17 Comments
In the past 3 months, how many hours of work or school do you estimate you missed because of T1D (e.g., going to T1D-related appointments, feeling sick because of blood glucose levels, managing complications of T1D, etc.)?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Doctors appointments only, both me and my doctor keep banker hours.
If I took time off every time I had a low episode I would probably never work. Most of my lows happen at work. Hmmm… maybe I shouldn’t work.
Sometimes go low at work. Am an R N and sometimes get very busy but always keep something with me to bring up lows. Once was working and pump malfunctioned. I forget why. But had my highest BS ever. 319 Had headache and felt awful. Worse than being low
Jane, I understand the enormous pressure HC staff are under with the increased work demands made by employers. It’s very sad that the Healthcare industry does little or nothing to acknowledge/apply ADA standards.
I always make up any time missed at work for appointments or blood work.
Same here. It’s nice to have that flexibility.
My son missed three hours of school for an Endo appointment (same practice, brand new Endo). We are doing our best to avoid this in the future.
I’m retired. I do a lot of yard work, and work around the house. I lose work time almost every day, waiting for my blood glucose to get high enough to resume work. I conservatively figure an hour a week. So that’s about 12 hours. I answered “9-16 hours.”
Just about 1/2 an hour for a lab appointment and about the same for the doctor. The office is very close by work.
Currently retired, however, in my last three years of work, medical appointments, dental appointments, nutrition, physical therapy, behavioral therapy and diagnostic testing added up. Fortunately, I had an enlightened employer and was an HR professional so it went smoothly. I did have to advocate on behalf of diabetics who routinely skipped critical health appointments or were forced to use vacation time. FMLA, particularly the intermittent leave provisions for chronic conditions is poorly understood and/or enforced by the Labor Department.
1 – 4 hrs for Paratransit rides to/from labs and 1 appointment.
Since I worked night shift, I didn’t have to miss work for doctor appointments. During work, I would occasionally have to stop working for a 1/2 hour till my blood sugar rose as I had an extremely physically active job. I am retired now though.
I selected zero. I’m retired, I just volunteer.
I’m retired but do not miss any appointments due to T1d . When I worked at a hospital for 30 years as a Registered Dietitian, I did not miss work due to T1d and had 750 hours of sick leave on my last day of work in 2011. I have had it for 68 years this July.
Over the past 8-9 years all my doc appts were scheduled a round days off (combined with eye, dental, driver’s licence…) so while took time off not just for diabetic care. All my doc appointments were scheduled early, have gone to work afterwards. Now retired, 3-4 days a week at the HumaneSociety (working 2 days this week), I’m the idiot that never calls off sick (could work alone if needed): sold back 7 days of my 2 week vacation when I retired this year. High blood sugar? low blood sugar? Still have to feed the AttackPit, walk the SaberToothKitten, still have to pay bills even if not 100%. So…. never lost time due to diabetes.
I’m long retired and have no regular daily commitments.
I am now retired, but I’ve seldom missed any work due to T1D. My endo appointments were always 7am so I’m out in time to get to work. The only exception when I was a teenager in the early 70s. Unmanaged T1D for 7 years due to my pediatrician’s lack of knowledge caused me to be in the hospital for total of 6-8 weeks one spring. (Too many years ago, to count now! LOL!). I didn’t miss work due to T1D during my adult years.