Tuesday, December 5, 2006

On a secret mission

Diabetes can be inconvenient in many situations but I find it the most difficult at work. The thing is I don't want my employer or my co-workers to know about my diabetes, partly because I fear it might influence the attitude towards me, discriminate me somehow, I'm just not too brave to find out. And partly as a self-protection from all the horrible questions and assumptions, as well as necessity to explain yourself all the time (office of over 700 people, I can only imagine). No, I just prefer not to stand out of the crowd (I never thought I'd say those words). So every time I have to take a shot or check my blood glucose in the office it's a mission impossible of an invisible 007, sneaking with all the equipment to the ladies', which is of course at the other end of a never-ending open-office floor (now I have a weird picture in my head of J.Bond dressed in skirt sheepishly making his way to the ladies' hiding behind the cabinets and office plants). People are starting to suspect that I'm secretly building a bombing device in a bathroom cubicle (with all the beeping and clicking sounds), or stealing office supplies, or sneaking to smoke without sharing, although they know I don't smoke. Of course I don't care, I'll test as much as I need and I'll take as many shots as I need, but still it's annoying to hide. It feels like I'm doing something so criminal when in fact I'm just taking care of my health

7 comments:

George said...

Hi Sasha,
I just found your blog on the OC website and I am excited to have a new blog to start reading!

I will add a link to your blog on mine tonight.

I can understand you wanting to keep to yourself. Maybe if you let the people around you know, you won't have to be too much like 007 although 007 is pretty cool!

Take care!

Sasha said...

Hi George,
thank you for such a warm welcome and for putting a link of my blog on yours. I actually read your blog quite often and I think it totally deserves to be nominated.

Also it's always nice to meet another Harry Potter fan :)

Bernard said...

Sasha

Welcome onboard. This is a great place to share, learn, celebrate and sympathize.

I've worked in many places over the years (too many places). For the last 12 years or so I've found it really helps to let folks know that I have diabetes. Before then I really didn't have the courage to do so, for the same reasons you're giving.

Mostly I just explain it to the people I work with on regular basis. That way they can let me know if maybe I'm having a low (I've got varying degrees of unawareness), and they understand if I have to leave a meeting to test or drink Gatorade or something else.

I do understand the concerns you have. But people are mostly helpful and considerate and I think that once you let folks know, they'll just accept that as part of you. I hope you can do this when it feels right for you.

George said...

Sasha, speaking of HP, have you seen the 10 minute behind the scenes look at "Order of the Phoenix?" You must search for it online. Try Google and search "HArry Potter Order" and "HBO." You should be able to find it that way since I think it was an HBO thing.

Kerri. said...

Hi Sasha. Welcome to the OC. You are off to a strong start with your blog and it appears that you've already been welcomed to the fold by our fellow bloggers.

I'll be adding you to my blogroll this afternoon.

Best of luck!

-- Kerri.

Sasha said...

Thank you all so much for such a warm welcome and advice. The OC is amazing with all the support and positive energy going around.

I'm warming up to the idea of letting my co-workers know about my diabetes, although it feels so weird, like coming out of the closet. But I think it would make things easier indeed.

I'll look for sure for the HP behind the scenes. I can't wait for the new movie to come out.

Thank you all again! I'm catching up on reading all your blogs right now. It gives me a really great feeling of not being alone out there in the wilderness of diabetes.

Chrissie in Belgium said...

Hi Sasha,

Welcome. Fun to have another person from Europe. I live in Brussels, Belgium - so we are neighbors! Concerning this posr - it is just so much EASIER to tell those people that you have frequent contact with.