It can be exciting, it can be
daunting, it can turn your life
around or possibly upside
down. There are many ways
a new job can affect you, but
all of them will require you
to pay close attention to your
management of diabetes.
In April I began co-hosting a breakfast
radio show out of Gosford on radio
station 107.7 2GO. It’s a heap of fun
but has presented some time, diet
and schedule-managing issues to
which I have slowly adjusted but
am yet to get close to perfect.
Initially, I starved myself from 3.30am
until show finish at 9am, with a couple
of coffees to prop myself up. This was
because I wasn’t sure how much time,
if any, I would have to eat as needed.
I avoided an insulin commitment to
food as I didn’t fancy a live, on-air hypo.
The closest I had come to that in the past
was a BGL of 3.1 about one minute before
attempting to dance a tango during the
very live Dancing With The Stars. The first
three steps of that dance were almost thrown
as I focused on swallowing the half-chewed
jelly beans in my mouth instead of dancing.
The starvation quickly became a problem,
amplified one morning as my grumbling
stomach was very audible over the hush
as we broadcast the secret sound. Let’s
face it, no food was no option.
Dietary choices may vary,
but I’m now spreading breakfast
over four hours with a split
dose of insulin. It kinda works.
Dinner time has become
ridiculously early as I am spent by 6pm and in
bed by 9pm at the latest.
My method for adjusting has been to realise that
I have a calculated ratio of insulin to carbohydrates.
I also have that bugger of a thing known to some
as the dawn phenomenon, where the liver delivers
a bit of extra glucose as the body wakes.
Right now I am as meticulous as I can be
on counting how many carbs I ingest,
and seem to have found a happy place.
I can’t imagine how hard a change like
this would be without the assistance
of the insulin pump and CGM
combo. Low BGLs are now few
and far between, but a huge help I’d
recommend to anyone is to be upfront
and honest with workmates about what
you are dealing with. It is not a cop
out or excuse, it is simply “how it is”.
I’ve always found there is an
appreciation of the awareness by
workmates and a willingness and
enthusiasm to be part of your daily
insurance against issues to do with
diabetes. I don’t see it as invasive or
prying, it is a reassurance to me that
comes with a gratitude for the show of
support. Our producer now has a jar of lollies
under her desk and throws a “thumbs up?”
gesture through the sound-proof glass of the
studio every time she sees me check my
pump for a glucose reading.
No one can really completely
understand your management
of diabetes, but they can show
they support you. New jobs bring
many things. For those with
diabetes, they bring a chance
to build a new support crew. ■Our resident type 1 columnist, Rob Palmer, navigates the extra
challenges that come with starting a new job when you have diabetes
PHOTOGRAPHYDAVIDTHOMSON^(ROB’SPHOTO),^ MEDTRONIC,GETTYIMAGESjob
On the
postcards from the shed
138 JULY/AUGUST 2019 diabetic living