First job as a type 1

[Crumblebee]

Hi I don't know if this is a thing, but I was diagnosed as type one back in may and started insulin. At this point I had lost my job because I was so unwell. So from then till January I was basically doing what my body needed as it needed it. If I felt tired I slept, felt off from hyper or hypo I'd stay home.
A job opportunity came up for a job that I knew I'd really enjoy. I applied didn't think I'd get offered an interview let alone get offered the job, and in today's world a job is gold dust, but a job you like is a unicorn.
Anyway I started on the 3rd of January, and the first week was ok. Had couple of night hypos before bed, but generally ok.
Second week hypos went wild. Trying to not drop felt like a mission, then the hypers came.
I'm trying my best to control them but I've only been on insulin a little while.
It still feels weird.
Anyway I've had 4 days off from having hypos, and now my boss wants a meeting, I was honest in the interview and told them what I'd gone through. And the meeting is to help support me at work to do my job, but I don't know how to explain I'm doing the doggy paddle of insulin and type one, I have no idea how to actually swim long distance with this.

I don't know how to save my job or like reassure them I'm not some flaky person.
Any advice or help, how do you manage work?

I'm just worried but hopeful for some insight from others.
Thank you for your help

 

[stephknits]

I guess the change in what you are doing by going to work will be messing with your insulin needs. I would hope that your levels will become more steady as you work our your insulin requirements on work days. Perhaps speak to your team for any tips and tell your work any measures you will be taking so they can see you are being proactive about it. Obviously long term having 4 days off every month is not sustainable.

I'm not sure why you need a whole day off for a hypo- do you live a long way from work? Can you work from home / do flexible working on some days?
Congratulations on the new job and hope you find some workable solutions

 

[Inka]

The trick is to spot dropping sugar before it drops too low @Crumblebee (or goes too high). Do you have a Libre? If not, could you get one? Try to identify what caused your hypos/hypers - stress? no chance to eat? unexpected exercise? no time to test? Then look at solutions.

I explained I needed extra breaks to test and that worked well. I also stuck to similar breakfasts and lunches to make things easier.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Well done on getting the job 🙂
Do you have a DSN to contact so you can have some guidance?

 

[Windy]

I'm a T2, so have no insight into having hypos, but if I used to be a first aider at work and if I was working with you or as your boss, the stuff I'd like to know is:

• What is a hypo?
• Are they all the same? ie is a "mild" hypo the same as a massive hypo?
• What does it look like? ie if I'm stood next to you, are there any signs that I could see that would make me want to remind you to eat some jelly babies have your preferred hypo treatment, ie juice, glucose tablets etc [hat tip to @helli ] and check your BG?
• Do you have jelly babies your hypo treatment on you, or in your desk/workstation for us to get if we need to?
• If you have a hypo, what should I do? Remind you to check your BG? Have a snack? Make sure you take a break after the snack and then recheck your BG.
• Do I need to call an ambulance ever, if so, what would be the trigger for that?
• Do you need to have regular meal times so that you can time your insulin and food?
• Do you need somewhere like a break room to inject and test your BG? Somewhere to wash your hands/sit down?
• If you're feeling poorly, who should we call (contact number for family/friends/DSN?)?
• Remind boss that as you're a new T1, your pancreas sometimes does it's own thing and that makes you more likely to hypo.

Go to the meeting with the attitude that your manager wants to support you. Take a list of things you want to say, written down. Say you want to work with him/her, and that you really like you job and are doing everything you can to keep your T1 under control, and appreciate all the support that they can give you, and thank them for meeting with you.

Good luck, Sarah

 

[rebrascora]

Hi. Congrats on your new job. It sounds great!
What help have you sought (ie speaking to your DSN and coming here which obviously you have done now) to deal with the problem and what steps have you taken to address it? A basal insulin reduction might be the first thing to consider, particularly if your work life is more active than your home life has been.
Is there a particular reason why you are losing work days to hypos? Mostly I can just treat them and work on, even if I am doing something physical like mucking out the horses but sometimes I do need to give myself 15 mins recovery. It certainly shouldn't be wiping you out for hours or a day. Are you disciplined about treating them or are you eating too much and then Yo-Yoing which can make you feel pretty rubbish.
If you haven't got Libre then ask your DSN about it and explain the problems you are having and how these hypos could possibly jeopardize your new job, so having a system with alarms would be helpful.
Hope you are able to get some support from your DSN and agree a protocol with your employer to improve the situation.

If you don't understand anything or want to know more about Libre just ask. It might be useful to know which basal insulin you are using too as a long acting basal like Tresiba may be less useful to you than a shorter acting insulin like Levemir which would give you more flexibility to change doses to match your needs.

 

[helli]

Do you have jelly babies on you,

I believe I noticed jelly babies mentioned on another thread as if it is the only or most common hypo treatment.
There are many different types of hypo treatment - the key is that they are fast acting carbs so no fat which means chocolate and biscuits are not great hypo treatments.
Like everything diabetes related we are different.
Some people find drinks easier to swallow so have small cans of cola or cartons of juice.
Some people are vegetarian so don't want to eat jellys.
I avoid anything which could be seen as sweets as other people don't realise they are medication.

 

[helli]

@Crumblebee (great name), sorry to read that you are struggling but congratulations on your unicorn job.
It sounds as if you have been through the mill with your diabetes and you are starting to pull yourself out the other end.

I second @Inka's comment about a Libre. This would help you identify and treat lows before they happen. If you don't have one now, I recommend discussing it with your DSN and asking for guidance on how to manage your job and diabetes (which can feel like a full time job in its own rite sometimes).
Is your job physical (or more physical than you have been since your diagnosis)? If so, you will probably need to take less insulin to avoid the hypos.

 

[Leadinglights]

I'm a T2, so have no insight into having hypos, but if I used to be a first aider at work and if I was working with you or as your boss, the stuff I'd like to know is:

• What is a hypo?
• Are they all the same? ie is a "mild" hypo the same as a massive hypo?
• What does it look like? ie if I'm stood next to you, are there any signs that I could see that would make me want to remind you to eat some jelly babies and check your BG?
• Do you have jelly babies on you, or in your desk/workstation for us to get if we need to?
• If you have a hypo, what should I do? Remind you to check your BG? Have a snack? Make sure you take a break after the snack and then recheck your BG.
• Do I need to call an ambulance ever, if so, what would be the trigger for that?
• Do you need to have regular meal times so that you can time your insulin and food?
• Do you need somewhere like a break room to inject and test your BG? Somewhere to wash your hands/sit down?
• If you're feeling poorly, who should we call (contact number for family/friends/DSN?)?
• Remind boss that as you're a new T1, your pancreas sometimes does it's own thing and that makes you more likely to hypo.

Go to the meeting with the attitude that your manager wants to support you. Take a list of things you want to say, written down. Say you want to work with him/her, and that you really like you job and are doing everything you can to keep your T1 under control, and appreciate all the support that they can give you, and thank them for meeting with you.

Good luck, Sarah

I would add to that you might want to wear a medialert bracelet or something similar. As a first aider you are taught to look for that.

 

[Windy]

I believe I noticed jelly babies mentioned on another thread as if it is the only or most common hypo treatment.
There are many different types of hypo treatment - the key is that they are fast acting carbs so no fat which means chocolate and biscuits are not great hypo treatments.
Like everything diabetes related we are different.
Some people find drinks easier to swallow so have small cans of cola or cartons of juice.
Some people are vegetarian so don't want to eat jellys.
I avoid anything which could be seen as sweets as other people don't realise they are medication.

Sorry, @helli , I approached the question from a place of ignorance as a T2 and former first aider. My apologies, I didn't mean to offend.
I'm also a vegetarian and wouldn't be pleased if someone gave me eat gelatine sweets.
The insulin using diabetic I worked with when I was a first aider had a tube of glucose in her drawer and we all knew where it was, just in case. No sweets, just the glucose.
Sarah
PS I have amended my original post to mention other things that people use if they're having a hypo. Hope this helps.

 

[Crumblebee]

Hi thank you for the advice a lot to take it and sounds helpful.
I do use the Libry and I think I'd be even worse without it.
The reasons I've had for being off from a hypo is that when I have a hypo I get tremors, in hands and legs, and I find I struggle to coordinate like I am drunk this happens from about 3.9 mmol. Sometimes 4mmol.
Ones I have eaten jelly babies (not vegetarian) or lucozade my body takes ages to get back to normal. It's not a simple oo I'm low, treat it and jobs a good one. It's physically draining and can make me feel utterly sh*t.
Hypers = migraine and they have the joys of light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting, headache, pulsing in the head like my brain is heaving.
My insulin sensitivity is a weird one as apparently I'm L.A.D.A but being treated as type one. And my Diabetic nurse told me that my pancreas is still making some insulin, so some days I'll need all the insulin and others I'll not, and I have no way of knowing. So everyday is like w.t.f day.

I'm going to try and level my bloods to being on the high side while working so if my pancreas is like have some insulin I should be ok.
I've really found the advice helpful, thank you everyone.
🙂

Oh I drive to and from work 30mins, and my job is physically and mentally demanding, I work in pharmacy.

 

[Kaylz]

It takes the brain 45 minutes to recover fully from a hypo and I too suffer terribly with hypo hangovers etc but we just have to carry on I'm afraid

Are you adjusting your insulin? Do you know how to? If you are on L2 why not set the alarms a little higher to allow time to treat before a hypo occurs if the arrow is trending in that way? Are the hypo's generally around the same times or are they happening at different times? What insulin/s are you on? Do you have a half unit pen? Sorry I don't mean to sound like I'm interrogating you!

A lot of us have been through the situation you are referring to regarding our pancreas still spurting at times, in Type 1 it's referred to as the honeymoon period, my own lasted for 2 years and yes things can be tricky but it is manageable xx

 

[helli]

@Crumblebee what level are your Libre alerts set at?
I ask because these be should be set to levels before you get shaky from hypos or migraines from hypers.
For example, set your low level alert at 4.9 so you can treat it then and stop yourself hitting 3.9.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi thank you for the advice a lot to take it and sounds helpful.
I do use the Libry and I think I'd be even worse without it.
The reasons I've had for being off from a hypo is that when I have a hypo I get tremors, in hands and legs, and I find I struggle to coordinate like I am drunk this happens from about 3.9 mmol. Sometimes 4mmol.
Ones I have eaten jelly babies (not vegetarian) or lucozade my body takes ages to get back to normal. It's not a simple oo I'm low, treat it and jobs a good one. It's physically draining and can make me feel utterly sh*t.
Hypers = migraine and they have the joys of light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting, headache, pulsing in the head like my brain is heaving.
My insulin sensitivity is a weird one as apparently I'm L.A.D.A but being treated as type one. And my Diabetic nurse told me that my pancreas is still making some insulin, so some days I'll need all the insulin and others I'll not, and I have no way of knowing. So everyday is like w.t.f day.

I'm going to try and level my bloods to being on the high side while working so if my pancreas is like have some insulin I should be ok.
I've really found the advice helpful, thank you everyone.
🙂

Oh I drive to and from work 30mins, and my job is physically and mentally demanding, I work in pharmacy.

Do you work in an NHS hospital pharmacy as I'm sure the NHS will have policies for supporting staff with diabetes. Public Health Scotland does have a comprehensive policy but I'm not sure if this applies in England.
This may give you an idea

https://www.healthyworkinglives.scot/workplace-guidance/illness-absence/Pages/Supporting-employees-with-diabetes.aspx

 

[Crumblebee]

Do you work in an NHS hospital pharmacy as I'm sure the NHS will have policies for supporting staff with diabetes. Public Health Scotland does have a comprehensive policy but I'm not sure if this applies in England.
This may give you an idea

https://www.healthyworkinglives.scot/workplace-guidance/illness-absence/Pages/Supporting-employees-with-diabetes.aspx

Hi ya no.
Just regular pharmacy, in Scotland.

The team I work with are lovely, just panicky as not been there long.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi ya no.
Just regular pharmacy, in Scotland.

The team I work with are lovely, just panicky as not been there long.

I would have thought some of the stuff in the policy would be applicable to where you work.

 

[Crumblebee]

I would have thought some of the stuff in the policy would be applicable to where you work.

It might be I'm just home and haven't had a look at it yet