FreeDragon- Diabetes Advocate

Of all the things I've been through in my life, diabetes is the hardest. Diabetes touches every single aspect of my life. I can't stop being diabetic. I can't stop thinking about it. I often say diabetes is a full time job, but really it's so much more; diabetes is, whether I like it or not, what I live and breathe.

I try really hard to be a normal person. But I'm not, I'm a diabetic. This means sometimes I am forced to be a bitch.

Every single night at work, my sugar drops. Sometimes it drops two or three times. This is not normal. If I had my sugar under control, then it shouldn't drop but maybe once a week. I have informed my supervisors several times of the problem and I have asked for help, to either keep me on one job, to let me know in advance what I will be doing so I plan ahead, or to move me to another line. Nothing is happening. I realized part of the problem may be they don't know how often my sugar drops. Usually when I feel my sugar going low, I just eat and keep working. I decided to start testing my sugar and showing my team leader the result so she would know the seriousness of the situation. My sugar was 41. Just give you an understanding of what the number means, a normal person's sugar stays between 70 and 120. If my sugar falls below 70, I am not supposed to drive. At 35, I will probably be unconscious. At 25, there will simply not be enough sugar to keep my body functioning and my heart will probably stop. So when my sugar is 41 I am on the verge of death. This is not me being dramatic. This is a PROBLEM.

I told my team leader. She was getting ready to leave, so she called the production manager over. He acted like I was telling him I broke my nail. He said he couldn't do anything and it wouldn't be fair to make an exception for me.

Well, I'm sorry, but he does have to make an exception for me because I'm a fucking diabetic. If I pass out at work I can rightfully file a lawsuit against the company. So Monday I am going to Human Resources.

It would be really nice if my team leader would just be a logical, reasonable person. It would be nice if the production manager would get it through his thick skull that my life is more important than production. It would be great if I didn't have to educate people about my illness. The best thing on earth would be a cure. But I don't have these luxuries. I work for assholes. So I am going to be The Queen Bitch and insist on having my basic human rights until somebody realizes I am not a doormat. Then I can go back to being a person who just happens to also be diabetic.