[Kberryma]

Hi,

I am writing an article on diabetic students and school nursing staff. I'm curious what people's experiences have been with this. Bad? Good? Frustrating? and what was your solution?

If anyone has interest in being interviewed for the article today that would be great, just let me know.

p.s. my experience in elementary school was not great. Protocol typically stood in the way of common sense or quick response during low blood sugars.

-Kim, 22 type 1 for 17 years

[Jamison]

My biggest issue would probably be the lows at school. Sometimes, it feels like my BS is low, but I can't be sure so I have to get up in the middle of class, tell the teacher I have to see the nurse, and then go down there. This is very frustrating if we are learning something new or taking a test. Also, before lunch I have to go down to the nurse's office to take my insulin so I'm always about 10 minutes late to class and everyone says, "where were you? what were you doing," even though I explained this to them 10 times already.

[Richard157]

My biggest issue in school was that my students did too little homework, some of them did none! LOL!!

Sorry I am a teacher and so you probably want me to butt out. I taught math in college for 34 years and I had lows and even an occasional hypo. Can you imagine teaching a class shortly after recovering from a hypo? I did that a few times. It was very difficult.

I was very lenient with my diabetic students. Other teachers approached me to find out how to deal with their diabetic students. I let them take makeup tests if they had very low blood sugar before or during a test. Some of them may have lied to me and were not really ready for the test. I know that but I remember my many years in school and college. No teacher ever gave me that chance. I remember taking tests when my vision was so blurred from low blood sugar that I could hardly read the test paper. The teachers would not do anything for me. I don't think they believed me. Many of my teachers did not know what the heck diabetes was all about and they were too busy to listen. Things are different now. You should be able to get some recognition and understanding from the school/college staff and the nurse. Good luck!

Richard

[Alice]

I'm long out of school now!...but have issue with schools that don't allow students to keep meters in close proximity...that should be a no-brainer...a trip to the "nurses office" to check glucose is an insult and not practical at all.

[FatCatAnna]

due to being requested to NOT test my BG's or give insulin in the classroom. I had been working at the same elementary school for 12 years as a student supervisor for children in the age group of 9-12. The current principal / HR requested last Oct that in future I would have to vacate the classroom in order to perform these functions (which didn't occur that often - but did from time to time). I had just started on an insulin pump and had told them that injecting would not be an issue anymore - but that did not seem to make much of a difference. Why after 12 years that this would be an issue to them is still puzzling to me to say the least.

The funny thing tho' is the children I were curious about what I was doing if they saw me (very rare). They were interested - and I felt happy telling them about diabetes - especially with some of having parents or grandparents who were diabetics. They also liked to "bet" as to what my BG would be. With Type 2 diabetes occurring more in our youth - why hide in a closet?

I think the most shocking thing out of this whole experience - is that HR / union president actually asked me to explain what diabetes was! To be in the education system and not have some sort of knowledge of diabetes just floored me, I did my best to explain to them in a nutshell about diabetes (I think they were being polite listening to me).

It was a hard decision for me to leave - but the union president would not help me due to being only part time (I now have an aversion to unions). I and others have found it difficult to understand how a child with diabetes would feel in this situation at school (it devastated me as an adult) - having to vacate the classroom when they have to - rather then discretely performing these functions at their desk (as I did myself). To be singled out even more as being different is not fun for children! So for now - I am presently unemployed - and perhaps going back to school to become an RN - since after this experience - I want to become a diabetic educator.

Incase any of you are Montreal residents - this was at the LBPSB. Think seriously about where you send your children to for their education - I know I would!

Anna

[gettingby]

When I was in high school and started on insulin shots, I was pretty much on my own. We didn't have school nurses at my high school. I had to leave my meter in the guidance office and check there whenever I needed to. I wasn't injecting at school. I was on NPH and Reg (ugggggg) so it was one shot before breakfast and another before dinner that evening. I finally just got tired of going to the guidance office and rebelled . I told them I no longer needed to check at school (funny thing, they believed me. lol) and just kept my meter with me and checked in the restroom. Most if not all of my teachers knew I did this but none ever "ratted" me out. Guess they felt guilty for not believing how truly sick I was before being hospitalized and almost dying. It's just too dangerous to try to walk any distance when battling a low.

[Alice]

Apparently it needs to become a law...not a school "policy".

[Jamison]

Yes, I agree with you guys 100%. When my blood sugar feels low, it is not exactly the easiest thing to walk across the school. We're not allowed to carry our meter in our backpack because it is considered medicine and they have a stupid rule about that. I think it would just be excellent if Texas A&M released that thing that you put in your wrist that constantly monitors your glucose. Although, that would be a distraction to the classroom if it beeps.