have to be stuck with hypos, an unreasonable boss or depression. Good luck.
 
Hello @klh-2018 Avoiding hypos as much as you can will help with the depression, personally if I want to avoid a hypo due to work or something else I try and start out with levels above 7mmol/l, have carbs on board minimum of 10g and reduce my bolus injection, if the activity is longer than 5 hours then reduce my basal too, I keep jelly babies/glucogel on me at all times too and if I think i'm dropping then eat some more carbs, to be honest i'd prefer to run slightly higher than lower as I really hate hypos so try to avoid them at all costs, life is alot easier if I can avoid them, they tend to floor me at times, I had 2 on Saturday and haven't had 2 in one day for a few months, I forgot how draining they are and I really do sympathise with you. I know it's hard but with an action plan it can improve
 
Ive taken my levemir down from 20 to 14. I eat more at breakfeast, i have 2 small snacjs at work evenly spaced out. My job is boring as a store cleaner very large store 2 levels. My blood sugar drops half way round and i panic alittle i have glucose tablets with me but sometimes i struggle toopen the packet. And a few times ive been shaking so bad i bump into things and end up with bruises. The people that workthere have no interest in me what so ever. Always tellingme im useless and stupid. I hate every part of it. But no one listens.
 
Monday to friday i work 3-6pm and happy. Not one problem in any way. I just get treated like a slave and my boss couldnt care less, i get the same answer theres no one else to do it.
 
can you take more hours at your weekday job?

I would very much be looking for alternative employment regardless of D
 
Engineer88 said:
can you take more hours at your weekday job?

I would very much be looking for alternative employment regardless of D
Click to expand...
I have tried for months, i work 16 hrs and nearly do that during the week, i asked if i could not do saturdays and i get the answer theres no one else to do it. I hate it. My family dont like the way things are. Ive been looking for other ways round it but its just hard to get through to my boss.
 
So is it the same store during the week? It sounds like you do more than 1 hour on Saturday. Are you even being paid for it? Is the commute a problem during the week? Still trying to understand why you're OK on Friday but not on Saturday if it's the same store. And workplace bullying would not be acceptable even if you weren't diabetic. Is the store big enough to have a HR department you can speak to? Is there a union you can join?
 
During the week im at an office building 5 mins frome home. I love that place and the people. I get paid minium wage saturdays. Ive asked for a day off but theres no one to cover. I just want to do my 16 hours in one place close to home where i feel safe and happy. Ill check other thjngs online gut i feel stuck and no one to talk too.
 
I have started a diary but i proberly should add alittle more too it. Everyday is diffrent but saturday is my worst day. I feel like im just going abd going without a decent routine. Im going to call my diabetes nurse tomorrow and explain. I just cant keep going like this :-(
 
So would you lose the weekday job if you told them you were no longer available for the Saturday one? Tell them your diabetes means you can't do the commute? (which is true).
 
EllieM said:
So would you lose the weekday job if you told them you were no longer available for the Saturday one? Tell them your diabetes means you can't do the commute? (which is true).
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It seems that way my family get angry about it. I will try and talk to the supervisor but its like all he cares about is doing the job.
 
There are laws about diabetics and discrimination at work.... Does anyone know if they are allowed to sack the OP if she tells them that she can't work the Saturday. (Get a letter from the DN to confirm this.)
 
klh-2018 said:
I canhave 10 mins but thats it. Im just depressed and getting tired of it all
Click to expand...
I was thinking that your early start means that you don't have tine for breakfast. Explain your situation to your diabetic nurse and get a letter to say that your diabetes won't let you work with that commute on Saturdays....
 
EllieM said:
I was thinking that your early start means that you don't have tine for breakfast. Explain your situation to your diabetic nurse and get a letter to say that your diabetes won't let you work with that commute on Saturdays....
Click to expand...
Ah that is true, thank you. Ill call her asap
 
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