Workplace and healthcare with diabetes (all types)

[missemma3]

Hi all!!

So I have type 1 for nearly 24 years, as part of a sever auto immune disease (as so I guess for the majority of those with type 1).

The reason I have decided to sign up and start this particular thread is because I'm extremely interested in learning about other people's problems, not only with type 1, with encounters people have experienced as a patient and as an employee throughout their condition within ALL healthcare sectors.

So I'm talking from employment (as a diabetic) within all industries (especially including the healthcare industry itself), and also as an actual patient, again across every aspect of healthcare.

The reason I'm reaching out and asking is because I personally have endured horrific discrimination (as both an employee and a patient) and have heard other quite awful stories from other diabetes regarding the same issues.

I am not about "dissing" "being negative" or making horrible comments at all, if anyone chooses to reply to this, I am only collaborating information because I would like to contact NHS Trusts and employment unions to help highlight the potential issues we can all face, because I deeply feel we are underrepresented as a chronic illness group, and are stigmatised for apparently "bringing it upon ourselves"

I would sincerely love to hear anything (if anyone!) chooses to reply to this

Thankyou so much everyone!

Ps I'm so sorry for any typos or grammatical mistakes! I'm using my iPhone for this and I'm sure there will be errors/autocorrects in this

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello missemma

Welcome to the forum.

I’ve not experienced discrimination myself, but wondered if you had searched the forum archive which runs back several years. You may not be able to contact people who posted a long time ago as they often move on, but you could search for ‘employment’ or ‘discrimination’ or similar and you might find some old threads already exist.

Additionally, members are reminded that forum guidelines discourage naming employers / individuals/ NHS Trusts / Heathcare Professionals and should make sure any references to their experiences are suitably anonymised.

Naming people
Avoid naming people in your posts, or including any other personal
information even if it’s complimentary.​

 

[ajax]

My diabetes is met with ✻neutrality✻ ..which suits me nicely.

 

[Bloden]

Hi missemma3.🙂 Sorry to hear you’ve been discriminated against because of your diabetes.

I’ve been diabetic for nearly ten years. For the whole time (so far) I’ve worked as a teacher and have never had any problems. In fact, my boss has always been extremely understanding.

As for my experiences with medical staff, there have been a few old-fashioned attitudes (you know the type - “I’m the boss, do as I say”), but all in all I am happy with my treatment and how I’ve been treated as an individual.

I hope I’m not in a lucky minority!🙄😛

 

[Stitch147]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
I am also a lucky one with my workplace, I suppose its thanks to them that I was diagnosed in the first place after attending a voluntary health fair. My work are great, I am able to work from home if I have appointments to attend and if Im not feeling great they allow me to work from home too. I work in a great team that look out for me and will tell me if im not looking great or anything whilst im at work. And they don't care if I test my BG at my desk in front of them or anything. Depending on meeting times etc they even allow me to have a snack in meeting if I need it.
So im definitely lucky on the work side of things.

 

[Sprogladite]

You may find this thread useful: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/sick-days-at-work.70530/#post-777774

 

[missemma3]

Hey everyone!

I'm genuinely shocked people have even replied! Thankyou 🙂

I'm very happy people have had such positive experiences 🙂 I'm not a fan of 'hate mongering'... bad just generates more bad!

Thanks everydayupsanddowns 🙂, if anyone did have any negative experiences I would really hope it wouldn't be a name and shame situation so I'm glad they have this policy for the forums!

A bit more info into why I'm asking this question now specifically... not because I have recently had a bad experience with my employment or treatment (luckily the work I'm in now are extremely understanding as well), but I've looked back over the last 23 years of having diabetes, and I realised just how gobsmacked I was at what's gone on.

When I was younger (from ages 18-22 approx) I worked in healthcare and actually had my manager tell me I was not allowed to take my insulin. And back then I was too young and naive to know 1. That I could seek out unions to help me with these sorts of ongoing situations, 2. That there even was such thing as an employment union and 3. That employers have a duty of care to allow you to attend your appointments and take your medication and necessary breaks if needed to help control blood sugars...

So I spoke to a few people in my local area (both type 1and 2) who have said that they have and are still experiencing the exact same problems. Which got me thinking if, in the rest of the country this sort of stuff was happening with other people. I just wanted to see if I could widen my research and collaborate some data from actual people, written down (anonymously of course) to then reach out to wider organisations to highlight "this is something that can be so easily fixed, with just a bit more education and understanding"

If that makes sense?

Xx

Ps, I've noticed that lots of people signature with their type and meds (and as I havnt figured out how to do this yet) I am

Type 1 since 1990, lived with it for 23 (nearly 24) years

Novorapid 3x daily and Levemir 1x daily

Newly using accucheck mobile cassette monitor (trying to get along with it lol I genuinely prefered my ancient contour monitor with strips but apparently I HAVE to move with the times)

Now diagnosed with insulin induced lipodystrophy and retinopathy

HbA1C - awful! My lipodystrophy has meant I have had to relearn my entire body, find new injection sites, and relearn how insulin should actually be working when it's absorbed correctly

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Ps, I've noticed that lots of people signature with their type and meds (and as I havnt figured out how to do this yet) I am

Type 1 since 1990, lived with it for 23 (nearly 24) years

Novorapid 3x daily and Levemir 1x daily

If you look under your user control panel (click your username in the blue bar) you will find a section called ‘Signature’ where you can add your details.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Additionally, members are reminded that forum guidelines discourage naming employers / individuals/ NHS Trusts / Heathcare Professionals and should make sure any references to their experiences are suitably anonymised.

Naming people
Avoid naming people in your posts, or including any other personal
information even if it’s complimentary.

NHS Trusts

What! Even something as broad as an NHS Trust. I must have missed that bit when it's come up before!

 

[Ljc]

I was diagnosed T2 in 94/5. Back then in my area everyone was under the hospital diabetic clinic . Morning appointments were for those newly diagnosed afternoons were for us regulars and different days for T1 and T2 this meant I had to take a whole day off work as it involved travelling around the SE of England often on early shifts. Woking for the NHS I didn’t expect too many problems, how wrong I was, after a couple of appointments I was regularly told I had to ensure these appointment were in the morning any any time off was according to the needs of my team .
Needless to say I disagreed with the sister and went regularly to my afternoon appointments , eventually she packed me off to see Occupational health, They understood and agreed with me.
and I had no more problems.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

What! Even something as broad as an NHS Trust. I must have missed that bit when it's come up before!

Haha! Maybe I was being a little cautious!

Though a trust can be a single hospital I think? I’m pretty sure the clinic I go to is part of a Foundation Trust, that is largely one building.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Haha! Maybe I was being a little cautious!

Though a trust can be a single hospital I think? I’m pretty sure the clinic I go to is part of a Foundation Trust, that is largely one building.

The closest hospital to me is in a trust of 3 hospitals.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Having been unemployed since diagnoses I'm unable to speak for the workplace.
I did have a disability adiver at the Jobcentre say "I don't know why he's told you that!" about instructions from a doctor after my heart attack (restricting activity, lifting & carrying).
[Edited]

 

[C&E Guy]

I work for a large multi-national company and I think I could count on one hand the number of colleagues who even know about my Type 1. Those that need to know, do know. I always get all the time off that I need for hospital appointments and clinics etc, as they are very good that way. But I do keep rather quiet about it.

The consultant wants me to move onto a very fast acting insulin and that would involve me taking it before my lunch and my morning coffee & biscuits. There is nowhere available here for doing that, or for testing my blood so I continue to resist that change. I could go away to the Occ Health rooms every day but that is just too much palaver as far as I am concerned. I have been managing for 54 years, and as they say "If it ain't broke - don't try to fix it".

But that is my choice - not my company's.