Hypos at Work, where do you go??!! [Archive]

klpants

01-09-2007, 03:04 AM

I ask as I've always gone to the washrooms so I don't get asked silly questions or asked to do work stuff (I work in an office) so If I have a low where I need to be left alone for 10-20 mins until the glucose takes effect I go in there.

I aksed my boss recently for a place to go, and the answer was I will have to keep going to the washrooms. Does anyone know if our employer's are required to provide us with a place to go?

Has anyone got some sort of arrangement with their employer such as a first aid treatment room or some place where you can go when having a low? or are we keeping this secret and being banished to the toilets when hypos happen? (like me) :thumpdown

pinkytricia

01-09-2007, 03:14 AM

Where I use to work... They provided a little closet where the women could use their breast pumps....There wasn't room for a party.... but it was clean and you could lock from the inside.
Good luck... Sweetie

2high

01-09-2007, 03:22 AM

At most places I have worked, I have just hypo treated at my desk... or gone to the staffroom...

klpants

01-09-2007, 03:28 AM

At most places I have worked, I have just hypo treated at my desk... or gone to the staffroom...

Yes, I DID treat at my desk recently, but when one of my managers came in and I told him I was havign a low he just laughed (I kid you not!) so instead of getting mad (yes, I could educate him, but wasn't able to do so at the time) I thought I'd get a room! :king:

JediSkipdogg

01-09-2007, 03:35 AM

2high

01-09-2007, 03:52 AM

Yes, I DID treat at my desk recently, but when one of my managers came in and I told him I was havign a low he just laughed (I kid you not!) so instead of getting mad (yes, I could educate him, but wasn't able to do so at the time) I thought I'd get a room! :king:

The only thing that REALLY peeved me, was if I would go for the lolly jar in my drawer, to find someone had raided my hypo supplies... grrr

Stuboy

01-09-2007, 04:00 AM

My colleques are aware of my diabetes and i made sure they know what i need to do when i have a hypo so i dont get asked questions... usually just, are you ok? sorta thing, which is ok, it's only out of concern.

I dont see why we should have to go to a toilet to recover from a hypo... that's just as bad as going to the a toilet to inject. NO need what so ever.

I say, If you have a hypo, just do what you need to do to recover, you shouldn't feel like you have to hide in an unhygenic place to do so.

You should have a first aid room anyway right? I do everything at my desk, inject, test and treat.

DeusXM

01-09-2007, 04:02 AM

I just eat where I work. And if anyone ever asks on that I tell them I need a "pick me up" and then they offer to give me a break and let me go to the kitchen. So far no problems yet and usually I try not to leave my job. I'm just one that believes if my boss is paying me for 8.5 hours of work, I should be working 8.5 hours.

I'm exactly the same. Usually I can feel a low coming on so I'll be preventative. I always carry glucose tabs with me but if I'm feeling particularly bored I might just pop out to the shop next door and ask if anyone else wants anything whilst I'm there. I work in a very small office and there isn't quite the same 'rank' mentality that most other people probably have to deal with.

Cyborg

01-09-2007, 04:46 AM

I love glucose tabs as much as Smarties! I always have them with my test kit and I keep a big bottle at work (and home). So when, I'm hypo at work, I eat some yummy orange glucose tabs. :star:

cathyd

01-09-2007, 05:20 AM

JediSkipdogg

01-09-2007, 05:21 AM

Cyborg

01-09-2007, 05:43 AM

Have you guys also thought about how dangerous it could be to go off into a small empty room when you are at risk of becoming unconscious? Esp. the person who goes into a room with a lockable door.
:aetsch:

Personally, I test often enough that my bg rarely gets that low. I've never not been able to treat myself. That's why I keep the glucose handy. If I go into a store and leave my test kit in the car, the glucose goes into my pocket. ;)

ProudNanaof5

01-09-2007, 05:52 AM

We have our own business so I am always among family. They know what to do if I can't tell them. I have had several lows and sometime they do have to take charge. But they know to get in my cabinet and get my oj. Here lately, ***crossing fingers***knocking-on-wood*** I haven't had any lows. Staying in good control. Seems like it would be dangerous to go into a room by yourself.

kgm0612

01-09-2007, 06:02 AM

Fortunately for me, my older brother is my boss. I eat at my desk all the time. If I'm not feeling well, I have the flexibility to come into work late or leave early.

Karen

Gangrel

01-09-2007, 06:56 AM

I eat at my desk and just sit here. Most people know if they see Aaron waltzing around with a can of Pepsi, to leave me alone. :D

belyro

01-09-2007, 06:58 AM

I just sit at my desk too.

Injecto

01-09-2007, 07:39 AM

Yup, I take care of it at my desk. I've told everyone at work and get this, each of my co-workers keep a "hypo" instruction sheet just above their monitors or on their desks so they can help me if I need it. I've gone walking to one of my boss' office when I'm hypo, I tell her, and just sat and talked (when she's not busy) until the sugar kicks in. I've also shown everyone what my "shakes" are like when there intense. That freaked people out at first but now they know. So far, none of them have had issues with my injections either. There is only one of my bosses that is a little weird in her ways about my disease. Sometimes I think I work with some pretty great people. Other times....oh well.

klpants

01-09-2007, 07:59 AM

I guess it's really a matter of me telling (and educating!) my bosses I will have hypos. I think becasue I just manage on my own wiothout any help from anyone, they forget I have type 1.

The thing I'm most concerend about is not that I could just sit at my desk and treat a hypo, it's really the insensitive reactions from work staff approaching me and asking me to do work stuff, when really I'm in no state to take on work. As we all know, we can take a glucose tab but it usually takes 10-15 mins (depending on each individual) to start to feel confident and in a work state again.

tanyatype1

01-09-2007, 09:36 AM

Have you guys also thought about how dangerous it could be to go off into a small empty room when you are at risk of becoming unconscious? Esp. the person who goes into a room with a lockable door.
:aetsch:

I was scrolling down, reading everyone's replies because going unconscious is exactly what I thought about as soon as I read this thread. It's like someone choking in a restaurant and going to the bathroom to try to recover, but not. I don't think that you should go to a private room when you're hypo, at least without telling someone. I know the odds are slim that anything really bad would happen, but why take the chance?

Funnygrl

01-09-2007, 10:02 AM

If I worked an office job, I would do it at my desk. I can honestly say I have never even thought of this. When I do clinicals, I carry gummies or glucose tabs in my pocket, and leave juice in the breakroom. I can eat the gummies or glucose whereever I am going. I don't normally feel bad, but if I do, I go to the breakroom and just sit for like 5 minutes. Everyone I do clinicals with knows I have diabetes, so it's not a big deal.

BriOnH

01-09-2007, 10:17 AM

Hey Michael have you tried the raspberry glucose tabs? I like them a lot better then the orange ones and they seem to be a bit softer.

I usually work through my lows. On a desk in which there is almost always a diet pepsi, similar to Aarons situation, if my colleuges see me with a mt dew they are aware that I need some sugar.

We have a raquetball ladder at work and one of the rules is during a match play you can't leave the court in the middle of a game for water or because you are tired, if you do you forfit that game. This rule mainly came into effect because of one person that's a wuss. No it's not me. During a match I went low in the third game. It's a best out of 3 games match and the guy I was playing maybe wins 1 out of 20 games we play. During the 3rd match I went low and if I left the court I would have forfitted the game. I used my glucose gel, something I will use ONLY in dire circumstances (I think that gel had been in my pockets for over 5 months) and beat him down bad.

sorry for going off topic.

MJM

01-09-2007, 10:20 AM

As long as everyone at work is familiar with what happens then there should be no problems. I think if you explain to everyone what to do if A or B happens then there shouldn't be a problem. Why would you go to the bathroom to take glucose tabs or drink. Just tell someone you're feeling low and you have to take these and rest awhile until they take effect. If you take 15mins out and your conscience is bothering you just do the 15mins extra.

Tattoo azz

01-09-2007, 10:42 AM

i used to work in a warehouse
everyone was aware that sometimes i could go low,and what to do if i went unconcious
i tested and injected at my desk.Everyone was cool
And luckily there was a vending machine nearby

Erin

01-09-2007, 01:34 PM

Most of the people who are around me at work are 6 years old... so I can't really go hide anywhere when I get low... and I have to keep doing "work stuff" right on through the low too. I just say Ms. L. needs to drink juice in class sometimes because she has to talk so much (otherwise they'd all need juice too!). If I'm eating glucose tabs I say it's a "cough drop" for the same reason. Yes I am lying to the kids, but i see no need to get into the ins and outs of D with them.

If a low was really bad I suppose I'd have to call another teacher to cover my class, but that's not likely to happen.

spring

01-09-2007, 01:36 PM

I test, take shots and treat lows at my desk. I'm pretty good at being covert and no one's noticed before. I've even had people come by to talk to me mid shot and had them not realize (It's just in one hand, through my pants in my leg, under the desk. meh. ;) )

When I was a caller at a call centre, obviously I couldn't eat things and talk at the same time so I'd just let my supervisor know, pop off the phones for a minute and stand in the hall just to chug a juice box or pop a few glucose tabs.

When I was working retail, it was also rather difficult to treat on the floor, and if I was low but in the middle of ringing up a sale, I'd often go through with it until I got a chance to excuse myself and run off to the break room and treat it. That was difficult though, as co-workers would jokingly tease that I must be playing them up just to get extra breaks. I was, of course, quite clear with them that I would never do that (even though they all insisted it would be the first thing they'd do :s: ). The managers were understanding, however, and I just made sure to avoid them if I could (which was actually a bit bad as I'd tend to run high on a shift just to avoid going low.. bleh)

dgrilli

01-09-2007, 02:27 PM

I have the Luxary of having a private office. So I do what I want. My Secratary is in another office so I'am alone not good if that were to have a severe low.

This past 2 weeks have been sick and running high, higher than normal.

Cyborg those Smarties were M&M's in England when I was there. Smae company but just different names. I'm assuming those chalkie little tablets twisted up in cellophane. Ha Ha.

Back in 2002 I had a Low and lost conscious and at that time it was an open floor space with Desks so we could all see each other. I woke up on the floor with firemen trying to give me cocacola. Everyone stairing at me. Was just Diagnosed and had brought my BG's down really quick, so quick I lost my vision for some 45 days. All I could see was colors and shapes. All came back thakfully.

notme

01-09-2007, 02:29 PM

I am one of those people that don't like others to know that I go low! Now funny thing is, I don't mind telling them in every day conversation, but when I do go low, I get secretive. (I have some very bad habits! I try to sleep through lows and I don't like anyone knowing I am low.) I think some day I may wake up and find myself dead.

I would not look for a special place to go when low. Inform people and your boss well in advance of your special circumstances and test test test. When I read about the locked room, I thought that was a bad idea also, but many beat me to the punch on that one. Sit at your desk and ask your boss if he or she comes in if they could give you five minutes. I know that sometimes I do not make sense when I am low and I would hate to talk to a boss when I am in that condition.

Hey, you could pretend your on the phone!!!!! :call:

BriOnH

01-09-2007, 02:58 PM

Was just Diagnosed and had brought my BG's down really quick, so quick I lost my vision for some 45 days. All I could see was colors and shapes. All came back thakfully.

You lost your vision from the low or hitting your head? That is quite bizzare.

xMenace

01-09-2007, 03:04 PM

When I hypo it's not a good idea to have me blundering around the office. I've been known to go into hockey mode. I sit and I eat, wherever I'm at.

DeusXM

01-09-2007, 03:06 PM

Cyborg those Smarties were M&M's in England when I was there. Smae company but just different names.

Not quite. We've got both here - Smarties come in tubes, M&Ms come in packets. Smarties are usually a little bigger too.

Jenn L

01-09-2007, 05:07 PM

I don't think you should have to hide your medical needs at all! Just because Diabetes is not a problem you can see, such as someone in a wheelchair, I see no reason to banish yourself. I think it's up to us to educate others.

By the way,Watermellon tabs are the best! I hate the orange ones!

jen_slc

01-09-2007, 05:47 PM

Not quite. We've got both here - Smarties come in tubes, M&Ms come in packets. Smarties are usually a little bigger too.mmm, Smarties :top: M&Ms :puke:

As for hypos at work, I have my own little cubicle, so I just have a few sips of Coke and wait till it kicks in. No reason to hide it.

gettingby

01-09-2007, 06:02 PM

I work in a retail clothing store and I go anywhere that is close. If a sudden low hits me hard, I just sit down in the floor where I am at and get my smarties or glucose tabs (current fave in tabs ATM is sour apple) out of my pocket and start munching. For the most part though, I head to my desk in the stockroom. Always someone in there so I'm never alone.

poodlebone

01-09-2007, 06:51 PM

You lost your vision from the low or hitting your head? That is quite bizzare.

Right after I was diagnosed, my vision went crazy. I was okay for the week in the hospital but as soon as I was released I thought I was going blind. My vision was very dark and blurry and I could barely see. Went to the eye doctor and he explained that it had something to do with my BG levels decreasing and my body getting used to having insulin again and that it would all clear up, which it did. They totally skipped telling me anything abut that in the hospital, which would have saved me a lot of worry and panic.

poodlebone

01-09-2007, 06:55 PM

I work for a small company and I have my own little office, so I just treat at my desk. Luckily I haven't had any bad lows since I got my pump but before that I had many really bad lows at work. Several times I woke up with paramedics working on me. I had no hypo awareness so if I wasn't testing constantly (and I wasn't, maybe 5-8 times a day) I could drop very low and not know it. The manager was able to tell if I was acting funny and I know that ever since the first time she had to call 911 she worried about me every day. The last time I passed out at work was February 2005, and she insisted that I see a specialist because my primary doctor wasn't doing anything to help. I don't ike doctors, which is why I always resisted going to an endo. I'm glad that I listened to her this time, because I found a great doctor, NP/CDE and got my pump.

It's nice that my co-workers no longer have to constantly ask me if I'm okay.

am1977

01-09-2007, 07:07 PM

I don't really excuse myself from my desk, I'll just treat any low right there... it makes sense to me :top:

gettingby

01-09-2007, 07:17 PM

When I was working retail, it was also rather difficult to treat on the floor, and if I was low but in the middle of ringing up a sale, I'd often go through with it until I got a chance to excuse myself and run off to the break room and treat it. That was difficult though, as co-workers would jokingly tease that I must be playing them up just to get extra breaks. I was, of course, quite clear with them that I would never do that (even though they all insisted it would be the first thing they'd do :s: ). The managers were understanding, however, and I just made sure to avoid them if I could (which was actually a bit bad as I'd tend to run high on a shift just to avoid going low.. bleh)
Everyone I work with knows about my d. It's no problem. If I happen to be running a register and go low, all I have to do is call down a financial and they take over with any customer I have and then they pull my till until I can come back. Most times, when I'm like that, they will leave me alone and not call me back. A benefit, IMO. LOL.

Eri's mom

01-09-2007, 07:30 PM

When I worked in an office setting, and I was experiencing a lot of lows...I would be able to grab the chocolate stash at my desk(it was kept there for everyone...Admin Asst. for a bunch of admins)...the worst time I was at my new desk in a different area...I shared the office w/ one other person, but the residents(upperclass retirement center) would come in and visit w/ me all the time. Anyway, I started shaking, sweating, blurred vision, grabbed some chocolates and my lunch and then felt sick...went to the restroom and woke up about 35 minutes later.

klpants

01-10-2007, 03:18 AM

After seeing all your replies, I'm not going to the toilets ever again!
I never used to hide my diabtes but ever since I started in my new place of work I have been doing, only to save myself from silly comments, just tired me out havign to explain all the time!!
But, now I'm going to be more assertive!! I think I may get a little explanation card laminated, as Deus has done in the past!! :laugh:

trailrunner

01-10-2007, 08:40 AM

I've been told I am not allowed to have a hypo at work. If I do, I could wake up with my clothes cut off laying on a gurney with my co -workers around me.( I am a nurse in an er) :)

DanG

01-10-2007, 07:43 PM

I keep medical private - probably the boss and wife know my medical since they process initial insurance info, but I keep all that to myself.

I work in engineering office and cannot imagine hubub if a serious low occurred there. I very rarely have low at my desk, in which case I eat something and always have can of fruit juice on hand. I cannot find 12oz kerns apricot nectar anymore - great low fixer and delicious.

But really, I cannot imagine that an employer wants a problem employee on hand, so I keep things quite quiet about diabetes. I don't want to risk the proposition of termination because of... whatever. You know how "whatever" can be ciphered into - "...his medical condition..." so I keep that knowledge in hand close to chest, so to speak. Nobody knows about my diabetes at work - or, so I presume... Maybe I'm parnoid, but it works for me for over 30 years.

klpants

01-11-2007, 01:53 AM

This was exactly what I was trying to say Dan G, because I tyr and keep my lows to myself, noone thinks I have any probelms. I'm sure if I informed people when I have a low (which is a few times a week at work) they would start to think I'm unreliable, unfortunately that's just the way people think :dontknow:

I keep medical private - probably the boss and wife know my medical since they process initial insurance info, but I keep all that to myself.

I work in engineering office and cannot imagine hubub if a serious low occurred there. I very rarely have low at my desk, in which case I eat something and always have can of fruit juice on hand. I cannot find 12oz kerns apricot nectar anymore - great low fixer and delicious.

But really, I cannot imagine that an employer wants a problem employee on hand, so I keep things quite quiet about diabetes. I don't want to risk the proposition of termination because of... whatever. You know how "whatever" can be ciphered into - "...his medical condition..." so I keep that knowledge in hand close to chest, so to speak. Nobody knows about my diabetes at work - or, so I presume... Maybe I'm parnoid, but it works for me for over 30 years.

REDLAN

01-11-2007, 01:55 AM

I usually recognise them pretty early on when I'm going low, so I just eat something - usually a square or 2 of a chocolate bar - and simply carry on. I doubt if most people even realise that I'm low - in fact one colleague thought that I was one of those "bad" diabetics who didn't look after themselves, until I explained to her that it was to control hypos.

on the issue of whether you should tell work. I was one of those who didn't used to, because I thought it might affect my job. I do now, and yes I have had to answer the usual stupid questions and misnomers about diabetes - yes I can drive, no I won't drop dead if I do a physical job, NO I definitely can't skip lunch just for today, and NO I do not turn into the incredible hulk if I have a hypo.

I don't know if people are aware, but in the UK, diabetes is counted as a disability for registration of disability purposes. This means that we are protected under the disability discrimination act - it covers direct and indirect discrimination - what this means in essence is that an employer must make allowances for your medical condition in the same way that they are required to make an allowance if someone is in a wheelchair, so legally your employer is required to make allowances if you have a hypo - i.e. they can not ask you to work while you are having a hypo, they can not require you to miss a lunch break.

Secondly your employer is not allowed to treat you less favourably than other employees on the grounds of your disability - i.e. they can not deny you promotion on the ground of your diabetes.

Of course proving that you have been discriminated against by your employer is not always an easy task - one of the reasons I'm in a member of a union.

The irony is that I don't actually consider myself to be disabled, but I say if you've got this thing then I'm open to every advantage I can get.

klpants

01-11-2007, 02:31 AM

True Redlan. Yes was aware Diabetes is covered as a disiability in UK, it's just trying to convince other people of that! "you can't have diabetes, you look too healthy!!" :stupid:

Is it ONLY the UK where diabetes is classed as a disability? I can imagine it's like that in North America too?
Yes, I guess most diabetics don't FEEL disabled, but thinking about it, we have a crucial organ which doesn't work, and the effects of that are sometimes disabling. In the defiontion of a disibilty, diabetes definatley scores under that!

I usually recognise them pretty early on when I'm going low, so I just eat something - usually a square or 2 of a chocolate bar - and simply carry on. I doubt if most people even realise that I'm low - in fact one colleague thought that I was one of those "bad" diabetics who didn't look after themselves, until I explained to her that it was to control hypos.

on the issue of whether you should tell work. I was one of those who didn't used to, because I thought it might affect my job. I do now, and yes I have had to answer the usual stupid questions and misnomers about diabetes - yes I can drive, no I won't drop dead if I do a physical job, NO I definitely can't skip lunch just for today, and NO I do not turn into the incredible hulk if I have a hypo.

I don't know if people are aware, but in the UK, diabetes is counted as a disability for registration of disability purposes. This means that we are protected under the disability discrimination act - it covers direct and indirect discrimination - what this means in essence is that an employer must make allowances for your medical condition in the same way that they are required to make an allowance if someone is in a wheelchair, so legally your employer is required to make allowances if you have a hypo - i.e. they can not ask you to work while you are having a hypo, they can not require you to miss a lunch break.

Secondly your employer is not allowed to treat you less favourably than other employees on the grounds of your disability - i.e. they can not deny you promotion on the ground of your diabetes.

Of course proving that you have been discriminated against by your employer is not always an easy task - one of the reasons I'm in a member of a union.

The irony is that I don't actually consider myself to be disabled, but I say if you've got this thing then I'm open to every advantage I can get.

JasonJayhawk

01-11-2007, 03:05 AM

I never make a big deal about being low. As it happens more frequently than it should (once a month is too frequent!), I don't want my co-workers taking glances every 1 hour at me just to make sure I'm still alive. In fact, I don't make a big deal about it, and when it's brought up, I talk about it as though it's an inconvience just as much as sneezing, hiccups, or coughing.

If my sneezes, hiccups, or brief coughs are not significant enough to dash to a secret location, then I do the same thing with treating a low. I stay seated and suck on Smarties (glucose is absorbed through salivary glands in the mouth!) and I'm better in a few minutes.

Besides, if I'm low, I don't want to be randomly wandering around looking for a place to hide. I want to stay seated in my chair. If you want to look busy, just pick up the phone and call home and listen to your answering machine pick up. Keep doing it and you'll look busy. ;-)

I don't want a boss to treat me special or different by allocating anything to me, but perhaps I'm this way because I don't like inconviencing others.

Off topic, but related... I'm always a little shocked when a diabetic goes as far as suing the company they work at because their boss won't provide "a place to dispose of insulin syringes." In my opinion, that's the responsibility of the diabetic. I think that asking for too much makes it harder for an employer to consider keeping a diabetic on their team. There's just too much negativity surrounding "diabetic," so I try to educate and remove some of that thought from non-diabetic "moguls."