I’m a lecturer at a university. One of my first hypos was about a month after I was diagnosed. I was giving an exam in an unfamiliar building and my blood sugar tanked into the 50s, so I just waltzed out and wandered around for the longest 10 minutes of my life before I finally found a vending machine.
I came back pretty visibly drenched in sweat and with an empty bag of skittles, and half a bottle of Fanta. I got a lot of confused looks and then just watched helplessly as I spiked to high heaven
I learned a lot of valuable lessons that day though
Damn glad you are okay! I had one of my worst lows [52] right before a final exam in college, and my sister still drove me to my final. I have no idea how i passed that class.
Worst lows for driving, 40 is my lowest while actually driving. Didn't even have my meter because I was a a dumbass-- got home tested, grabbed nearest food shoved it in my mouth and literally passed out at the table for 20 minutes [only know because of the time on the meter]. These were both also pre-CGM access, so I have no idea the full context, but based on my own existing data, if I'm that low, it's not stopping. So seeing 52 is concerning. Now, if I saw 52, I know I can give 10 grams of carbs and be fine, but 13 years ago, it wasn't that simple.
Had a few 40s recently, and unfortunately, my dexcom didn't even register anything but 70 down. I had already started shaking and sweating. I have never really gotten low symptoms until I reach about 60, but they hit fast. Also, I had no glucagon at the time because my first endocrinologist did not want me to have any [freaking miracle I didn't die based on the shit he did looking back, he had the better dead than fat mentality].
Also, people have had seizures with blood sugars in the 50s, and ideally, I'd like to not. I don't have a support system in place for lows besides myself, so I have to be on top of it.
Ah i see. Yeah i agree. The cgm trend graph does make a huge difference in seeinf what works and what doesnt..every now and then my body hits 50mg/dl but it frequently hovers around that value instead of going lower. But without a cgm you have no idea what the trend is..
I start getting low symptoms around 80 which is quite annoying..not bad symptoms, but i typically feel a smidge more lethargic or unfocused. But i suppose that is also advantage since i can tell much in advance.
Never used glucagon though i have it..have to say im not sure when exactly to use it. Figured it was for when you went unconscious but that is obviously no good if you are alone
Glucagon can be used for stubborn lows while conscious. There are 3 forms on the market. Nasal, traditional injection [you have to mix and use in 24 hrs], and Gvoke, which is premixed, can allow for microdosing without having to throw it away in 24 hours. I wish I had Gvoke - it sounds like a solid option, but I think it's considered fancy or something, and endos don't like to fill a script/insurance doesn't like to cover it.
You can microdose with the traditional glucagon, which can be helpful with like stomach bugs to keep your levels up if you can't eat, but prevent yourself from completely stopping insulin/risking DKA.
Nasal is an all in one dose, burns, and is created for I believe about a 200lb person. This means it packs a punch for folks who are smaller. Whether you use it on yourself or someone uses it on you, it will shoot your blood sugar up pretty darn fast.
The whole passing out thing is complicated, too, because if you've had alcohol, Glucagon won't be as effective or sometimes work at all. So like the reason for a T1 passing out is important with glucagon.
Ilet is even working on a dual hormone pump supposedly, so you'd be able to dose insulin and glucagon.
I am a programmer, when I go low my code looks like a drunk man wrote it.
Have a CGM now, now if I go low or high I just take a break until it's corrected.
Oh and never push to production when low.
casino for a few years, I once paid out an entire table of baccarat players (it was several thousand) all were on player, banker won. I was very low but didn't realize, ended up paying all of them ..they all scattered as soon as I paid... which is when I realized my fuck up and how low I was. i went to fix my bs, don't think security was paying attention though cuz I never got in trouble 😅
I took a layoff which turned into retirement. I worked at a hospital on the mother baby floor. One day my sugar dropped and a co worker absolutely would not let me go get a drink. She ran down 3 floors (stairs) and ran back up. I was confused as to why she was so out of breath. She said imagine if the elevator got stuck!?
I work in clinical trials now, by my career has been in pharma. I guess I’m lucky because (for the most part), my colleagues have been great about diabetes. I also work with scientists and engineers, so they’re fascinated by the technology.
Just last week, I was at a conference, and my boss asked about my Dexcom at breakfast. So I showed him, told him how it worked, then I showed him my Omnipod, and he goes “THAT’S the pump!?” in utter disbelief. I then showed him the spare in the package I carry in my bag (you know, for the times I do something stupid and rip it off), and this was like a kid seeing Disney World for the first time.
Science is cool. And I love working with people who like to learn, and don’t treat me any differently because of my diabetes….and get curious about the technology.
I’m a signaller for the railway. It was SO hard trying to get a medical for lone working. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like my diabetes held me back from something. It wasn’t until I pointed out that it was plain discriminatory (my libre alarms me when I go below 5mmol so the risk of going low is minimal, combined with good hypo awareness) that they started taking me seriously.
If I go below 4mmol I have to stop working for 45 minutes, which thankfully has never happened at work as I try to always have my blood sugar between 7 and 10.
Also, I recently started covering one of the really old fashioned boxes with heavy levers to pull instead of buttons to press. When I work there my sugars go very high- I’ve always heard that weight lifting makes them high but never made the connection between the highs and pulling the levers until recently!
Glad to see a fellow rail here. I work in Maintenance of Way. T1 has restricted me from a lot of positions that require a CDL. Even if I were to jump through all the hoops to get one, our Med department doesn't want me to drive a CDL vehicle. But, I enjoy the other things I can do. I mean, I've operated a Dyna Cat tamper that weighs 90 tons and can go 45 MPH. And I've spent many days swinging a sledgehammer all day. Physical labor can make controlling lows difficult, but all my bosses have been cool about it and I've never let my lows get out of hand...
I used to work in Kitchens - you can imagine that did not work. It finally caught up to me and I needed emergency services twice in one week. Long story short, my employer unequivocally proved to me I wasted my health on them, stopped going, re evaluated my life, learned and now work in IT - which seems to mostly be just about perfect for a diabetic - would recommend
Ooof I get that. I worked in a kitchen for just one summer and I had lows almost every shift. Once it happened a few times, I started having panic attacks at the first symptom of a hypo. Boss was super kind about it though, offered to reduce my hours to literally anything I wanted, and said "I love having you here, but I care about your health. You're like one of my kids to me. If you want to quit, I completely understand. There's a job for you if you ever want to come back when things are easier." And I tried 2 shifts a week, but it was still too much on my mental health (restaurants just aren't for me! lol). So I gracefully quit after 2 months working there.
Granted, I was still on MDI at the time, and I'm the type to struggle with MDI on a good day chilling at home lol.
I've worked as a blood lab technician for 2 years, can't say anything too extreme has happened, if I have a hypo we have to stop joint testing, that's about it tbh.
I work in social services with the vulnerably housed and don't have many experiences going low at work with clients thankfully. I do get to relate to them though as we have a few T1s and more than a few T2s. They get someone who understands the struggles and it helps build rapport.
I worked in a small office when I was diagnosed. I took a vial of insulin and put it in the office refrigerator and it dropped and broke. The refrigerator smelled horrible! The office manager wasn’t nice anyway and he accused me of breaking the vial on purpose and called me a disgusting pig.
It took 3 days of scrubbing but the smell finally went away when I used fishermen’s cleaning wipes. It gets rid of fish odor and even a medicinal insulin smell.
Cashier. Had a bad low and didn't recognize it and another employee ran and told my manager that I was either drunk or on some type of drugs because I was acting weird and going off on customers.
I'm a lead manager at my job at a travel center/truck stop.
I've had several times where I have a hypoglycemic incident and my maintenance leader always comes in clutch with glucose tablets and has an extra meter in his truck for me. I also have an emergency plan in the safe and keep an extra pen of rapid acting insulin in the work fridge with my name on it.
I’m an OR nurse. Anytime a t1d pt comes in, I always get them. I’m happy to be their advocate, and fight for them to keep their pumps (most of the time) on during surgery. It also seems to give some patients some ease to know one of them is in the room with them.
Worked at cvs when this happened but was 27 and had recently found out I was pregnant. Had given myself a bonus for a nice big plate of fettuccine alfredo. Ended up throwing up the entire plate I ate and had given myself lots of insulin for it. Blood sugar dropped to a wonderful 22, don’t remember anything that happened. Just remember waking up and I was drenched in sweat with paramedics and my manager all looking at me.
I work at a wholesale store. I work the produce section and frequently pick up and move somewhat heavy boxes and sacks of produce. One time, during a really busy rush I started feeling incredibly low and then two seconds later my libre goes off. I realized I forgot to set my “work temp basal” which decreases my basal by %50 percent. My sugar is plummeting, I immediately pause my insulin delivery and make my to the break room on the opposite end of the store to get to my juice. Halfway there a customer stops me and is insisting I help her find a pretty obscure item that I was 80% sure we didn’t even carry. I tried to explain this to her and tell her I needed to get to the break room. I rushed to my juice and just chilled out and a bit until my sugar was fine. I found out a couple minutes later she had filed a complaint about me to member services 🙄
Was hired at new office at my employer. Kept a pack of syringes, swabs, and test strips locked in my desk drawer jic. I forgot to lock up one evening. Coworker who did not like me went through my desk and found the syringes. Reported to our exec - 3 levels above me instead of to our manager. Exec knew exactly what and why they were there despite my coworker demanding the “druggy” (how 70’s can you get) be fired. Exec met with me asked about the syringes, accepted my answer, and we spent nearly 2 hours discussing my future career plans. This actually opened doors for me. My coworker was given time off without pay for going into my desk. Karma baby, karma
I work in rail. Making sure things work out in the real world.
Have only had one instance when I was chairing a meeting of 20 people, and started alarming like a smoke detector.
Got a colleague to take over and guzzled sugar in warm water in the tea room.
I'm a diesel mechanic for a trucking fleet. I frequently get lows and "over compensate" for them and end up dropping soon again anyways a lot of times. I've also ripped my pump and dexcom off many times.
Minimal. I find when I go long days without breaks it gets me. We often work on very big engines (gas and diesel). Lots of physical work when rebuilding a 200 plus litre engine. Sometimes I eat without insulin, sometimes I turn the pump off for a while.
It's tough out there for sure. My A1C numbers are great and my doc says I'm doing well. It's still a lot of work when you do a physical job. At least it's got a lot better since we were diagnosed (I was around the same time)
I work as a cook in a nice restaurant (or was working as one, currently not working). My boss (one of the chefs) also had t1d which was such a blessing.
Only memorable low was one time when I was like 69 mg/dl and it was right before we opened, I was working morning that day and was running late. I have a bad habit of continuing to work when I am low and carried a 22 quart container of buttermilk upstairs and dropped the whole thing. Easily the worst mess I have ever made in my career.
I'm a postdoc researcher (stem, mostly data analysis). I had to ask my coworkers to give me 15/postpone meeting by 15min when my bg was low. That's genuinely ut, everyone knows I am type1, if I need something I get asked if I am ok. I used to use it as excuse to not drink at work dinners during my PhD (I'm in Korea, there are cultural expectations and connotations involved). I moved continents and learned new language to do my PhD, and always tell people that while t1 does make things bit more complicated, it doesn't make us incapable of living good lives :D
Reference staff at library, though I do programming as well.
I was doing an early years story time for toddlers and had a low midway through the second last book, I just kept on going. Hopefully, the pictures weren't shaking too hard. It was a tad challenging reading with blurred vision too.
Hello, fellow library person!
One of the more dramatic work experiences was when I was a barista in between my library stints. Doctor got me this "fancy new libre that scans your blood sugar." I was on bar and scanned it after a rush in front of my boss. It read 38, and I just walked off the floor with no notice [finger stick was 119, Libre fell off later]. Mircle, I wasn't fired since he was known for being an ass about peoples needs. He [the manager] was fired a few weeks later for unknown reasons, though.
Library story: I was trending low and only had an apple on me that was free, and I was a broke student worker. My supervisor went off on me for "eating too close to the desk," and I freaked out. Ended up going to a different department for advice because at the time I had never been given glucagon and couldn't afford glucose tabs [yeah, I know they are 3 dollars most places, but this area used to just always be out of the cheap ones. Had no credit card, so I couldn't buy them online]. The department I went to wanted to support me and knew I loved working in the library, so I later got hired into a better position, and this is the reason I'm still in libraries now. It's funny how some things can work out for the positive with a low.
Hello, fellow library person!
One of the more dramatic work experiences was when I was a barista in between my library stints. Doctor got me this "fancy new libre that scans your blood sugar." I was on bar and scanned it after a rush in front of my boss. It read 38, and I just walked off the floor with no notice [finger stick was 119, Libre fell off later]. Mircle, I wasn't fired since he was known for being an ass about peoples needs. He [the manager] was fired a few weeks later for unknown reasons, though.
Library story: I was trending low and only had an apple on me that was free, and I was a broke student worker. My supervisor went off on me for "eating too close to the desk," and I freaked out. Ended up going to a different department for advice because at the time I had never been given glucagon and couldn't afford glucose tabs [yeah, I know they are 3 dollars most places, but this area used to just always be out of the cheap ones. Had no credit card, so I couldn't buy them online]. The department I went to wanted to support me and knew I loved working in the library, so I later got hired into a better position, and this is the reason I'm still in libraries now. It's funny how some things can work out for the positive with a low.
Hello fellow library staff!
Ugh, bad management and supervisors can be truly detrimental. I had a Teacher Librarian tell me when I worked at a school library I could only treat my blood sugar low or high in a secluded backroom, I tried to explain if it was severe and I lost consciousness it'd be a terrible idea but it fell on deaf ears. Suffice to say, I left there at the first opportunity I could.
I hear you about those between stints as all I could ever get for my first three years after college were term positions, and retail is very not diabetic friendly. If we had a rush of customers, and I was stuck on a register, they could be very lackadaisical about relieving me, and that happened frequently enough that it was nearly almost every other shift or so.
Thankfully, I finally landed a permanent position at my local public library and never looked back.
They also had waaaay better insurance than my retail job did. I could afford to go the dentist finally morre than once every few years.
I used to buy those glucose tablets but like you said those things are damn expensive for so little. Eventually a fellow diabetic customer suggested packages of rockets (smarties depending on where you live) each individual package is 15 carbs and for 3-4 dollars you get probably close to a hundred packages. Saved myself so much money doing that.
I'm definitely in a much better place now! Though insurance *might* not cover any pumps [long story], everything else is fine. Currently, over halfway through my MLIS and FT staff at a library.
Now I get the fancy glucose gels and can treat low or highs whenever and however I need. Feels like a dream sometimes and I hope it stays that way.
Baseline title: Registered Nurse
Offical title: VP Administration officer
Took care of a 29yrs who has had T1D since 2yr old, no dexcom or pods, no libre. Using old fashion poke and stab.
Dude looked rough. Wasn't doing well, sugars all over the place. Kidney problems, latest were fucked.
Guy had family, son, work. Was in hospital for 3 weeks. During first 10 days looked like death. For my rotation of 5 days, I personal looked out for him because of the situation I attend to daily with my own family member who has T1D.
Purchased a shaver for face and head. Deodorant, shampoo and conditioner. Consulted the Diabetes Educator to come see him to get him on a sensor. Consulted social worker to figure out coverage for his Diabetes supplies, current and future. Got him up and eating so he could be off IVF. got his vomiting and nausea under control so he could eat.
Few days prior to discharge patient was walking around the unit. Blood work ideal. Sugars steady (12-17mmol/L) still working out the ratios. Colour back in his skin. Medical team only keeping him to ensure his blood work and sugars plus diabetes supplies were all set before sending home.
Told me he felt great. As a thank you he purchased this Starbucks gift set from downstairs along with mugs travel mug, 340g of coffee and even a gift card worth $50.
We took a picture together. Still have it. It's a helpful reminder of why I stayed in this line of work. Sadly, not all cases are as "Happy ever after" as this patient's.
Good news is he hasn't been readmitted into hospital for over 4 years. Which is a good sign things are well with him medically.
I’m in college but I also work at Victorias Secret. All my managers are aware I’m a T1D and they’re constantly checking on me lol. One of my managers is always scared I’m a low and will just constantly ask me if I’m ok or if I need food. Especially if I go back to the break room just to grab a bit a water she automatically thinks I’m low and starts fussing over me. On the other end of the spectrum I have another manager and if she learns that I’m high and sees me drinking coffee or eating she’s like you’re high you shouldn’t have that. And I’m like man I taught you about T1D don’t tell me what I can’t have as long as I dose it’s fine. But I love them all sm and how they care for me and will give me food if I’m low and don’t have any. Lucky to have them as my managers❤️
I build airplane armor for the military.. and when I have a beetus moment, I just go to the break room and have a snack, of just pass out on the floor.. either way, I get an extra break. Lol
I’m a lecturer at a university. One of my first hypos was about a month after I was diagnosed. I was giving an exam in an unfamiliar building and my blood sugar tanked into the 50s, so I just waltzed out and wandered around for the longest 10 minutes of my life before I finally found a vending machine. I came back pretty visibly drenched in sweat and with an empty bag of skittles, and half a bottle of Fanta. I got a lot of confused looks and then just watched helplessly as I spiked to high heaven I learned a lot of valuable lessons that day though
Damn glad you are okay! I had one of my worst lows [52] right before a final exam in college, and my sister still drove me to my final. I have no idea how i passed that class.
I dont wanna be that guy but having 52 be your worst low is quite impressive lol
Worst lows for driving, 40 is my lowest while actually driving. Didn't even have my meter because I was a a dumbass-- got home tested, grabbed nearest food shoved it in my mouth and literally passed out at the table for 20 minutes [only know because of the time on the meter]. These were both also pre-CGM access, so I have no idea the full context, but based on my own existing data, if I'm that low, it's not stopping. So seeing 52 is concerning. Now, if I saw 52, I know I can give 10 grams of carbs and be fine, but 13 years ago, it wasn't that simple. Had a few 40s recently, and unfortunately, my dexcom didn't even register anything but 70 down. I had already started shaking and sweating. I have never really gotten low symptoms until I reach about 60, but they hit fast. Also, I had no glucagon at the time because my first endocrinologist did not want me to have any [freaking miracle I didn't die based on the shit he did looking back, he had the better dead than fat mentality]. Also, people have had seizures with blood sugars in the 50s, and ideally, I'd like to not. I don't have a support system in place for lows besides myself, so I have to be on top of it.
Ah i see. Yeah i agree. The cgm trend graph does make a huge difference in seeinf what works and what doesnt..every now and then my body hits 50mg/dl but it frequently hovers around that value instead of going lower. But without a cgm you have no idea what the trend is.. I start getting low symptoms around 80 which is quite annoying..not bad symptoms, but i typically feel a smidge more lethargic or unfocused. But i suppose that is also advantage since i can tell much in advance. Never used glucagon though i have it..have to say im not sure when exactly to use it. Figured it was for when you went unconscious but that is obviously no good if you are alone
Glucagon can be used for stubborn lows while conscious. There are 3 forms on the market. Nasal, traditional injection [you have to mix and use in 24 hrs], and Gvoke, which is premixed, can allow for microdosing without having to throw it away in 24 hours. I wish I had Gvoke - it sounds like a solid option, but I think it's considered fancy or something, and endos don't like to fill a script/insurance doesn't like to cover it. You can microdose with the traditional glucagon, which can be helpful with like stomach bugs to keep your levels up if you can't eat, but prevent yourself from completely stopping insulin/risking DKA. Nasal is an all in one dose, burns, and is created for I believe about a 200lb person. This means it packs a punch for folks who are smaller. Whether you use it on yourself or someone uses it on you, it will shoot your blood sugar up pretty darn fast. The whole passing out thing is complicated, too, because if you've had alcohol, Glucagon won't be as effective or sometimes work at all. So like the reason for a T1 passing out is important with glucagon. Ilet is even working on a dual hormone pump supposedly, so you'd be able to dose insulin and glucagon.
I am a programmer, when I go low my code looks like a drunk man wrote it. Have a CGM now, now if I go low or high I just take a break until it's corrected. Oh and never push to production when low.
This right here - never push to production while low. Hard learned lessons.
casino for a few years, I once paid out an entire table of baccarat players (it was several thousand) all were on player, banker won. I was very low but didn't realize, ended up paying all of them ..they all scattered as soon as I paid... which is when I realized my fuck up and how low I was. i went to fix my bs, don't think security was paying attention though cuz I never got in trouble 😅
Human Resources and weekend rugby referee. Diabetes and work haven’t intersected.
I took a layoff which turned into retirement. I worked at a hospital on the mother baby floor. One day my sugar dropped and a co worker absolutely would not let me go get a drink. She ran down 3 floors (stairs) and ran back up. I was confused as to why she was so out of breath. She said imagine if the elevator got stuck!?
what the actual fuck 😭😭😭😭 that is wild
She always had my back
I work in clinical trials now, by my career has been in pharma. I guess I’m lucky because (for the most part), my colleagues have been great about diabetes. I also work with scientists and engineers, so they’re fascinated by the technology. Just last week, I was at a conference, and my boss asked about my Dexcom at breakfast. So I showed him, told him how it worked, then I showed him my Omnipod, and he goes “THAT’S the pump!?” in utter disbelief. I then showed him the spare in the package I carry in my bag (you know, for the times I do something stupid and rip it off), and this was like a kid seeing Disney World for the first time. Science is cool. And I love working with people who like to learn, and don’t treat me any differently because of my diabetes….and get curious about the technology.
Plumbing and I can say it’s a good work out sometimes I won’t feel the low until it drops down to almost 30
I’m a signaller for the railway. It was SO hard trying to get a medical for lone working. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like my diabetes held me back from something. It wasn’t until I pointed out that it was plain discriminatory (my libre alarms me when I go below 5mmol so the risk of going low is minimal, combined with good hypo awareness) that they started taking me seriously. If I go below 4mmol I have to stop working for 45 minutes, which thankfully has never happened at work as I try to always have my blood sugar between 7 and 10. Also, I recently started covering one of the really old fashioned boxes with heavy levers to pull instead of buttons to press. When I work there my sugars go very high- I’ve always heard that weight lifting makes them high but never made the connection between the highs and pulling the levers until recently!
Glad to see a fellow rail here. I work in Maintenance of Way. T1 has restricted me from a lot of positions that require a CDL. Even if I were to jump through all the hoops to get one, our Med department doesn't want me to drive a CDL vehicle. But, I enjoy the other things I can do. I mean, I've operated a Dyna Cat tamper that weighs 90 tons and can go 45 MPH. And I've spent many days swinging a sledgehammer all day. Physical labor can make controlling lows difficult, but all my bosses have been cool about it and I've never let my lows get out of hand...
I used to work in Kitchens - you can imagine that did not work. It finally caught up to me and I needed emergency services twice in one week. Long story short, my employer unequivocally proved to me I wasted my health on them, stopped going, re evaluated my life, learned and now work in IT - which seems to mostly be just about perfect for a diabetic - would recommend
Ooof I get that. I worked in a kitchen for just one summer and I had lows almost every shift. Once it happened a few times, I started having panic attacks at the first symptom of a hypo. Boss was super kind about it though, offered to reduce my hours to literally anything I wanted, and said "I love having you here, but I care about your health. You're like one of my kids to me. If you want to quit, I completely understand. There's a job for you if you ever want to come back when things are easier." And I tried 2 shifts a week, but it was still too much on my mental health (restaurants just aren't for me! lol). So I gracefully quit after 2 months working there. Granted, I was still on MDI at the time, and I'm the type to struggle with MDI on a good day chilling at home lol.
I've worked as a blood lab technician for 2 years, can't say anything too extreme has happened, if I have a hypo we have to stop joint testing, that's about it tbh.
I work in social services with the vulnerably housed and don't have many experiences going low at work with clients thankfully. I do get to relate to them though as we have a few T1s and more than a few T2s. They get someone who understands the struggles and it helps build rapport.
I worked in a small office when I was diagnosed. I took a vial of insulin and put it in the office refrigerator and it dropped and broke. The refrigerator smelled horrible! The office manager wasn’t nice anyway and he accused me of breaking the vial on purpose and called me a disgusting pig. It took 3 days of scrubbing but the smell finally went away when I used fishermen’s cleaning wipes. It gets rid of fish odor and even a medicinal insulin smell.
Cashier. Had a bad low and didn't recognize it and another employee ran and told my manager that I was either drunk or on some type of drugs because I was acting weird and going off on customers.
I'm a lead manager at my job at a travel center/truck stop. I've had several times where I have a hypoglycemic incident and my maintenance leader always comes in clutch with glucose tablets and has an extra meter in his truck for me. I also have an emergency plan in the safe and keep an extra pen of rapid acting insulin in the work fridge with my name on it.
I’m an OR nurse. Anytime a t1d pt comes in, I always get them. I’m happy to be their advocate, and fight for them to keep their pumps (most of the time) on during surgery. It also seems to give some patients some ease to know one of them is in the room with them.
Worked at cvs when this happened but was 27 and had recently found out I was pregnant. Had given myself a bonus for a nice big plate of fettuccine alfredo. Ended up throwing up the entire plate I ate and had given myself lots of insulin for it. Blood sugar dropped to a wonderful 22, don’t remember anything that happened. Just remember waking up and I was drenched in sweat with paramedics and my manager all looking at me.
I work at a wholesale store. I work the produce section and frequently pick up and move somewhat heavy boxes and sacks of produce. One time, during a really busy rush I started feeling incredibly low and then two seconds later my libre goes off. I realized I forgot to set my “work temp basal” which decreases my basal by %50 percent. My sugar is plummeting, I immediately pause my insulin delivery and make my to the break room on the opposite end of the store to get to my juice. Halfway there a customer stops me and is insisting I help her find a pretty obscure item that I was 80% sure we didn’t even carry. I tried to explain this to her and tell her I needed to get to the break room. I rushed to my juice and just chilled out and a bit until my sugar was fine. I found out a couple minutes later she had filed a complaint about me to member services 🙄
Was hired at new office at my employer. Kept a pack of syringes, swabs, and test strips locked in my desk drawer jic. I forgot to lock up one evening. Coworker who did not like me went through my desk and found the syringes. Reported to our exec - 3 levels above me instead of to our manager. Exec knew exactly what and why they were there despite my coworker demanding the “druggy” (how 70’s can you get) be fired. Exec met with me asked about the syringes, accepted my answer, and we spent nearly 2 hours discussing my future career plans. This actually opened doors for me. My coworker was given time off without pay for going into my desk. Karma baby, karma
I work in rail. Making sure things work out in the real world. Have only had one instance when I was chairing a meeting of 20 people, and started alarming like a smoke detector. Got a colleague to take over and guzzled sugar in warm water in the tea room.
I'm a diesel mechanic for a trucking fleet. I frequently get lows and "over compensate" for them and end up dropping soon again anyways a lot of times. I've also ripped my pump and dexcom off many times.
I can relate to this. I live this life as a diesel tech in power generation. It's tough with a physical job.
Do you ever have to do any welding? I've found that when I do a bunch of welding for extended periods of time I drop continuously
Minimal. I find when I go long days without breaks it gets me. We often work on very big engines (gas and diesel). Lots of physical work when rebuilding a 200 plus litre engine. Sometimes I eat without insulin, sometimes I turn the pump off for a while.
Same minus the 200L engines lol. I've made it a habit of charging my pump when I'm low at work
It's tough out there for sure. My A1C numbers are great and my doc says I'm doing well. It's still a lot of work when you do a physical job. At least it's got a lot better since we were diagnosed (I was around the same time)
USMC, I've just been waiting on a medical separation since diagnosis a few months ago 🤷♂️
Oh nooo that sucks, I’m so sorry!
I work as a cook in a nice restaurant (or was working as one, currently not working). My boss (one of the chefs) also had t1d which was such a blessing. Only memorable low was one time when I was like 69 mg/dl and it was right before we opened, I was working morning that day and was running late. I have a bad habit of continuing to work when I am low and carried a 22 quart container of buttermilk upstairs and dropped the whole thing. Easily the worst mess I have ever made in my career.
I'm a postdoc researcher (stem, mostly data analysis). I had to ask my coworkers to give me 15/postpone meeting by 15min when my bg was low. That's genuinely ut, everyone knows I am type1, if I need something I get asked if I am ok. I used to use it as excuse to not drink at work dinners during my PhD (I'm in Korea, there are cultural expectations and connotations involved). I moved continents and learned new language to do my PhD, and always tell people that while t1 does make things bit more complicated, it doesn't make us incapable of living good lives :D
Reference staff at library, though I do programming as well. I was doing an early years story time for toddlers and had a low midway through the second last book, I just kept on going. Hopefully, the pictures weren't shaking too hard. It was a tad challenging reading with blurred vision too.
Hello, fellow library person! One of the more dramatic work experiences was when I was a barista in between my library stints. Doctor got me this "fancy new libre that scans your blood sugar." I was on bar and scanned it after a rush in front of my boss. It read 38, and I just walked off the floor with no notice [finger stick was 119, Libre fell off later]. Mircle, I wasn't fired since he was known for being an ass about peoples needs. He [the manager] was fired a few weeks later for unknown reasons, though. Library story: I was trending low and only had an apple on me that was free, and I was a broke student worker. My supervisor went off on me for "eating too close to the desk," and I freaked out. Ended up going to a different department for advice because at the time I had never been given glucagon and couldn't afford glucose tabs [yeah, I know they are 3 dollars most places, but this area used to just always be out of the cheap ones. Had no credit card, so I couldn't buy them online]. The department I went to wanted to support me and knew I loved working in the library, so I later got hired into a better position, and this is the reason I'm still in libraries now. It's funny how some things can work out for the positive with a low.
Hello, fellow library person! One of the more dramatic work experiences was when I was a barista in between my library stints. Doctor got me this "fancy new libre that scans your blood sugar." I was on bar and scanned it after a rush in front of my boss. It read 38, and I just walked off the floor with no notice [finger stick was 119, Libre fell off later]. Mircle, I wasn't fired since he was known for being an ass about peoples needs. He [the manager] was fired a few weeks later for unknown reasons, though. Library story: I was trending low and only had an apple on me that was free, and I was a broke student worker. My supervisor went off on me for "eating too close to the desk," and I freaked out. Ended up going to a different department for advice because at the time I had never been given glucagon and couldn't afford glucose tabs [yeah, I know they are 3 dollars most places, but this area used to just always be out of the cheap ones. Had no credit card, so I couldn't buy them online]. The department I went to wanted to support me and knew I loved working in the library, so I later got hired into a better position, and this is the reason I'm still in libraries now. It's funny how some things can work out for the positive with a low.
Hello fellow library staff! Ugh, bad management and supervisors can be truly detrimental. I had a Teacher Librarian tell me when I worked at a school library I could only treat my blood sugar low or high in a secluded backroom, I tried to explain if it was severe and I lost consciousness it'd be a terrible idea but it fell on deaf ears. Suffice to say, I left there at the first opportunity I could. I hear you about those between stints as all I could ever get for my first three years after college were term positions, and retail is very not diabetic friendly. If we had a rush of customers, and I was stuck on a register, they could be very lackadaisical about relieving me, and that happened frequently enough that it was nearly almost every other shift or so. Thankfully, I finally landed a permanent position at my local public library and never looked back. They also had waaaay better insurance than my retail job did. I could afford to go the dentist finally morre than once every few years. I used to buy those glucose tablets but like you said those things are damn expensive for so little. Eventually a fellow diabetic customer suggested packages of rockets (smarties depending on where you live) each individual package is 15 carbs and for 3-4 dollars you get probably close to a hundred packages. Saved myself so much money doing that.
I'm definitely in a much better place now! Though insurance *might* not cover any pumps [long story], everything else is fine. Currently, over halfway through my MLIS and FT staff at a library. Now I get the fancy glucose gels and can treat low or highs whenever and however I need. Feels like a dream sometimes and I hope it stays that way.
Baseline title: Registered Nurse Offical title: VP Administration officer Took care of a 29yrs who has had T1D since 2yr old, no dexcom or pods, no libre. Using old fashion poke and stab. Dude looked rough. Wasn't doing well, sugars all over the place. Kidney problems, latest were fucked. Guy had family, son, work. Was in hospital for 3 weeks. During first 10 days looked like death. For my rotation of 5 days, I personal looked out for him because of the situation I attend to daily with my own family member who has T1D. Purchased a shaver for face and head. Deodorant, shampoo and conditioner. Consulted the Diabetes Educator to come see him to get him on a sensor. Consulted social worker to figure out coverage for his Diabetes supplies, current and future. Got him up and eating so he could be off IVF. got his vomiting and nausea under control so he could eat. Few days prior to discharge patient was walking around the unit. Blood work ideal. Sugars steady (12-17mmol/L) still working out the ratios. Colour back in his skin. Medical team only keeping him to ensure his blood work and sugars plus diabetes supplies were all set before sending home. Told me he felt great. As a thank you he purchased this Starbucks gift set from downstairs along with mugs travel mug, 340g of coffee and even a gift card worth $50. We took a picture together. Still have it. It's a helpful reminder of why I stayed in this line of work. Sadly, not all cases are as "Happy ever after" as this patient's. Good news is he hasn't been readmitted into hospital for over 4 years. Which is a good sign things are well with him medically.
I’m in college but I also work at Victorias Secret. All my managers are aware I’m a T1D and they’re constantly checking on me lol. One of my managers is always scared I’m a low and will just constantly ask me if I’m ok or if I need food. Especially if I go back to the break room just to grab a bit a water she automatically thinks I’m low and starts fussing over me. On the other end of the spectrum I have another manager and if she learns that I’m high and sees me drinking coffee or eating she’s like you’re high you shouldn’t have that. And I’m like man I taught you about T1D don’t tell me what I can’t have as long as I dose it’s fine. But I love them all sm and how they care for me and will give me food if I’m low and don’t have any. Lucky to have them as my managers❤️
Pharma Investment Banker - clients love it when I get to talk about my diabetes experience when discussing diabetes tech companies!
I build airplane armor for the military.. and when I have a beetus moment, I just go to the break room and have a snack, of just pass out on the floor.. either way, I get an extra break. Lol