Voices of Diabetes

I am a diesel tech. The hardest part of managing diabetes for me is: In this business, when a truck is down, I can't stop to eat my mid-morning snack and check my blood sugar level. If the unit has a hot load and the job takes all morning into the afternoon, I may go 8 hours before getting a chance to eat and check my blood sugar.

What I have had to do is get my supervisors together to tell them that I could not skip meals because I kept getting sick. I was not getting the job done any quicker, only slower, as I needed to manage my diabetes to be able to do a better job. To my surprise, they looked at me and said they didn't know it was affecting me that way and to do what I had to do to stay healthy.

My immediate supervisor came to me later and asked me why I hadn't said anything. I told him I thought he knew. What I learned out of all this was I didn't communicate exactly what was needed and they assumed I was OK. So for everyone out there, make sure your supervisor knows what is going on. You may be as surprised as I was about how willing they are to accommodate your needs so you stay healthy and on the job.

Ernest D., 54

Landrum, SC

137475