Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Nov 9, 2010

SimonC 78 posts

I would chuck in word of caution - if you don't declare it, and they find out then they could say you weren't honest in the recruitment process and say no thanks. Of course this depends on how long into the job you have got, if only a few weeks and things not going well and it could be 'bye bye', a few years and you are getting along well and they may well ignore it.

By telling people you work with - as I think everyone should, you run the risk of the employer finding out and not taking too kindly to it.

I have always found that being open and honest has always paid off, although both times I did declare my diabetes I was applying for jobs in the public sector, who I feel are more likely to adhere to the DDA and not pay any attention to it.

In some cases declaring you have a disability can help as there are quota's and employers can show they employ those with disabilities by employing you.

Obviously it is up to you what you do, but I would be open and declare it at the application stage.

Edit

charlotte's post got in before me, and I wasn't aware of this new legislation - which may help, however, as far as I am aware, if you have absences that are due to a declared disability then they shouldn't count against you - I say shouldn't and in my organisation they don't. I still advocate openness.

Nov 9, 2010

charlotte77 11 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting

Hi Heather - I'm diabetic and also work in HR so can help with your query. I share the same view as you and never declare the diabetes at any stage of recruitment. Without boring you with too much with legal jargon a new piece of legislation came in on the 1st October 2010 which prevents employers from asking questions during the application or interview process about health or sickness absence (unless its the Occupational Health part of the process and then its limited) . I think this is a good move as it protects anyone who may have needed to take absence (and lets face it there are not many people who haven't had to at some point) irrespective of the reasons why, from some unscrupulous employers! The only time employers are allowed to ask for health details is for equal opportunities monitoring and most organisations keep this information separate from the recruiting managers. Hope this helps. Charlotte

Nov 9, 2010

Heather B 20 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting

Thanks for that. That sounds like a good plan.

Nov 9, 2010

chixystix 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

thanks guys, i've set my phone alarm and will keep you posted. x

Nov 9, 2010

chixystix 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting

Hi Heather,

I don't tend to declare my diabetes at all in job applications. I can't imagine it would count against you, but you just never know, and it's certainly unlikely to help you get a job. I don't put it on forms or mention it at interview. I just make sure when I start the job I tell the people who I'm going to be working with most closely, so they know what to do if I have a hypo. M x

Nov 9, 2010

Heather B 20 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting

Hello, I am going through a redundancy process at work just now and haven't had to job hunt since my diagnosis until now (I've been diagnosed for about a year and a half and have worked in my current job for 5 years). I've been applying for jobs like mad but am a bit unsure as to when you should (or need) to declare your diabetes to a prospective employer. So far I have been ticking 'no' to the question 'do you consider yourself to have a disability' (as I don't!) on application forms but then there is no other area on the forms to state that you have diabetes though. What do you do in these cases- do you declare your diabetes at the application stage (and state that you consider yourself to have a disability), at the interview stage, at the acceptance of a job offer stage, or not at all? I'm pretty confused about what to do and could do with some advice. Thanks.

Nov 9, 2010

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

As Simon says..............get your team involved and tell them what you have heard here, they can then give you the one to one advice on what to do with your BI.....

When the BI doses get lost it does take around a week probably to get back on track, with all the testing and so on...

Good Luck and keep us posted.......

Nov 9, 2010

SimonC 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

Chixystix

The lantus really does need to be given at the same time daily - either once a day, if it is lasting, or, as a lot now do, twice a day - BUT at the same time every day.

I set alarms on my phone for 0900 and 2100 to go off every day - when they go off I take my lantus - there is a bit of lee way ie 30 mins.

I would start with finding a time of day that you can take your lantus - it is better every 12hours and give it a week of recording to see what happens.

You also need to work out what amount of total background insulin you need and whether to split that evenly or have slightly more at one injection, but you need to keep the amount constant. Looking at the levels you vary between 6 units a day and 19 units a day. In general when you have had more BI then the numbers are lower later in the evening and the next day - although this isn't always bourne out.

I would ask your team what they think your total daily BI should be, then start by halving it and taking half every 12hours, and then re visit it after a week or 2.

good luck

Nov 9, 2010

chixystix 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

i'm on lantus.

Nov 9, 2010

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

I used to take my doses in the morning and beforte bed, but I then forced myself into the habit of taking it at breakfast and dinner so as to give me 12 hour coverage...

What background insulin are you on?

Nov 9, 2010

chixystix 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

oh my god you're so right - i hadn't even noticed i was doing it. i'm taking it twice a day but just take it when i go to bed and when i wake up, which can really vary so it's definitely not 12 hours apart. I can't believe I hadn't noticed, i'm just so used to doing it that way. I'm changing as of today to take my BI at a set time so hopefully that will be a good start.

I have a hospital appointment at the end of the month, but it's been over a year since I've had one (the waiting list at my hospital is ridiculous, but it's the only one nearby that does dafne) so i haven't had any help for ages.

Nov 8, 2010

caroline15 45 posts

Topic: General Discussion / App

Thanks Simon, thinking about it I think that the fact her mum uses the site would be enough to put her off!! She's 14 and mum's mostly an embarrassment to her - lol.

I'm using Diabetes Diary to keep her records, it's a little confusing at first using different apps for each of us but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

She spent the weekend on the ward and her blood sugars greatly improved once she had access to food restricted, she's not overweight by any means but she soon would be if she'd continued eating as she did.

Thanks again for your reply.

Nov 8, 2010

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

its hard to say when you are giving yourself 3 doses of background......im not saying thats wrong but its hard to tell whats working if the insulin isnt been given a chance to work the full 12hours........and I see sometimes is 3 doses, and sometimes its 1.....you really need 3-4 consistent days to spot a pattern...

I think you should up your BI dose but only give yourself 2 doses, 12 hours apart. As your on a 1:1 throughout the day it would be nice to keep that, so its simpe, so adjusting the BI dose to me is the next step.......

Has your diabetic team had an input?

Nov 8, 2010

Caroline 29 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carb free soups

Hi I make my own carb free chicken soup (tiny amount of carbs) Its delicious. You will need 2oz butter, 2 onions, peeled and sliced, 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped, 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced, 2oz plain flour, 2 pints chicken stock, lb cooked chicken, skinned and shredded or cubed, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

To make, melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently sweat the onions, celery and carrots until starting to soften. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring as you do so. Simmer for 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season , to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in parsley and serve. Enjoy on its own or with a warm bread roll.

The whole pot of soup is 2cps and would generously serve 4 people (excluding the roll of course). So one helping would be 0.5 cp

Nov 8, 2010

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Site Development / DAFNE Online iPhone application - help with content/design needed

Hi all,

We've just released a bug fix version (1.2.1) and I'd advise you download it from the app store ASAP. This fixes a problem where the app wasn't uploading your injection site data to the DAFNE Online site diary properly.

In the next day or so I'll release a new graph on the site which shows your injection site usage in a pie chart. Any entries you have input into the app so far won't have their injection site info synchronized to the site, so I urge you to update the app now. Apologies for this, I know it may be frustrating.

In other news, version 1.3 - out in the next few weeks will contain the long-awaited Carbohydrate Portion list natively in the app.

Simon

Nov 8, 2010

Simon 578 posts

Topic: General Discussion / iPhone App

Hi Richard,

Make sure you are pressing the 'Done' button on the keyboard before pressing 'Done' in the top right hand corner of the screen. This should save your changes properly.

Thanks,

Simon

Nov 8, 2010

richard.arkle 16 posts

Topic: General Discussion / iPhone App

Have just got an iPhone and downloaded the app. Looks really good and simple but having trouble with the settings remembering the insulin/cho ratios. It dosnt seem to save them.

Nov 8, 2010

chixystix 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Help!

Hello! I've been trying to be really good and write down all my blood tests the last two weeks so i can try and get my dafne control back but i don't know where to start. i'm yoyo-ing up and down really badly. I don't know if i should put my background up because i'm having hypos, but my pre-meals are all 8-13. Can anyone help? Mia x

Nov 8, 2010

Karl 83 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Travel to China

I use Insure and go http://www.insureandgo.com/ . Medical screening can be done online.

Nov 8, 2010

charlotte77 11 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Travel to China

Hi. I've been diabetic for over ten years and have always had travel insurance from American Express. The only thing I've ever had through them is travel insurance and it is always very competitive.

Nov 8, 2010

kid127 25 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Travel to China

Thanks for the posts. It is a very good point JWo that I canâ€™t be the first person to have ever asked these questions.

Iâ€™ve spoken to the nurses at my hospital and they are arranging a letter for me. Iâ€™ll look in to getting a translated letter made for my own peace of mind I think but wonâ€™t be too bothered if I canâ€™t get one. As I said I may just have been worrying unnecessarily

Thanks for the info about the sugar as well. Definitely worth bearing in mind. I usually run myself a bit higher during holidays (aim for 6-10 rather than 4- Cool

to try to avoid hypoâ€™s but I may end up running a bit higher than that!

Slightly off topic but can anyone recommend decent travel insurance for diabetics? Iâ€™ve had some ridiculous quotes in the past

Nov 8, 2010

addie 13 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Please sing to the tune of "How do you like your eggs in the Morning?"

Excellent thread!

got me analysing what I did at injection time again and realised I have become a wee biot lazt regarding reusing needles a couple of times, not rotating injection sites enough and generally being lazy!

Thanks for this thread it is a very good topic!

Nov 9, 2010 SimonC 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting I would chuck in word of caution - if you don't declare it, and they find out then they could say you weren't honest in the recruitment process and say no thanks. Of course this depends on how long into the job you have got, if only a few weeks and things not going well and it could be 'bye bye', a few years and you are getting along well and they may well ignore it. By telling people you work with - as I think everyone should, you run the risk of the employer finding out and not taking too kindly to it. I have always found that being open and honest has always paid off, although both times I did declare my diabetes I was applying for jobs in the public sector, who I feel are more likely to adhere to the DDA and not pay any attention to it. In some cases declaring you have a disability can help as there are quota's and employers can show they employ those with disabilities by employing you. Obviously it is up to you what you do, but I would be open and declare it at the application stage. Edit charlotte's post got in before me, and I wasn't aware of this new legislation - which may help, however, as far as I am aware, if you have absences that are due to a declared disability then they shouldn't count against you - I say shouldn't and in my organisation they don't. I still advocate openness.

Nov 9, 2010 charlotte77 11 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting Hi Heather - I'm diabetic and also work in HR so can help with your query. I share the same view as you and never declare the diabetes at any stage of recruitment. Without boring you with too much with legal jargon a new piece of legislation came in on the 1st October 2010 which prevents employers from asking questions during the application or interview process about health or sickness absence (unless its the Occupational Health part of the process and then its limited) . I think this is a good move as it protects anyone who may have needed to take absence (and lets face it there are not many people who haven't had to at some point) irrespective of the reasons why, from some unscrupulous employers! The only time employers are allowed to ask for health details is for equal opportunities monitoring and most organisations keep this information separate from the recruiting managers. Hope this helps. Charlotte

Nov 9, 2010 Heather B 20 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting Thanks for that. That sounds like a good plan.

Nov 9, 2010 chixystix 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! thanks guys, i've set my phone alarm and will keep you posted. x

Nov 9, 2010 chixystix 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting Hi Heather, I don't tend to declare my diabetes at all in job applications. I can't imagine it would count against you, but you just never know, and it's certainly unlikely to help you get a job. I don't put it on forms or mention it at interview. I just make sure when I start the job I tell the people who I'm going to be working with most closely, so they know what to do if I have a hypo. M x

Nov 9, 2010 Heather B 20 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Job Hunting Hello, I am going through a redundancy process at work just now and haven't had to job hunt since my diagnosis until now (I've been diagnosed for about a year and a half and have worked in my current job for 5 years). I've been applying for jobs like mad but am a bit unsure as to when you should (or need) to declare your diabetes to a prospective employer. So far I have been ticking 'no' to the question 'do you consider yourself to have a disability' (as I don't!) on application forms but then there is no other area on the forms to state that you have diabetes though. What do you do in these cases- do you declare your diabetes at the application stage (and state that you consider yourself to have a disability), at the interview stage, at the acceptance of a job offer stage, or not at all? I'm pretty confused about what to do and could do with some advice. Thanks.

Nov 9, 2010 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! As Simon says..............get your team involved and tell them what you have heard here, they can then give you the one to one advice on what to do with your BI..... When the BI doses get lost it does take around a week probably to get back on track, with all the testing and so on... Good Luck and keep us posted.......

Nov 9, 2010 SimonC 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! Chixystix The lantus really does need to be given at the same time daily - either once a day, if it is lasting, or, as a lot now do, twice a day - BUT at the same time every day. I set alarms on my phone for 0900 and 2100 to go off every day - when they go off I take my lantus - there is a bit of lee way ie 30 mins. I would start with finding a time of day that you can take your lantus - it is better every 12hours and give it a week of recording to see what happens. You also need to work out what amount of total background insulin you need and whether to split that evenly or have slightly more at one injection, but you need to keep the amount constant. Looking at the levels you vary between 6 units a day and 19 units a day. In general when you have had more BI then the numbers are lower later in the evening and the next day - although this isn't always bourne out. I would ask your team what they think your total daily BI should be, then start by halving it and taking half every 12hours, and then re visit it after a week or 2. good luck

Nov 9, 2010 chixystix 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! i'm on lantus.

Nov 9, 2010 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! I used to take my doses in the morning and beforte bed, but I then forced myself into the habit of taking it at breakfast and dinner so as to give me 12 hour coverage... What background insulin are you on?

Nov 9, 2010 chixystix 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! oh my god you're so right - i hadn't even noticed i was doing it. i'm taking it twice a day but just take it when i go to bed and when i wake up, which can really vary so it's definitely not 12 hours apart. I can't believe I hadn't noticed, i'm just so used to doing it that way. I'm changing as of today to take my BI at a set time so hopefully that will be a good start. I have a hospital appointment at the end of the month, but it's been over a year since I've had one (the waiting list at my hospital is ridiculous, but it's the only one nearby that does dafne) so i haven't had any help for ages.

Nov 8, 2010 caroline15 45 posts	Topic: General Discussion / App Thanks Simon, thinking about it I think that the fact her mum uses the site would be enough to put her off!! She's 14 and mum's mostly an embarrassment to her - lol. I'm using Diabetes Diary to keep her records, it's a little confusing at first using different apps for each of us but I'm sure I'll get used to it. She spent the weekend on the ward and her blood sugars greatly improved once she had access to food restricted, she's not overweight by any means but she soon would be if she'd continued eating as she did. Thanks again for your reply.

Nov 8, 2010 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! its hard to say when you are giving yourself 3 doses of background......im not saying thats wrong but its hard to tell whats working if the insulin isnt been given a chance to work the full 12hours........and I see sometimes is 3 doses, and sometimes its 1.....you really need 3-4 consistent days to spot a pattern... I think you should up your BI dose but only give yourself 2 doses, 12 hours apart. As your on a 1:1 throughout the day it would be nice to keep that, so its simpe, so adjusting the BI dose to me is the next step....... Has your diabetic team had an input?

Nov 8, 2010 Caroline 29 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carb free soups Hi I make my own carb free chicken soup (tiny amount of carbs) Its delicious. You will need 2oz butter, 2 onions, peeled and sliced, 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped, 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced, 2oz plain flour, 2 pints chicken stock, lb cooked chicken, skinned and shredded or cubed, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, salt and pepper. To make, melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently sweat the onions, celery and carrots until starting to soften. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring as you do so. Simmer for 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season , to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in parsley and serve. Enjoy on its own or with a warm bread roll. The whole pot of soup is 2cps and would generously serve 4 people (excluding the roll of course). So one helping would be 0.5 cp

Nov 8, 2010 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Site Development / DAFNE Online iPhone application - help with content/design needed Hi all, We've just released a bug fix version (1.2.1) and I'd advise you download it from the app store ASAP. This fixes a problem where the app wasn't uploading your injection site data to the DAFNE Online site diary properly. In the next day or so I'll release a new graph on the site which shows your injection site usage in a pie chart. Any entries you have input into the app so far won't have their injection site info synchronized to the site, so I urge you to update the app now. Apologies for this, I know it may be frustrating. In other news, version 1.3 - out in the next few weeks will contain the long-awaited Carbohydrate Portion list natively in the app. Simon

Nov 8, 2010 Simon 578 posts	Topic: General Discussion / iPhone App Hi Richard, Make sure you are pressing the 'Done' button on the keyboard before pressing 'Done' in the top right hand corner of the screen. This should save your changes properly. Thanks, Simon

Nov 8, 2010 richard.arkle 16 posts	Topic: General Discussion / iPhone App Have just got an iPhone and downloaded the app. Looks really good and simple but having trouble with the settings remembering the insulin/cho ratios. It dosnt seem to save them.

Nov 8, 2010 chixystix 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Help! Hello! I've been trying to be really good and write down all my blood tests the last two weeks so i can try and get my dafne control back but i don't know where to start. i'm yoyo-ing up and down really badly. I don't know if i should put my background up because i'm having hypos, but my pre-meals are all 8-13. Can anyone help? Mia x

Nov 8, 2010 Karl 83 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Travel to China I use Insure and go http://www.insureandgo.com/ . Medical screening can be done online.

Nov 8, 2010 charlotte77 11 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Travel to China Hi. I've been diabetic for over ten years and have always had travel insurance from American Express. The only thing I've ever had through them is travel insurance and it is always very competitive.

Nov 8, 2010 kid127 25 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Travel to China Thanks for the posts. It is a very good point JWo that I canâ€™t be the first person to have ever asked these questions. Iâ€™ve spoken to the nurses at my hospital and they are arranging a letter for me. Iâ€™ll look in to getting a translated letter made for my own peace of mind I think but wonâ€™t be too bothered if I canâ€™t get one. As I said I may just have been worrying unnecessarily Thanks for the info about the sugar as well. Definitely worth bearing in mind. I usually run myself a bit higher during holidays (aim for 6-10 rather than 4- to try to avoid hypoâ€™s but I may end up running a bit higher than that! Slightly off topic but can anyone recommend decent travel insurance for diabetics? Iâ€™ve had some ridiculous quotes in the past

Nov 8, 2010 addie 13 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Please sing to the tune of "How do you like your eggs in the Morning?" Excellent thread! got me analysing what I did at injection time again and realised I have become a wee biot lazt regarding reusing needles a couple of times, not rotating injection sites enough and generally being lazy! Thanks for this thread it is a very good topic!