Letting teachers know?

Do you guys ever let any of your professors know about your diabetes or do you usually just keep it to yourself?

My profs and instructors know about my diabetes. This makes it easy for me to go and test midway during a class or when I was taking insulin, I had automatic permission to have a snack and/or treat a low - even in my school’s mac lab where eating and drinking is not allowed. This has also proved useful in explaining why I miss classes when I have to visit the hospital, like during my most recent endo visit. My profs knowing meant that I didn’t even have to submit a medical certificate to validate my absence. Even now as a T2, its useful because my profs know that I may have to have a snack halfway during a class because I know my lunch break will be too late and they don’t pick on me for that.

I do not tell my professors. I usually just wait until something comes up. Wrong, I know… but that’s just the way I’ve always done it. To me, If asthmatics don’t need to tell their instructors or obtain special permission to treat their condition (by use of an inhaler) in class, why should I? Maybe I’ll try something new this semester and tell my professors and see how that goes.

I tell everyone, Ill announce it to the world if I can.

the more they hear it, the more they will be curious, the more they will research it, the closer we can get to a cure.

I figure its better to let them know because what if something happens around exam time? its good to give them a heads up

I’m registered with the office of students with disabilities, and I tell professors if the syllabus indicates that I have a reason to tell. So far my reasons have been policies against eating in class and a biology lab that involved gymnema sylvestre tea and eating candy. I also put my meter and food out on my desk during exams where we’re supposed to put everything away, since I’d rather not be rooting through my backpack for food if I go hypo during the test.

I honestly havn’t let any of the professors know so far. Never felt the need to do so. I don’t drop too quickly now that I am on the pump so I don’t feal the need to worry too much about eating in class. Most of the profs don’t care anyway.

Lab TAs though, I tend to let know. Good example is the Machining/welding lab that I was in. They were able to think ahead and give me heads up when I was working with anything that would mess with my pump. (You don’t want the cannula caught in a lathe moving at 150 rpm or have the pump exposed to the high frequency from the TIG) I also let my TA for rock climbing know in case I go low from climbing.

Well I did not plan to let my professors know. But the first day I almost passed out and had to use glucagon IN CLASS (im in nursing school) so I did not really have a choice but to let them know. They are REALLY supportive (but they are nurses) so all is good

VERY TRUE!

Most of my professors know b/c of hospital visits and that sort of thing.

I make a habit of telling professors - and everyone that I work with too, for that matter. I’ve always felt it better to let people know, I’m just more comfortable with that - even though I’m lucky that I’ve never needed any outside assistance for lows. When I go speak with professors, it gives that moment of contact that allows the possibility of a relationship to develop (beyond the classroom). For instance, my statistics professor worked with the FDA for years, has Type II and was happy to chat and counsel me on getting a CGMS approved. Now if only I could find a few minutes to send in another appeal!

Always!

Me Too!!! I rarely have trouble in class, but EVERYONE knows!

In my first year with diabetes (my senior year of college), I had trouble with my after lunch blood sugars… so I would be really high for a few hours after lunch… and I was exiting the honeymoon period-- so it took a while to sort the problems out. One of my favorite classes was after lunch and EVERY class I fell asleep. I couldn’t control it. So I decided it was time to tell the professor. Then I told the rest as well.

I’m in grad school now… and a few of my classmates know, but now that I have better control(somewhat) I don’t feel the need to tell professors. But I do wear a medical bracelet… so if they have good eyes, maybe they know :slight_smile:

My tutors need to know because I get one day where I don’t have a break for lunch and I ave to eat during class. I get embarrased though because most of my class mates don’t know, and they think it’s odd.

Alison,

I am a college teacher. I’m 26, and I’ve had type I for two years. I always tell my students that I have diabetes. I don’t do this so they can help me if I get low or anything; I do it b/c I think it’s a huge part of my life and I want them to feel that they can share with me if they want. I’ve actually had two students with type I, and I was able to discuss with them the benefits of the insulin pump.

I think you should tell anyone you want, but it’s probaby easier to tell the profs you are closer with (maybe profs that are teaching classes in your major, for example).

Best!

Rachel :slight_smile:

For me it really depends. In undergrad or during summer programs, when class sizes were small enough for the professors to know everybody, I generally let the professors know. However, these days in pharmacy school, all of the classes are large (198 people in most of them) and almost all are “team taught” by multiple professors throughout the semester. Several know due to presentations and other diabetes-related activities that I help out with, or have figured it out when they see me test my BG and/or having a GlucoShot at the ready for exams.

I tend to make sure that my friends around me know about it, as well as the professors, technicians, and graduate students that are in the labs I’m working in. For my friends, it’s actually good for them as pharmacists-to-be, since there’s no doubt that they’d know what to do if a diabetic person has a hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic episode in their pharmacy!

This semester will be a bit interesting, since I’m also doing a mini-rotation at a local hospital after Spring Break. I’ve already met with and discussed my diabetes with the preceptor and the lead resident to make sure they have a heads-up on it (hopefully nothing will happen, but just in case).

I have actually gotten accommodations set up through Devry for my diabetes. They give me time and half on all tests and an extra 48 hours on all assignments.

There are a few students that I work with in Learning Teams that know because they have been in every class that I have been in. But as for letting professors know, its become a thing I don’t really talk about because of the uncomfortable feeling that I tend to get with them. You would think they would be more trained in things like this, but they can add more stress to my daily life. Luckily 95% of the time I am on what’s called FlexNet so I only met face to face with the professor/instructor only twice every five weeks. My courses are five weeks long each.

Some of the time I tell my professors, but only if I feel that they need to know. If I’m in a lecture class, I don’t really worry about it. In some of my classes, we have to introduce ourselves, so I may mention it then. A lot of the time I’ll even do speeches on diabetes in which I say that I’m diabetic.