Type 1 - New job and BG management.

[Diabetictwentysomething]

Hello All,

I am a Type 1 Diabetic of roughly fifteen years, and over the last five years I have been working a full-time, fairly physically inactive night job, and finally I am going to become a day-walker and work for the first time in my life a Monday to Friday 9-5!

Whilst I'm excited to start my new job, I'm sure many Diabetics can appreciate the feeling of 'Diabetes related anxiety' when changing their routine about the potential effects this change may have on blood sugar management.

On the whole, I have good diabetic control, with an estimated HbA1c of 6.2% based off Libre 2 readings, but I am just concerned about going low whilst at work. I always carry jelly babies and other hypo treatments on me, so I know I can treat any lows as required, and my new employers are aware of my Type 1 and know that I will need to treat any lows as required.

In preparation for starting my new job where I'll be travelling to various different sites throughout the day in a vehicle, I am scaling back my basal insulin by 20%, starting tomorrow, as advised by my DSN when decreasing basal doses. The reason for this reduction is because I tend to find that when I am having a busy day shopping, in and out of my car and walking around etc that my basal appears to be pulling my sugars down more than I'd like.

So yeah, just after some general advice and any pointers from those who have changed their job and how they dealt with a change in routine! I know only time will tell, and I'll have a better idea when I start my new job of how to juggle work and my Diabetes, but any tips would be appreciated in the meantime. At the end of the day, I'd rather run higher, even out of my target range for a few weeks while I'm getting to grips with things than constantly be running low and having to correct!

Thanks!

 

[KK123]

Hi @Diabetictwentysomething and welcome! It seems to me that you already know exactly what to do, I can't think of any tips to add! My work is pretty chaotic and all I can say is make sure you test often and carry your hypo stuff with you (which I'm sure you already do). One thing I do when I am at work is to eat a low carb meal for my break so that I don't have to use any insulin or only a unit or two. For me, that helps give me confidence that I won't go low whilst at work through having 'misjudged' the insulin or having been unable to foresee any hypo contributing factors such as stress or running about which may send me lower than normal, etc. x

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

Congratulations on your new job.
Looking at your older posts, you take lantus as a basal & split it?
I do Lantus, single evening dose.

Now, I'm generally a "day walker." Actually I watch the sun come up & done by 3 or 4? But have been know to grasp "overtime" if on offer. I change my job more often than I change my sensor.

However I was doing physical might shifts leading up to Christmas last year. Interestingly I had to lower my dose incrementally to (from memory by 23%.) BG management surprisingly was pretty good.

What if find with day work is my lantus can catch me with a low in the afternoon? Around 4pm.
Oddly, driving or the prospect of..? (Especially a "fleet vehicle.) causes a liver dump & I can jump 2or 3mmol.

I also (COVID permitting.) find Lantus reasonable when out with my band? Insulin sensitivity increases in the evening & as the lantus tails off the activity can keep me in a "holding pattern" of between 4.8. & 5.5mmol. A good 2 hours after it should have tailed off.

This all may or may not help you. But I wish you well in your new position.