Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard has worked in the diabetes research field ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.
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At your current job (or most recent, if you are not currently working), do your coworkers know that you have T1D? Cancel reply
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I’m not bashful about it, guess it’s part of what makes me work harder. When testing or injecting I’d ask if anyone was squeamish or minded. Absolutely nobody cared. Of course if asked about TYPE 1 diabetes I’d say I had a crippling disease that made me handicapped and unable to survive…
After working a 10 day/90 hour week (presently at least 3 more days to go). Everyone knows I ‘m on insulin, I’ve tested quite a few blood sugars, seems just about everyone has a cousin/uncle/friend who’s diabetic and struggling (a co-worker’s dad just had toes amputated).
Yeah I relish to hear “You don’t look like…” or “You don’t act like…” Means I just might die of old age?
Here’s rooting for old age as the cause, . . . 🌈
All of my coworkers know. We eat lunch together every day and they hear my Libre alarms all the time. No sense hiding it. Plus my glucagon is useless in an emergency if no one knows about it.
I’d say pretty much everyone knows. It’s not a big deal around here. A couple people have T1D kids, so they know how it works.
Many of my coworkers knew that I had diabetes, though some didn’t know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2, even though I’d tried to explain things to them on more than one occasion.
My immediate coworkers were NOT the ‘problem’. The ‘problem’ existed with my superiors (sic) who used the fact that I’m diabetic against me. i.e. I had to ‘fight’ to get accepted to do Social Work training, with members of the hierarchy suggesting that “it could prove too stressful” for me to complete, and worries that I “may miss time attending the course(s)” due to my diabetes.
I’ve even talked myself out of being offered different jobs within Social Services as I ‘couldn’t keep my big mouth shut’ and explained that it was down to interviewers’ ignorance about diabetes as to their ‘attitude’ towards me during interviews. 😉
Yes, all of them! As a CCU clinical Pharmacist the nursing and medical staff that I worked with daily, all were aware. And supportive!
I was going to answer that some of them know,those I work closely with and are located nearby but I changed it to most of them know as my CGM is usually visible on the back of my arm
Holding a top executive position at my last company, and for twenty-five years before that at other companies, I NEVER told anyone except my administrative assistant or executive secretary. With the level of responsibility I had, the competition moving up the corporate ladder and general ignorance about diabetes I found it easier to not disclose it. I had absolute trust in the discretion of my assistant or secretary and they never failed me. If meetings were running over mealtime, she would always offer coffee, drinks or snacks to everyone in the meeting and say to me “The usual for you?” which meant a soda or juice and some packaged cookies. No one was ever the wiser.
Yes, all of them. I never hide it or keep it a secret. They need to know “just in case” an event arises where I need assistance or in a highly unlikely situation where I am unable to answer for myself.
I work at a small office and everyone at work knows that I have T1D.
A severe low at my last 40 hour position many years ago is the reason I became self-employed. I was terminated for creating a disruptive work experience. The Assistant Manager of the department was aware that I had T1D, came to my work area but instead of getting a Coke from the lunchroom called for EMTs to treat me.
I’m retired. But, when I was working, I found it to my advantage to tell as many people as possible about my condition, and how to treat a low blood sugar.
A funny story was when I had a low blood sugar during a physical training session at work. A coworker grabbed me by the arm and ran me down to the administration building and poured a can of soda down my throat. Unfortunately, it was diet soda. Luckily, I became conscious enough to realize that it was diet soda, and was able to get to my bottle of juice. I appreciated that my coworker helped me, and tried his best. In the end, we all got through it okay, and I was back out within 20 minutes finishing the physical therapy session.
I don’t try to hide my diabetes. However, working as a long-term substitute teacher, I only know the other teachers in my building. So, most of them are aware. As for the rest of the campus, only the school nurse and my supervisor are aware. My students are also aware, but they do not fall under the category of “coworkers.”
When diagnosed in 1959, my endocrinologist advised me to stay in the closet when applying for a job. Wise advice, back then.
Once I was hired and proved I could do the job, it was up tomy discretion who and when to tell.
Applying for the Federal Government, you better not cover up anything…because it can be grounds for dismissal regardless of your aptitude. Just say you’ve got diabetes and it’s under excellent control. I also revealed I’d been jailed for protesting war in Vietnam. Even if you’re applying for a lowly file clerk position, sooner or later a nosy snoop will mine the internet; there is no privacy anymore, especially with Feds. Even file clerks, once hired, get fingerprinted and photographed.
After I was hired, AIDS became a source of panicky misinformation. It was rumored you could get AIDS from public drinking fountains or public toilets! After a couple of months, someone decided I was endangering my co-workers because I injected before lunch. So I had to go to the Fed Building’s nurse’s station on another floor to do my lunch bolus. After a couple more months, I was allowed to return to my station to inject.
Nowadays I could sue for that shabby treatment. Back then, no legal grounds.