Work

[Trixy83]

How do folk juggle working when they are feeling run down? I had a hypo during the night. Woke up covered in sweat and shaking. Got myself sorted and went back to sleep. Now I've got up for work and my head is pounding and I feel blah. But I have to drag myself into work. Just wondering how others cope, how often you phone in sick and how understanding your boss is! My boss has been great, he's said I've to look after myself etc but he also doesn't deal with absence very well!

 

[tim2000s]

My approach has always been JFDI. Hypos are a part of life. Get up and carry on. Even with a headache. It would be wrong to call in sick with an alcohol hangover so I can't do it with a Hypo hangover.

 

[pinewood]

My approach has always been JFDI. Hypos are a part of life. Get up and carry on. Even with a headache. It would be wrong to call in sick with an alcohol hangover so I can't do it with a Hypo hangover.

I disagree. An alcohol hangover was an individual's own fault - they chose to drink and knew that a hangover could be the consequence. I'm not looking for pity but at the end of the day we have a medical condition and this needs to be considered, especially in the early stages when people are finding their feet. I find it annoying when people with type 1 pretend like nothing is wrong or that we should be expected to just get on with life in the same way as everyone else: hypos are not a "part of life" for most people! At the end of the day, T1D means we have an ongoing condition and daily battles that most people really don't understand and which, over time and when all combined together, are mentally exhausting. Contrary to what most of the general public think it's really not as simple as taking a shot every so often for most T1Ds and a bad, sweaty, scary hypo in the middle of night and waking with a thumping headache is no better having a cold or flu. Whilst I probably wouldn't call in sick I would expect my boss/colleagues to be understanding if I was a little late or if I needed some down time. I guess it also depends what kind of work you do - if you're able to work from home/login remotely then that could be something to consider?

 

[tim2000s]

I may have different post Hypo symptoms to the OP, but just because I have a medical condition is not a reason for me to not carry on as normal. So I feel a bit blargh? I do with a heavy cold as well and will carry on.

Each to their own, but just because I have a medical condition, I don't necessarily want to be treated vastly differently. Feeling a bit **** isn't an issue in my line of work, and if the symptoms are the same (which is what we're talking about at this point in relation to the hangover) then I don't believe that anyone should allow it to stop them getting on with life, whatever that entails. That's my fundamental point.

I'd rather use my medical card when I really need to, because despite discrimination acts, people's opinion of you is affected if you are regularly off sick due to Hypos.

I also don't think that a well controlled diabetic should be purveying that image. I don't want people to have the impression that diabetes gets in the way of life and makes you somehow substandard. I'm superhuman as much as the next person.

Yes I'm a bit of an alpha type person in relation to this, but we should never play the victim as a result of our condition.

 

[pinewood]

Are you kidding? You don't want people to think diabetes gets in the way of life? I think we will have to agree to disagree on that one. People I work with need to know that it DOES get in the way of my life - there WILL be times I need to get some sugar, test my blood, leave a room to inject my insulin, not eat the provided food at a meeting etc. etc and there will be times I am feeling rubbish solely because of this condition. I do see where you are coming from and naturally the aim of everyone with any medical condition is to get on with life as "normally" as possibly but it is what it is and there's no point pretending all is fine when it's not and when people, from my experience, are generally happy to give a bit of sympathy where it's due.

 

[Trixy83]

I was just wondering how others cope. I've only been diagnosed less than 2 months so it's still all very new to me and despite being 90% better than I was I am still not fully under control and have my ups and downs. Not looking for sympathy but when I factor in I'm a single mum to a toddler, that I have about an hours drive to get to work in the first place and have quite a stressful demanding job, work right now just isn't my priority, my health and getting better is. I've learned over the years that where work is concerned I'm just a number, it will be around long after I am so if I need a bit of time to get myself better then they should just have to deal with it. As it is I'm now at my desk so I've troopered on, this time, but I see no shame in it one day I'm really struggling saying I just can't do it. As much as I'd love to be I'm not superhuman, im a mere mortal and I have my limits. Getting healthy and being a mum are my priorities.

 

[donnellysdogs]

In 30+ years I have never taken a day off sick due to anything connected with diabetes. I've always thought if people see a diabetic taking dickies they will never employ another diabetic.
I've had **** good managerial jobs previously involving presentations to board level at Companies etc. lead by example is my motto.
Even now with my own gardening business and other activities people still say I do too much....(for a diabetic). Why? Just because I have to test and inject??

Diabetes isn't cancer with awful chemo or radiotherapy etc... I always thought that one day I may need to use up my sick pay for something.. But now self employed so messed that one up!

We are not victims, totally agree with Tim2000s... Also...One thing I do not need in life is sympathy at all.

 

[himtoo]

totally valid points made by you just above @Trixy83 -- we are all different.

for me though i have never missed a day off work because of an overnight hypo - have missed work because of a broken arm for a day and 2 days right after i broke a leg.

i am with @donnellysdogs and @tim2000s on this one.

 

[Natalie1974]

As much as possible, I try not to let my diabetes or hypo's etc get in the way of my working life...or any aspect of my life for that matter. Having said that...there are days when I wake up hypo or go hypo in the night and wake up with a banging headache and sometimes just need a little extra time to get myself together and get to work...for the most part my boss and my colleagues are quite understanding...but for me...I'm uncomfortable about it...probably more my problem than anyone else's...but I'm conscious of it all the same so try to avoid it if I can.

One of the things I find hardest with working is the constant stream of tasks that diabetes involves...not just the day to day testing and injecting etc...but the doctors appointments, blood tests, eye appointments and prescriptions collecting etc. All of these things take time out of my day and it's all time that needs to be made up during lunch breaks and after work...it can be quite exhausting at times.

 

[Mrsass]

Hey @Trixy83 hope you're feeling ok, personally I've never taken time off work because of my diabetes, but then I've pretty much had it all my life so I know no different, for someone newly diagnosed it must be a bit of a change but you will have way more good days than bad days. I get what you're saying, the last thing you feel like doing is going to work, one time a couple years ago I was up most of the night with ketones and a bg of 29.5 DEFO didn't feel like going to work the next day but I did... I guess coz that's just me and I'm a stubborn ****** lol x

 

[catherinecherub]

There is no right or wrong way to deal with this. @Trixy83 is fairly new to diabetes and I expect she is still reeling from her diagnosis. Whilst she does not need sympathy, she does need support and rather than people telling her that they have always coped it might be a better idea to ask her if she needs any help with her management. to try and avoid hypos.
Just a thought.

 

[Auckland Canary]

These are all valid points. I have been T1 for 32 years and have hardly ever had time off for hypo's. I have even gone to work after being treated by paramedics after losing consciousness at night on more than 1 occasion. I am similar to Tim2000 in this regard as I try not to let it affect my life even though it blatantly does.

However it also doesn't help I don't think to hide it and pretend nothing is wrong if you are feeling like a sack of s..t due to a hypo. My problem is I don't really share my issues with others and many people at work don't even know I am T1. So I have dug myself my own hole because how can I take time off for hypo's if no one knows I'm diabetic? The issue is I have had many negative and inaccurate responses to my condition in the past so it makes you less likely to want to divulge your problems.

So I think this is really about your own personal choice. My advice is to try and engage with people and help them to understand what you are going through but pick your battles as to when you take time off (ie don't be like me) If you take time off every time you have a hypo you may find you are not at work that often and you end up being the person who gets a sniffle and doesn't go to work.

I think trying to balance is the key.

 

[Trixy83]

By way of background on me, I have worked for my company for the last 13 years. I was signed off for 5 weeks after my diagnosis and when I got back my boss said when he was inputting my abscense to my hr record he saw that I had only ever had 2 days off sick, 2 days in 13 years! I am not the sort that just calls in sick. I have dragged myself to work when I've been feeling worse than rubbish, including the day before I was admitted to hospital due to this. I'm not saying everytime I hypo I want to call in sick, im saying days when you feel really bad with it all.

 

[dannyw]

Calling in sick is purely a personal choice and will differ vastly by person and role. Some call in if they sneeze, others will drag themselves to work with a broken leg. It also depends on the job. If I was feeling terrible but had a nice office job with little pressure my decision would be completely different if I were a groundwork who faced digging holes all day.
I am a firm believer though that as diabetics, we should be setting examples where possible. Yes, there are laws to protect us but if I were an employer and I had a member of staff with diabetes who had a lot of time off sick, I may think twice about employing another one. That being said, if you're sick, you're sick.

 

[crashinduction]

I agree with the JFDI attitude and getting on with things. I'm an old hand though as have had T1 for 38 years. It is very different to be a newbie and I truly have every sympathy.
There are plenty of people I've met who use Diabetes as a crutch and I choose not to be one of them. My attitude is to get on with life, see it as a bit of a nuisance that I have to deal with but refuse to let it control my life.
I have good control, although not amazing but think I have achieved a good compromise.
Trixy83 - you're doing great. It's really hard at times tbh and every credit to you for having the balls to come on here and ask for help/advice.
I think that us T1's who get on with what can be a bit of a mare at times should give ourselves a **** good pat on the back for being troopers.

There are some bits of excellent advice on this thread and I have respect for you all.
Tim, Donellysdogs and Auckland Canary - I couldn't agree more.

Now get to work ;-)

 

[DunePlodder]

I suppose the nature of your job is relevant. I wouldn't want a surgeon who'd had a bad hypo and little sleep operating on me!
Driving is another factor, not sensible if you are feeling exhausted & brain dead. Trixie says she has an hours drive to work.

 

[noblehead]

How do folk juggle working when they are feeling run down? I had a hypo during the night. Woke up covered in sweat and shaking. Got myself sorted and went back to sleep. Now I've got up for work and my head is pounding and I feel blah. But I have to drag myself into work. Just wondering how others cope, how often you phone in sick and how understanding your boss is! My boss has been great, he's said I've to look after myself etc but he also doesn't deal with absence very well!

Depending on the severity of the hypo they can wash you out, as you were sweating and shaking it looks like your bg level has dropped really low Trixy.

As a newly diagnosed it will take some time for your bg levels to settle down but they will eventually, try and keep a detailed bg diary and show this to your DSN so they can advise you on adjusting your insulin doses, if the night hypo's are happening all the time then you need to reduce your basal insulin and carry out some bg checks in the early hours, its a pain doing this but sometimes you have to do the checks so that you can get a good nights sleep without waking to a hypo.

As for the next morning feeling rough following a hypo, try and drink plenty of water as when you sweat you can become dehydrated, so replacing those lost fluids is essential.

 

[kevinfitzgerald]

Just a quick post,

Type 1 for over 3 decades and practising chronic alcoholic for 20 of them (in recovery for 11 years)

My drinking use to cause the most terrifying early morning hypos and if there are any Type 1 recovering Alkys out there you will all know what I'm talking about !

Just wanted to state that I didn't chose to have either illness and together they nearly killed me on more than a few occasions.

If I can be of advice to any one out there who may be struggling with both Di and Al at present please feel free to start a conversation.

 

[Gareth94]

I have rang in once or twice, but my reasoning was that i work in a industrial steam boiler plant where we have 6 boilers that are 40ft wide and 90ft tall, on top of the boilers can be around the 50 degrees Celsius mark. If my bloods are running low or seem out of control I'd rather not be stuck up there when a bad hypo comes on me.. Also I've only been diagnosed T1 for around 18 months, so I'm still learning

 

[Vics]

How do folk juggle working when they are feeling run down? I had a hypo during the night. Woke up covered in sweat and shaking. Got myself sorted and went back to sleep. Now I've got up for work and my head is pounding and I feel blah. But I have to drag myself into work. Just wondering how others cope, how often you phone in sick and how understanding your boss is! My boss has been great, he's said I've to look after myself etc but he also doesn't deal with absence very well!

I struggle with work, I've had a year to get used to it but still finding it hard. I'm a fitness instructor. My work is high energy for an hour and if I don't feel good, IMO it would be wrong for me to teach. I also teach Pilates after the high energy classes and am obviously at risk of hypos, I have had quite a few hypos during Pilates and have had to stop the class. I find it so frustrating. The centre feel it would be wrong to allow me to continue in a position of responsibility with a hypo. If things don't improve I don't know what to do :-(

Any other fitness instructors out there?!!

I totally understand why you find it difficult, we're not superheroes, we're trying to do our best.

Good luck