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Time off work- 18 month old - new T1 diagnosis

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Lspr15

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Good morning all
My 18 month old was diagnosed with T1DM last week. He is currently well and only on 3-4 x daily novorapid as he is honeymooning. Funding for a pump has been applied for and he has a Dexcom for CGM. He’s a picky eater and snacker so it’s quite stressful.

I’m already getting pressure from work to return, childcare is provided by grandparents and I’ve barely got my head around the diagnosis sinking in, let alone training my parents! I’m from a medical background so maybe people are assuming it isn’t a big deal to me, but I feel like the rug has been swept from under me.

Just wondering what people did about work? Is it ok to take a lot of time off and do GPs give lines for this?

Thanks for your time
 
You should be entitled to parental/care leave @Lspr15 Have you thought about how long off you might need? Have the paed team made a suggestion of timings, especially with regard to training your parents?

Welcome to the forum, btw, and sorry you’ve had to join us. You might already have it, but there’s a great book about Type 1:

Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas

Ask any questions you want here. Nothing is too trivial. Although everything seems very hard now, it does gradually get easier.
 
We’re both freelance and I work very part time from home so I don’t have a clear answer for you. It was weeks though before life had any normality for me (my husband was back full time and travelling within a week). It will depend how much the grandparents feel able to deal with everything though. Your team should be able to include them in all training so they’re involved from the beginning.

It will depend on the sort of job you do and how flexible they can be. If you can be interruptible on the phone then you could go back sooner than if the grandparents need to be fully responsible all the time you’re at work.

It will take time for you to adjust and your mental health is important so you can ask your GP for a fit to work note on that basis. I don’t think you would get one based on being a carer.

Your clinic contact will move to every 3 months after the first few months but to begin with you’ll have weekly, then fortnightly, then monthly appointments. Plus extra for the pump once that’s approved. So it will be a few months before things settle down. It’s worth letting work know that.

DLA kicks in at 3 months and I think you would get the higher rate (my kid was 8 when diagnosed and we get medium rate) which may help you plan long term.

So short answer is it depends. And the longer answer is it depends on how flexible your work can be.
 
You only get higher rate DLA care component if you're providing care day  and night, so it would depend how much you're needing to check on your little one overnight whether you get that or medium rate.

But I agree that if you don't feel able to return to work and you're running out of carer/parental leave then your GP can sign you off via a Fit note with stress if you need that
 
Welcome to the forum @Lspr15
I am glad that you have found us, but sorry that you have needed to.

I can’t advise regarding time off work, but I can reassure you that things will get easier. There is so much to learn so quickly and then things become part of your ‘new normal’. It is very understandable to be concerned about the impact on the carers and it will take time to enable them to take on board all that you are doing now. Do talk to your hospital team and ask their advice. They are there for you as well as for your child.

The book by Ragnar Hanas that @Inka has suggested is excellent. It is regularly updated so do get the latest version, as the tech that is available to us has changed so much in the last few years.

Keep in touch, ask any questions that arise and let us know how you get on.
 
Lspr15 said:
Good morning all
My 18 month old was diagnosed with T1DM last week. He is currently well and only on 3-4 x daily novorapid as he is honeymooning. Funding for a pump has been applied for and he has a Dexcom for CGM. He’s a picky eater and snacker so it’s quite stressful.

I’m already getting pressure from work to return, childcare is provided by grandparents and I’ve barely got my head around the diagnosis sinking in, let alone training my parents! I’m from a medical background so maybe people are assuming it isn’t a big deal to me, but I feel like the rug has been swept from under me.

Just wondering what people did about work? Is it ok to take a lot of time off and do GPs give lines for this?

Thanks for your time
Click to expand...
Hi,
Sorry I know your post was a while ago now. But just looking for some advice for myself based off similar circumstances.
My daughter was diagnosed with T1D 2 weeks ago today. She’s only 4. It’s been a lot to handle.
I work for a big high street clothing shop and have worked there for 14 years.
They’re telling me I can only take 4 weeks parental leave, which is unpaid. Or I can get signed off sick due to the stress etc, but that’s also unpaid.
Surely SSP would be paid with a doctors note? I’ve checked the government website and there’s no reason why I wouldn’t qualify.
We can’t claim DLA for my daughter until she’s been diagnosed 3 months. So now we’ve got to wait 3 months with no income?
Anyone been in the same situation and got any advice?
I have to be off work as we don’t have any family to look after her, or who feel confident enough to manage her diabetes and give insulin.
TIA
 
Welcome @Hawk22 Sorry to hear about your daughter’s diagnosis. The person who started this thread hasn’t visited the forum for a few months so might not see your post, but there are other parents here who might be able to help.

Are you in a union? If so, they might be a good source of information. You could also try the Diabetes U.K. phone line at the top of this page. To my mind, if you were signed off with stress, yes you’d get SSP but it would be worth checking your contract.
 
If it is quite a big company they should have a sickness policy which states what people's entitlement is so you should ask your HR department to see that.
I worked in education and I'm afraid their policy was not too generous when it came to time off for children with medical issues but was quite generous for the individual themselves.
 
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