(I sent this on March 29th but people have said they didn't receive it, so sending again. I am sorry for the duplication for those who did receive it).
This is a topic I have been thinking about for some time.This morning I listened to a situation on the radio where a diabetic was having an issue with their place of employment and the lack of understanding and motivation of the employer to help this individual carry out the responsibilities of the job. My second motivator was I received an e-mail that Diabetes Canada has just released a position paper on employment.
I have decided to discuss this subject in at least a two part series, with today discussing our own responsibility in maintaining a healthy work environment and our job.
I am not sure about you, but for me, I always felt I had to prove myself even more than the next person because over the 44 years of employment, I did have hypoglycaemic episodes at the workplace from time to time.I was lucky that I worked in a health-care environment and most of the time people understood what was happening and how to help. For me, I always felt it was safer for my team to know that I had diabetes and tell them the warning signs of hypoglycemia. I have to a certain degree, hypoglycaemic unawareness, so it was even more important for me to let my colleagues know. They often would say the warning sign was when I got contrary or slow to respond and a bit confused. These were not traits that I normally showed when my blood glucose was in the proper range.
So I would like to use today's blog to share with you some ideas that I used and others that I have read about over the years. You probably have your own which is great and feel free to share them with this audience.
Talk to your employer and work colleagues about diabetes. I like to think that most people are kind in general and if they know what to do to help a person, they will do it. Often it is the fear of the unknown that prevents people from helping.
Describe what happens when low blood sugar happens. Tell them where you keep your blood glucose meter and your supplies for treatment. I always kept dextrose tablets and orange juice in every different area I worked. Even at the gym or at conferences, I made it known how to help me. You may feel comfortable only telling one person, which is fine, as long as you have a backup plan when that person is absent.
Don't feel embarrassed that you have diabetes. Many people have chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, arthritis and they could all affect a person's work environment to some degree just like diabetes.
Make your best attempt to take any of the breaks you are allowed and use this time to check your blood sugar and/or have a snack. Consistency is important in diabetes management although not always easy in the workplace. All you can do is try. There is a great many articles about how employers should help diabetics to manage in the workplace and this will be discussed in Part II of this topic.
Request specific times for your breaks and adhere to them as much as possible. I know for me I would often say I can't because it is too busy which probably accounted for some low episodes when I first started at any new job or position. I invited trouble but soon learned this wasn't a wise move on my part.
If you start a new job or a new position within the same workplace, no doubt stress will factor in at some point. As we know, stress can increase blood glucose so monitoring more frequently might be warranted. Also during stressful periods, you may like to eat or exercise harder. Be careful with weight gain and high and low blood sugars. These add even more stress to your life.
Planning medical appointments can be difficult especially if your do not have sick time as an option at your workplace. If you are off on any days between Monday and Friday's then you can plan appointments on those days. However, if this isn't the case, try to either make your appointment first thing in the morning (you will be the first patient) or at the end of your schedule. We all know that waiting in the doctor's office can be time consuming
Resist temptations of treats as much as possible. Food will often be brought in for birthdays and other types of celebrations which no doubt have high carbohydrate content . If you know ahead of time, bring something of your own so you won't feel left out or if you do nibble, do so sparingly and check your blood sugar more often We are only human. Believe in yourself that you will get on tract the next day.
Many people who are not familiar with diabetes may think that you can't have jam or a dish of ice cream or perhaps even a cookie because they know it contains sugar. So, if someone tells you "you can't have something" take a moment to tell them that you can and the dietary guidelines allow it as long as you account for it in your daily food intake and compensate with extra insulin or exercise if the need arises. I have been told "you cannot have that" while they point at a cookie or a type of dessert being served.They just don't know how the dietary guidelines have changed over the years all in an attempt to make we diabetics feel normal.
Plan ahead- if certain days are more active than others bring that extra food /and/or eat more at break and meal time. This I realize isn't as easy as it sounds, but at least we can try.
Having diabetes at work does add additional responsibilities and we must help ourselves manage the disease in our work environment. No one can do it for us even though it isn't easy.
In the next blog I will discuss the position paper that Diabetes Canada has published and how employers can help us with our diabetes management.
Before closing today, I must say a huge thank you to my friends in the Miramichi, NB who sent me encouraging messages about the value of this blog and how they learned something every time they read it. I had mentioned to them that I might stop writing the blog. I wasn't growing my audience and not sure if the work was really a benefit for someone with diabetes. However, their kind and appreciative words has changed my thinking and my attitude so I will continue onward at least for now. If you have any ideas to share, don't hesitate to let me know.
Let's all stay safe and hope that all the upsetting world events will soon pass.
References: Diabetes Canada accessed March 29th, 2022
The above is an expression of my thoughts ONLY. It is not intended to be medical advice.