When I was diagnosed at 10 years old, my parents tried to make sure that I understood that I could still do anything that I wanted to do. I have tried to live by that, and have done anything that I would have done had I not been diagnosed with diabetes. I played sports, was very active in the band, and was valedictorian of my high school class. Then I went away to college, did well there, joined a few clubs/sports, and had a semester abroad in Italy. Since I graduated, I have had fulltime jobs, traveled to other continents, taken dance classes, etc. Now I am working fulltime, am seriously considering going to grad school parttime, and am getting married in the fall. It is hard…highs, lows, malfunctioning pumps, doctors appointments, etc., but we can all have “normal” lives.
Thanks so much for your message, Zoe. It means a lot.
I don’t have a paying job, but I’m the mom of 3, and I’m always on the go. Somedays I just want to stay in bed and concentrate on me. Doesn’t happen very often! Diabetes is like another child sometimes, always wanting attention. No wonder why I’m tired.
I can imagine! Whenever I visit with my nephew and his wife and their two little ones, it’s always apparent that we all work around the needs of the girls - when they eat, where they eat, etc. and I know that is how it should be. But I struggle to maintain my diabetes care as soon as I’m out of my own comfort zone of doing things in my own timeframe!
Thanks for the shoutout! College is a exercise in time-management so diabetes is just another thing to juggle into the mix, at least that’s how I look at it. Sometimes, it’s even good for my diabetes because I’d rather check my sugar than start studying!
I’m struggling with working full time and kind of wish I was working part time but not sure how well it would work for my business unit. I am a back office person at a bank- doing documentation and maintenance on large commercial customer accounts. I am only recently diagnosed and I was really sick before and just after diagnosis (just before Christmas- so I’m about four months in).
I am grateful to be where I am at the moment though- because if I were still at the branch, it would be a nightmare to work the kind of schedule I used to. I used to open the branch, starting at 7am and could have been working until 8:45 the night before. There was no rhyme or reason to our schedule- worked in a branch open 8 to 8 Monday to Friday, 8 to 4 Saturday. And now they’ve added Sundays. I currently work 8-4:30, Monday to Friday and can’t imagine going back to branch schedule. It may hamper my career path to not be willing to do that again, but I don’t care. The last four months I worked at the branch, I worked 11 out of 13 weekends and often didn’t have two days off in a row. With Sunday hours coming in, I have former colleagues that are working 12 or 13 days in a row. Nuh-uh. When Hades freezes over.
My days are still long- I live on the other side of the river and it’s a good 30-40 minutes in the winter and/or when road or bridgework is making the commute hell. I travel with my husband who works a couple of blocks from me. It’s a long day. I’m up at 5:20 to walk the dog, we leave at 7:10 or so and we don’t get home until almost six some days. I feel like I don’t have enough time to make progress on exercise or organizing the house. I’m exhausted all the time. I don’t sleep nearly enough (hello, it’s almost midnight!).
I would kill to only work four days a week or to work shorter days so I could go to the gym until my husband is ready to go home. I just don’t think it would fly with my bosses. We are constantly under pressure to meet our service levels or help our other centre meet theirs. I am too chicken to bring it up at a coaching session because I don’t want to seem difficult. I just think I would be more productive if I were so exhausted all the time. I can see where they don’t want someone to have to cover my work when I’m off or risk losing the FTE hours, but I don’t want it to impact my physical or mental health and wind up on disability insurance either. I need to work, I just don’t want to work this hard.
Sounds rough, Dez. Your job situation sounds very demanding. It sounds good you’re no longer at the branch, but still hard. Would it hurt to ask to cut your hours? I think if you put it in a positive way, not as “being difficult” or “complaining” but just "is there any possibility, or maybe even if it could be on a trial basis. That way if they say no, they say no, and you have a way out. Is there any other place you can look for jobs that might be less hours and less pressure? Sometimes just looking for other possibilities, or even taking courses to improve your job potential can make you feel like it isn’t forever and there is a way out. My other question is about the working conditions. Do you have the ability to take breaks to test or correct, to eat snacks or meals, etc? If not, you are entitled to “reasonable accomodations” under the Americans for Disability Act.
Bottom line is if you can’t make any changes to your job situation, is there anything you can do to reduce stress and enjoy the rest of your life more? Eating better? Hiring someone to clean the house once a month? Going away for a relaxing weekend with your husband? You don’t say anything about your D management, how is it going for you?
Anyway, just some thoughts. Hang in there. Hopefully it will get easier in time.
Meeeee too. haha. (or should I say “MUah hahahahaha haaaa!”)
I’ve woken up to my husband standing over me after an insulin shock seizure at 4am. Then I go into the office at 830 and proceed to be productive. THAT’s how I know that I’m the strongest person that I know. (<— that’s an evil grin. You can’t tell though)
Yup. I went into ketoacidosis during a 14 hour shift waitressing. My supervisor threatened to fire me if I went home ill. I told her that I needed to go to the hospital because I was throwing up. I ended up in the ER later that night, and proceeded to the ICU for 3 days afterward. When I was well again, I drove to the restaurant and proceeded to tell that super that she no longer had her top waitress to run down. I quit!
If that were nowadays… I would have walked out on the job during my shift. Sorry, but no matter how badly I need my job, I need my LIFE more! Thankfully I’ve got a desk job now and really understanding co-workers.
Thanks Zoe. It is definitely a struggle some days. I have worked full time since I was 16 years old. For a year, I went to college full time and then worked full time as well. It was really tough, so I dropped out of college, needing the money more than the education. I’ve since been going to school parttime to attain my degree after hours. But it’s slow going.
I’m married with a house, almost 6 months pregnant, full time work, write books and Type 1 for 13 years.
My husband says I have the “worst diabetes” he’s ever seen because I am so tightly managed, that I drop low really quickly. But, that’s the price for being withchild. We have an ever ready stash of glucose tablets, gluco-gel, juice and spray cake frosting.
My father is in awe of me. My husband gives me a lot of support. Everyone “knows” I’m Type 1, but I don’t let it define who I am as a person. First and foremost, I’m Katherine: a rock singer, a wife, a mother, an author, a sister, a daughter, etc. I just happen to have something that can kill me at any moment. haha. Life sure is tricky, but I love every second of it.
I work full time as a medic pulling 24 hr shifts as well as attending full time college classes. It is hard I am not going to lie but I think because I have had this my whole life it is somewhat second nature. It sure keeps me on my toes and promotes good diabetes care because I want to be the best medic I can be so I have to ensure I care for myself. I know nothing other than life with the big D I was too young (6) to remember life without it. I believe that makes me kinda lucky I guess.
i work about 55 hours a week…both jobs in the food industry…it’s my love and passion…i will never let D take that away from me!! growing up i had parents who were incredibly supportive and would tell me almost every day that i can do whatever i want with diabetes and i do. luckily they also taught me discipline which has helped big time. i also just started on the pump which has made all those hours soooo much more manageable. my hat also goes off to all of those out there who don’t let this stop you!!
Working full time with 2 kids, one about to go to kindergarten and one in elementary school, haven’t even had T1 for a year yet (in 2 weeks yes), and I was having trouble managing BEFORE T1. Now supporting the whole family with my income because of the lousy economy, don’t get paid for some of the days I have to go to the doctor (for this and another chronic condition) or when I feel sick, can’t cut back on my hours right now. Stress SUCKS.
Sometimes, it’s even good for my diabetes because I’d rather check my sugar than start studying!