What kind of a job do you have and does it suit your diabetes?

I have always been such a pizza person, but i have found buying whole wheat flat pita wraps and making mini veggie pizza’s with curry spice is just as good plus it keeps my blood sugar in better control :slight_smile:

Dolores-
I work full time as an Executive Assistant at an Insurance Company. 9:00-5:00 everyday, in front of a computer. No problems at all. I keep my monitor in my purse and check my blood sugar throughout the day. I also keep jelly beans and small (4.23 oz) Juicy Juice boxes in my desk drawer. Some days I eat lunch at my desk, some days I go home and other days I go out. I am able to maintain great control!

On the side, I own my own business creating invitations and cards for people and in addition to that I am an Independent Demonstrator for a company called Stampin’ Up! I host Stamp Camps at my home about 3 times a month. Without fail I end up “low” at one of the camps. The women who attend my classes all have their own opinion about me eating while teaching a class. Inevitably I’ll have a low due to not eating dinner and running like crazy in circles around the table helping the women. I know why I get low, but people do not “understand” and there’s always one in the crowd who says something silly.

I’ve worked retail, (managed a Starbucks for a long time and was an assistant manager with Lord n’ Taylor) have been a receptionist and have done my fair share of traveling. Don’t ever let the diabetes keep you from doing something! I find that communication is the best! Talk about your disease. Share what you’re doing. Give numbers - tell people your A1c. Most will have no clue, but some will understand. Just talk about it!

Erin

Dear Renée.

I think it would be a wonderful idea for Erez to get a job when he graduates that keeps him away form the computer and maximizes any mouvement. My son is 6’ 4’ and sits all day at the job not enjoying the stress. He is a computer Engineer and is writing software for pipelines. Luckily so far he does not eat very much but if he develops diabetes that will change. I tried to get Engineering jobs with maximum physical effort but when I got desk work only with high stress it was diabetes here we come. One was Environmental that was a bit like a Policeman where you visited the sites and interogated suspects. A bit hard psychologically because the victimes hated you for not solving their problem fast enough and the for the companies it was too fast. You wonder if being a postman is the best job for a diabetic, lots of exercise and minimal stress. In Canada you have the -40 days which no doubt are unpleasant and some dogs will not treat a stranger as a long lost friend.

Dear Dolores.

I am retired and you would think that would be good for a diabetic. But it isn’t, not going to work will reduce you stress but also de-structures your life. I do not eat the same thing at the same time each day. I do not sleep a regular hours either. Feld-Marshall Hindenburg said to an aide that woke him up at 3 am to anounce that the German Army had won a great victory over the Russians : “You fool it will still be true in the morning”. He lived to be 90.

Dear Kat. Definitely any high stress not just work. I met a father of a woman who told me she developped a particularily uncontrollable diabetes from a nasty divorce. Stress is way more damaging in the absence of physical activity.

I am a hairdresser, if I need to excuse myself for sugar reasons my customers would rather me do that than cut thier hair wrong, I keep candies in my station

I teach, and on one hand, that routine suits me to a T as I can test/snack whenever I need to at school…the down side is that I often have to partake in activities up and beyond…such as overnight camping with the children, which includes lots of hiking and the likes…which always brings my BG down down, down. I try to down play the diabetes (and asthma) as I don’t want it to be seen as a concern that might cost me my job. I’ve often posted info. about how to treat low B.G. on the staff room board, along with info that is already posted about how to treat an Asthma attack, and how to recognize anaphalaxis, as many of our children are affected …but every time, the info about Diabetes was taken down. I had suggested that someone could come in from The Canadian Diabetes Association to do a presentation (at the time we had a grade 2 student with Diabetes…aside from myself and another staff member)…but was told that they (the administrative staff) already know how to treat it. However…experience tells me that they are rather unsure as to what to do…I must add here that health related issues are not the only areas that are difficult to discuss with the top brass. I often sense that it’s a bit of a power trip.

I’m a hairdresser too…I’ve have scared a client or two in my time with some good lows at work:)

Does the school have a glucometer and a glucagon injection kit or would these precautions not be allowed.

In reply to Anthony Holko…no, the school does not have these, as it is not allowed to test for someone else…the Glucagon never came up, and I’ve never had to use one…it’s never been an issue for myself or the other teacher with Diabetes. The school does however carry Epi Pens for the children with Anaphalaxis (purchased by the child’s parents)…and all staff attended a demo session! It’s unsettling is all.

I work a rotating shift schedule in a power plant for a pharmaceutical company it is a 12 hr shift, dayshift 4:30 am till 4:30 pm and night shift 4:30 pm till 4:30 am. At times it can be very hot (up to 120 degrees summer time and 90’s in the winter)
The work can be physical which is when I have to really keep an eye on how I’m feeling. Keeping glucose tabs is a must.

A typical month starts on Friday night, I work 4 night shifts getting off Tuesday morning and go back to work Friday morning for 3 day shifts off on Monday and 3 night shifts getting off Friday morning and going back to work Monday morning for 4 days shifts, here’s the bonus once I’m done with the 4 dayshifts on Thursday afternoon I don’t go back till the next Friday night and start all over.

M T W TH FR SAT SUN
N N N
N O O O D D D
O N N N O O O
D D D D O O O
O O O O N

Above would be a typical schedule now at times there is overtime to cover.

As far as treating my diabetes I try to keep it regular as possible taking my Levemir around the same time 10 to 11pm regardless of what shift I’m working and taking Novolog when I eat.
One draw back I find is that on the night shift I’m only having two meals one when I get up and another in the evening, but I do fit in a light snack.

So far this has worked very well with me, I have only been on the Levemir now for a couple of months and I feel I have much better BG control, prior to that I was using a Novolog 70/30 mix and it was like a roller coaster.
Overall I like what I do and am managing it very well.

yes it for me being in the construction field it seems going all day hard to keep up w/it all

My husband, who also has Diabetes, had the same type of (continental) shifts and couldn’t handle them…so went on 8 hour shifts, which he finds much easier. No 2 Diabetics are alike, right!!!

Absolutely right! I was working a dayshift for 22 yrs when my company announced it was closing the manufacturing and sending the jobs overseas. I was fortunate enough to land the current job and continue employment so it was adapt to the shift work or be unemployed.

I’m an accountant so I have a desk job and I’m in my own office…so no it’s not hard to keep track of my BG when I need to. I guess the only barrier I have is myself because I haven’t told anybody at work that I have diabetes so I try to wait until it’s really quiet and I know nobody will be coming in here…which isn’t that difficult to determine since it’s an accounting firm–THEY’RE ALWAYS QUIET…LOL (sorry just poking fun at the ppl in my line of work)

Cute…I teach…it’s always noisy!!! Wanna trade?!!

I am a Information Systems Manager and I am very lucky!!! The company I work for is very flexible about me testing and/or taking my shots right in my office and they even offered me blinds for my door. I am in a back corner so it really does not matter. There are others here who are type 2 diabetics so when I was diagnosed it was nothing new to them. The company also keeps snacks on hand for all the employees. I use to have one of those nightmare tech jobs where lunch was a luxury some days. There is something to be said for a positive workplace.

That’s great, Ron…you don’t want to leave THAT place!!!

I’m a Firefighter/Paramedic I have to eat at all different times depending on how the days going. I get stuck out on a call when I did my insulin because I was going to eat Then get an emergency call and I have to fight off the insulin till I can eat usually sucking down glucose tabs then I’m too high. Grab a burger on the run, My partners wounder sometimes I’m on a cardiac call and I’ll pull out the glucometer and they wounder why. I have to tell them I’m getting the sweats and shakes I’m low. Its been rough trying to balance out eating fast food isn’t helping. I love my job so I’m not changing that but I might try a CGM and a pump

I am an imaging tech, and truly know what you are talking about. People don’t realize that in medicine, patients come first. No one can just walk out of a biopsy…
I hear people say, “Oh, your employer HAS to give you a lunch break.” They don’t work in medicine. I keep packets of plain peanuts in my pocket ( get those at Costco) and I can rip one open and pour the peanuts in my mouth.