Work

Sticking Up For My Diabetes at Work

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During a diabetes at work themed OzDOC chat a few weeks ago, I was reminded of an instance where I was given a hard time for leaving work early for a diabetes appointment. During the discussion, I shared how confrontation and explanation had really paid off for me in the long run.

I am fortunate that I have the luxury of starting work early, and finishing early. This gives me a little more flexibility in tending to any diabetes related demands in the afternoon, or simply taking some time to breathe.

However, appointments to see specialists at my diabetes clinic often do fall during working hours. I attend a diabetes clinic in a public hospital, meaning appointments are in high demand and often carry a long waiting list. The clinic is only open 4 days per week, and specialists often gravitate between a few places of work. I am in no position to simply cancel an inconvenient appointment, or reschedule at a time that suits me.

I am always transparent about attending diabetes appointments during work hours. I will supply my employer with the hospital confirmation letter confirming where I am. Even if the appointment is at 11am, I will still come in for a few hours during the morning just to show that I am being honest.

I consider myself a pretty reliable worker. If I’m not at work by quarter to seven in the morning, you can probably assume that something is wrong. I call in sick very rarely. I always pitch in and help where needed. Diabetes rarely interferes with my work, and many are surprised to learn that I have it.

It really hurt me that I wasn’t automatically trusted in this instance. I thought I had a decent relationship with my boss, even though he’s not around too often. But the truth was, I don’t think he had ever heard from me that I had diabetes. Besides, I refused to let this slide out of principle.

I explained the situation. I explained that I had diabetes, and that I see specialists to look after my condition. I explained that it wasn’t always practical to be able to obtain appointments outside of work hours. I also made the point that I could have called in sick and presented a medical certificate. Instead, I gave notice and came in for a few hours to help the team out during the morning.

I think I took him by surprise. I dare say I made him feel guilty for it. I think it simply came down to a lack of understanding, which was easily rectified with education and information. 

Ever since, I haven’t had any problems with work and diabetes. I get asked how everything is going, which is kind of nice. I’m taking some time off work during an extremely busy period to get my insulin pump next month, and so far everyone’s been respectful of it. 

Talk. Explain. Educate. In most cases, they simply don’t know. Sticking up for myself in that situation was one of the best things I could ever have done for myself.

Join our weekly diabetes support chats Tonight from 8.30pm AEST by following #OzDOC on Twitter. Tonight we are playing a game of “have you ever…“

Disclosing Diabetes In The Workplace

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Do you have a disability or medical condition that will impact on your ability to perform the role?

If you’ve applied for a job before, you’ve probably seen one of these lovely stock standard questions *rolls eyes* on a job application form.

So, how do you go about disclosing that you have diabetes in front of a potential employer?

In my experience of job hunting (and this is my opinion only), employers can receive hundreds and hundreds of applications for an advertised role. There’s a good chance that they’re not going to have the time, or the effort, to go through and carefully read each one. In some cases, employers may have an ideal ‘type’ of candidate in mind for the role. Perhaps someone who will gel easily with the young, savvy communications team. Or someone who has been raised in a similar culture to that of the European family construction business. Employers cannot exactly ask for these traits on the job description, but they certainly may look for them during the selection process.

When I’m applying for any job, I want to make a good impression. I want to present myself in the best light possible, so that an employer will want to hire me right away. Yet sadly, many people don’t know enough about diabetes. There is a lot of stigma out there about us. Sadly, people will make judgements. When my application is sitting in a pile with 100 others, I need to make it a good one. So why would I risk ruining that first impression of myself in front of a stranger by ticking that box asking about a medical condition?

When I interpret that question myself, I personally do not believe that having diabetes will impact on my ability to perform a role. Aside from occasionally ducking out to check my blood sugar or treat a hypo, diabetes doesn’t really affect my job. Many of the people I work with don’t even know that I have diabetes, and I believe that goes to show just how good I am at it. I’ve taken on one of the more physically demanding roles in my workplace, and I’m very proud that diabetes hasn’t held me back. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that I perform my own job a lot better than some of the other people in my workplace who don’t have diabetes!

I have gone for many job interviews in the past, and believe me, diabetes has been the least of my worries. Usually it’s the ridiculous question they asked me that had nothing to do with the job, or that the role sounded completely different to what was advertised online. In fact, one of my interviewers made the news last year when he was sentenced to imprisonment! Let’s just say he wasn’t a very nice man…

I believe that an employer absolutely has the right to know about my diabetes. If I were hiring someone to work for me, I would definitely want to know what to expect. I would want to make sure that my employer is comfortable with my having diabetes. If I were successful in getting through those application “hoops,” I would then proceed to disclose my diabetes before accepting the job. In my opinion however, until I find an employer who likes me and wants to hire me, there’s nothing to tell.

“How’s It All Going? Are You Managing It Alright?”

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“Could I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure.”

“Let’s go over to the desk.”

“I’m going to see my diabetes specialist on the 3rd of February in the afternoon. I wanted to work until 12 and then take the rest of the day as sick leave. I’ve got a letter underneath my form here to say where I’ll be.”

I stood there, waiting. Confident that she would sign my leave form. Sub consciously thinking that this is the second time that I’ve requested leave for my diabetes since November. Knowing that she was pretty understanding. But still half expecting a comment. (And no, this was not the person who told me I Should Be Making My Appointments Outside of Work Hours).

“How’s it all going?”

“What?” I replied, stunned, and a little bit lost for words.

“Are you managing it alright?”

“Um. Yeah, okay, I guess. I can only do the best I can, I suppose. I’ve got the type of diabetes that isn’t caused from being unhealthy.”

“I know. It’s just that your insulin’s not there. My friend has a hard time with it, too.”

“It’s hard. But I’ve only had it for a couple of years. I’m lucky that I got it when I was 17. Some kids get it from a very young age.”

“Yeah, she got it when she was an adult, too.”

“I can only do the best I can” I repeated, almost trying to convince myself of that fact, rather than her.

“Cool. I’ll sign it and payroll can put it through for you.”

Sometimes people can surprise you. That little conversation was enough to make an ordinary day brighter. It’s never a simple question to answer, but it was enough to help me to remember why I do what I do.

Happy Monday!

Not Your Ordinary Bag of Shopping

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It was lunchtime on Friday afternoon. Friday is traditionally my I-can’t-be-bothered day, where I buy all of my food and drink for the day. My morning coffee, my morning tea and my lunch. And I really savour those 10 extra minutes that I have on a Friday morning which I normally spend making a ham and cheese toastie, peeling eggs that I boiled the night before, pulling a can of tuna and a packet of crackers out of the cupboard, or wrapping up two slices of Burgen fruit toast and a chunk of butter. I love my Fridays.

As much as I love to just collapse into a chair at lunch time (I’m on my feet most of the day at work), I try to run my errands so that I can head straight home when I’m finished. Usually that involves topping up my supplies at work – muesli bars, coffee capsules, tea bags, my block of dark chocolate, and everything else I eat at home that I forget to add to the weekly shopping list.

My diabetes educator gave me some sample 4mm needles to try with my insulin pens at my last appointment (I’ve been using 6mm for a long time), and they are amazing. I have more freedom to inject in areas where I have less fat on my stomach. The needles don’t irritate my skin so much, and they don’t sting so much in those “skinny” areas. I had intended on burning through my hoard of 6mm syringes first, but I am absolutely sick and tired of them to be honest. Which brought me to a rare workday diabetes errand on Friday at lunchtime. A trip to the Chemist for some 4mm syringes.

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I walked back into the staff room at work with two plastic bags in my hand – the first which contained my “healthy” lunch, and the second which contained my needles, and some hypo-fixing marshmallows. I slapped both bags onto the table, and went off to grab a cup and some water from the cooler.

I walked back to the table with my cup of water, and placed the bag with the needles underneath my chair. When I sat back down, one of my colleagues sitting at the table started to ask me something. She said a few words, none of which I heard, before she stopped. She kindly retreated, smiled, and said “never mind.”

I knew what she was going to ask. I’m certain she had seen the syringes through my plastic bag. Whether she had any clue why, is anyone’s guess. Would she have any idea what they were for? Unlikely.

Maybe she knew what they were for. Perhaps she knew someone with type 1. I would have happily had the diabetes chat with her, like I naturally have with many of my other colleagues when it comes up. However, I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. And, I knew that she was only being courteous to me.

But as I sat there, and began to eat my cheeseburger and chips, I don’t think that she would have had any clue in the world that I had diabetes. Perhaps that’s a conversation for another day.

“You Should Be Making Your Appointments Outside of Work Hours.”

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“You should be making your appointments outside of work hours” is something that I was recently told.

What a lot of people in my life don’t realise is that I have diabetes. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that you don’t see. Insulin injections, piles and piles of used test strips stuffed into the pocket of my meter, and countless bags of jellybeans that have been begrudgingly stuffed into my mouth over the years (except for the black ones).

I see specialists who assist me to manage my condition. Endocrinologists, diabetes educators, and dieticians to name a few. Then there are other issues that must be closely monitored by professionals including optometrists and podiatrists. All of these specialists are in short supply. These specialists have long waiting lists of patients, often spanning several clinics or places of work.

Which brings me to last week. I found myself in need of a consultation with my diabetes educator. Factoring in her volume of patients, Christmas break, and her annual leave that will not be replaced at the clinic, the earliest appointment available was February. Possibly even March. That’s an extremely long wait for an issue that I am dealing with right now. An issue that I want to work through and get past as soon as possible.

I wish managing diabetes was as easy as ringing the doctor to make an appointment after work. I wish that I was able to select the most convenient time of my day or night to see one of these specialists. But it’s not that simple.

I actively chased up a cancellation appointment with my diabetes educator this week, so I could have this issue sorted as soon as possible. I was not thinking about how it would interfere with my other commitments. Because getting this issue sorted is what will ensure that I will continue to be able to manage the other commitments around me to the best of my ability.

I am very proud of the fact that for the better part, I don’t let diabetes interfere with the other commitments in my life. I don’t make diabetes anyone else’s problem. Many people don’t realise, or remember that I have diabetes when I bring it up. That just shows how good I am at it.

I think that all of the benefits that come from my continued, healthy existence far outweighs an occasional inconvenience. Just saying.