Type 1 Female in 20’s Diagnosed 8 years ago, struggling to juggle life.

[Lucyr]

I think they do have to let you have time off for appointments, but it doesn’t have to be paid. I take appointments in work time but where I can then I arrange for times that cause least time out of work eg had bloods at 8am last week and was in work by 9. Some appointments you can’t choose the time though and that’s never been a problem. I make the missed time up when I’m back from the appointment.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

They said if I’m worried about appointments for my diabetes to go to Occupational Health. I’m currently being referred and I have no idea what they can help with, I’m actually nervous I’m going to say the wrong things?

Hope it’s a positive and supportive appointment for you @Honey45

There is a downloadable guide / links to your rights at work which might give you some useful background info?

Employment and diabetes - Your rights at work

Diabetes UK Advocacy pack Having diabetes doesn't mean that you cannot get or keep a job. Diabetes UK believes that everyone with diabetes should be assessed on their own merits and should not be subjected to blanket bans on certain jobs. Although there are fairly few jobs with blanket bans...

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Bruce Stephens]

There have been a bunch of posts featuring this very phenomenon!

My wife banned me from coming to ‘help’ at one stage when the kids were tiny - two toddlers is tricky... two toddlers and a randomly hypo husband - horrendous!

I've certainly had hypos while shopping. After all you're walking around (usually quite slowly) either carrying things or pushing a trolley. So it's exercise. But I've not noticed anything particular with shopping.

I wonder if it's something about it being constantly distracting? Every step has more colourful products that are designed to catch your attention?

It probably deserves a bit of research, I'd have thought, so that DSNs can offer at least a warning (if not any good explanation) to newly diagnosed people.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1594849049802428417

 

[Spathiphyllum]

I've certainly had hypos while shopping. ... But I've not noticed anything particular with shopping.

I have! Discovered the hard way. For me, I think it's basically to do with the fact that I don't like shopping; so I'm not strolling but rushing, which means it's more exercise. The 'constant distraction' thing sounds plausible too, though.

Juice boxes are my salvation! I make sure I bring one or two with me, depending on how gruelling the expedition may be. ; )

 

[rebrascora]

For me I think it must be all the decision making whilst shopping..... Something I am not good at, at the best of times 🙄. The combination of strolling, pushing a trolly (especially a wonky one) and making decisions must be just too much glucose burning activity for my body to cope with.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

(That was 2019-2020. I doubt it's changed much since then.)

I'm wrong. It's apparently 21% now.

 

[pace]

Well an employer of any size better recognise diabetes as a disability for any employee, because the Law says it is and therefore reasonable adjustments need to be made, whether they like it or not, really. Of course it's a lot simpler if they embrace their responsibility and even the Law can't guarantee that! However - a council surely must have the proper resources to deal with such thing within their staff HR policies - were you not issued with a staff Handbook?

Hi , my daughter worked for a major UK defence contractor who had excellent HR polices in place for staff.

However , very few of the local directors , middle management , office managers took any notice of the policies in place due to external management pressure from above.

 

[Honey45]

Hi all, I still haven't had my first appointment with occupational health. I really don’t know what I should be saying or what I want to ask. I’m also worried for my job and worried that they think that I’m not suitable to do my job properly. I am worried about the stigma and worried managers feel like they don’t have time to deal with my problems. Really not sure how to approach it all to be honest and even thinking about it all, I wish I just suffered in silence!