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Anna's Blog
By: FatCatAnna

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes back in 1968 at the ripe ol' age of 7. Since then, the way diabetes is treated has changed for the better. Compared to the days of testing your urine, boiling glass syringes, sharpening the needle on a stone, it feels like the Stone Ages when I see how things have progressed.

Hopefully one day we will find a cure for diabetes, but until then, we plod along with the new technology (for example, since Nov 2008 I have been using an insulin pump to attain better A1C's and quality of life).

I presently volunteer at various websites helping others with their questions about diabetes, and even learning new things myself all the time! I also have taken on the role of Vice President at the West Island Diabetes Association (WIDA) with the hopes of bringing that organisation into the 21st century and attracting more diabetics to come out to meet their fellow PWD's (people with diabetes) and share their secrets of living successfully with our hiccup in life!

The most important thing for PWD's I feel is to educate ourselves on our condition, and not to let it bring us down. With the help of Diabetes1.org I hope to bring a smile to each and everyone of your faces, and for you to question the things that we do to keep on trudging along.

 


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 Blog Entries

Jesse you will NOT be forgotten! - Mar 04
  Jesse  Alswager who has had diabetes for 10 years since the age of 3 made a video for a school project back in January of this year.  He has been an ...
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How to describe having a hypo to a non-PWD! - Mar 01
I think I have finally found the answer to this.  Maybe women will understand this better then men, but I will do my best explain this in a nutshell (big one). PMS, ...
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Trying to avoid eating is hard! - Feb 12
Of all days, I am hankering to eat breakfast. I rarely eat breakfast during the work week as it's never been a big thing for me.  I'm happy with my usual Americano which ...
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America's (The World's) Silent Killer - Feb 05
  I don't watch daytime TV that often as I'm a working stiff, but yesterday I recorded the Oprah show - which was all about diabetes.  I had read during the ...
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Dealing with wacky blood sugars makes me SCREAM! - Jan 27
Last week was interesting as far as my blood sugars (BG’s) went.  I was fighting to keep them below 10 mmol/l (180 mg/dl) and at the same time trying not to ...
more

Anna's Blog

When diabetes causes problems at work ...
Posted: Oct 27, 2008 12:07:07 3 Comments.
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  • About a year ago – I used to work in a Daycare / Lunch program at a primary school – after 12 years – I had to quit.  I loved being with the kids – it wasn’t really work to me – but due to a “problem” involving my diabetes – I had to gracefully bow out. Many people – those of other school boards – had told me to fight – but I just had no fight in me to pursue it further (the the $$$'s for legal fees - as well as my union being reluctant to help me as I was part time).  This was a first for me – having my diabetes come into play with work.   

     

    What made me think about this was the other day – my hubby and I went to a restaurant.  The waiter to my surprise asked me if I’d worked at XXX school – and I said yes!  He proceeded to tell me his name – and my sponge brain started to put things together.  After 10 years – I could recognize him and he’d grown up into a fine adult!!!  He remembered me because of the jewelry I like and I drove a motorcycle.  He even remembered that I had diabetes and had thought it was neat when sometimes he’d see me testing my blood sugar – and we’d wait patiently to see if my BG was in a good range when it was pizza day at school.

     

    The problem that arose with my diabetes last year was due to my having just come out of my 2nd reconstruction surgery of my breast as I had had a mastectomy a few years prior. I also had started on the insulin pump and losing sleep due to the CGMS alarm going off at night (I love being a glutton for punishment).   I had just been back at work for a month – when a student who was out in the hallway causing abit of commotion came running back into the classroom – and whomp – ran right into me - chest taking the brunt of his weight. Well, out of my mouth came words that I would never say to a class of 12 year olds – but it happened – and I apologised to them profusely afterwards (I was so embarrassed I’d never “lost it” before).  I thought everything was alright at that point - classroom went back to normal ... or so I thought.  For myself, chest was abit sensitive from the thump it took but that was it. NB: I never went to the surgeon to have him check it out – big mistake - as he’d told me to return in a year – which I did last week – and apparently a few stitches broke with what he observed – which I wasn’t aware of last year).

     

    A few days later after the quarterback hit me, the principal called me into her office before I was to begin my shift.  A couple of students had gone to the office to report the incident the day it happened as well as telling her that that I was testing my BG/injecting with insulin.  I told the principal that injecting would no longer be a problem due to being on the pump now - but that reply didn't help me at all.  I was then suspended for a 3 days (not a fun time at all).  I returned the following week to meet up with the principal/HR/union president (felt like a court martial).  I was told that after a weeks suspension without pay I was to come back to work and advised that I should either leave the classroom or not BG test or inject in the classroom period during my shift.  I told them that to leave a classroom of 30 students unsupervised for 5-10 minutes – easier said then done – things happen.  I questioned them at that point that if a diabetic child had to leave the classroom in order to test their BG / inject from time to time (it can't always be done a recess time) – would that not make them stand out – as well as losing out on whatever the teacher is teaching at the time?  They never did not respond which is sad to say.  I was told to come back on the condition that I apologise to the classroom – but with bad winter storms last year – in the end – it never happened sad to say - and I was just tired of what I think would be an uphill battle after that.  I had such a good speech prepared as well - as I'd intended to go in - put a good plug in for the ol' diabetes - hip hip hooray - and then say good bye to the kids.  C’est la vie.  Maybe one day I'll meet some of those children again - like I did last week - and they'll remember me (well - the ones that liked me at least ).

     

    It's sad to say, but I know of many diabetics that are adamant about people not knowing that they have diabetes. Maybe they do this in order to not have what happened to me.  I have never been that way - what if something happens where I need help?  I also feel over the years I have educated people about diabetes (as I did at school) – and some of the misconceptions they may have about it – that it’s not all bad.  Hopefully other diabetics reading this feel the same as I do.

     

     

    BTW, my BG's have gone back to normal since my last blog - infusion site - bad.  I'm back in the saddle again!

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    Comments (3):
    By: 19556: Oct, 28, 2009 12:53 PM

    Actually, many PWD (people with diabetes) do experience prejudice.   Often others don't know how important it is to test, eat, and inject frequently to maintain optimal BG & will make comments or create "concerns".     Try working in an environment such as a factory or call center as a PWD where eating is only confined to specialized, timed snack/lunch breaks...


    By: RunnersHigh: Oct, 28, 2009 10:22 AM

    JoseeF, I am sorry to hear about your situation. Although, I have to disagree. You always have the upper hand since you are not forced to anything like the slaves back in the 19th century. It just takes too many people too long to realize that they are responsible for their life's. I understand that some circumstances/benefits prevent you from breaking free. But it is possible, every challenged can be mastered, not necessarily overcome though.


    By: JoseeF: Oct, 27, 2009 00:33 AM

    Employers always have the upper hand, i just left a job of many years because my boss was just too stressful for me.  The Diabetes got in the way for him once I was diagnosed, the medications had effects at first and the sugar lows.  His punishment was to overload me continuously and to make comments about it in front of everyone to push me to my breaking point and out of the company.  He won, but in reality I won cause that stress is gone now...I will only work part time now I think, enough is enough; i'll learn to live with less.



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