A diabetic discrimination story...
I have rearely told this story to anyone because of embarrassment and shame. But I'd like to share it with other diabetics to get it off my chest.
In 1983 I was dxd with T1 at age 23. I worked for an aircraft parts manufacrurer in a department in which the work was in a very hot environment and the work itself was very heavy part of the time, very inactive the rest of the time. This work environment made it absolutely necessary to test often. There were people I worked with that complained that they didn't like me testing around them, so I began leaving the work area to test.
One of my bosses was a poorly controlled T2 (this is not an indictment on T2s) who got together with a couple other supervisors to "monitor and correct" my abuse of my condition. Over the course of a few months it became more and more apparent that I was being followed and that my testing and correction of lows with sugar was being "documented". I was told by another D that I was being targeted for termination and to watch out. I was so afraid I'd lose my job because jobs were so hard to find at that time. I began having crashes and leaving for the breakroom more often so they stepped up the surveillance and intimidation. Finally, one night I was fired.
I hired a lawyer and eventually after some damning depositions , the company oofered a settlement that I accepted. There was so much shame and embarrassment associated with that experience that it has been difficult to think or talk about since.
Anyone else identify with this? Any comments on similar situations? Marps started a recent discussion that made me think of this. Thanks for listening.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by jennifer on -
Thank you for making me laugh lmao and for making me feel normal cause believe you me i will give someone the shirt of my back but if you knock on my door the wrong way i will go to any extreme it takes to teach the ignorant. I always have a little chuckle before i go into the school because they seem afraid of what i might say if i feel they have done something wrong. It felt so good to freak on them :) I told them you punish the children when they are misbehaving or send them to detention if they have not finished there homework so I said what should be your punishment for humilating my family and for you not doing your home work on what diabetes is and the side affects of it. I have freaked on so many people in my life i can not keep count but when I freak i try to give good examples so there thick skulls can understand it in english and i ask them if they would like me to learn to say it in other languages just in case they do not understand!
-
Permalink Reply by Julie Ann h on -
Oh Virgil, I am so sorry you went through that horrible experience. As if we can do anything about the fact we have diabetes - and take care of ourselves or not, it still requires some understanding. Another crime against humanity. You shouldn't feel ashamed or embarrassed. But I understand where you are coming from. Yes, this has come up MORE times than I can count. Once I was having such a severe low that I needed to go to the break room and put my feet up. I was so cold that I brought my coat and wrapped it around me. I closed my eyes because it felt better to close them while I was reeling from being super dizzy. Well, someone must have poked their head in (I didn't notice because I was low & my eyes were closed) and told the big boss about this because I was called into her office a few days later for "sleeping on the job" & that my coworkers (petty people they were) felt I was using my diabetes as an excuse - for "what" exactly they never said, but it was incredible! My integrity was on the line & I reminded my boss that the Americans with Disabilities Act was instituted for just such reasons! I was so angry!!!! What a bunch of nasty people I worked with! One lady used to say to me when I drank a juice box to fix a low, "Look at you, drinking your juice just like a little kid. My God." The insensitivity to one's fellow man shown to me at times in my life has been incredibly disheartening and depressing. I don't work there any more - I finally quit because of all the B.S. I am an exemplary employee & have been in a fabulous work environment for over two years. I appreciate my good fortune in having the job I do because I love it.
Some people are so unkind!!! I don't know how they live with themselves! I know if I feel I've hurt someone's feelings I feel hurt myself. To deliberately try to hurt or undermine someone when they mean you no harm is appalling & it would haunt me for years to do that! It's my least favorite thing about people. Ugh. Enough of that. Thank you for sharing your story Virgil. Thank you for listening to mine too.
-
Permalink Reply by Linda G on -
Sigh....so sad that there are people like those. I think with some, it comes so naturally that they're not even aware of their cruel behaviour. With others, it's a climb up the rungs of the ladder...telling the boss on you, or the other; making a comment to make herself superior and likely loud enough so that others would be made aware of your major faux pas. They're so focused on hurting and getting ahead, that they don't even see, OR CARE TO SEE the reason why you do things the way you do. It's to the point that we almost have to carry a sign of sorts to make others aware that what we are doing at that moment is done to treat a medical condition. I big sign hanging from my neck that reads "LOW". Did you ever see the movie starring Demi Moore, in which she was made to wear a sign that sported a huge letter "A" for adulteress?
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next ›
Advertisement
REsources
Groups
From the Diabetes Hands Foundation blog...
Together, We Can Get Diabetes Co-Stars to 10,000 Views!
Above is a photo of Diabetes Hands Foundation’s own Manny Hernandez with the stars of the Diabetes Co-Stars Video, “Strength in Numbers.” In case you haven’t heard the news yet, there is a new video making it’s way through the …Continue Reading
Congratulations Diabetes Advocates Scholarship Recipients!
The Diabetes Hands Foundation and Diabetes Advocates Program is proud to announce and congratulate the members of DA who were granted scholarships to attend diabetes conferences in 2013! Thanks to a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, in 2013 we were …Continue Reading
TuDiabetes Team
DHF STAFF
 Manny Hernandez(Co-Founder, Editor, has LADA)
|
DHF VOLUNTEERS
Lead Administrator
 Bradford (has type 1) |
Administrators
 Lorraine (mother of type 1) |
 Marie B (has type 1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIKE us on Facebook
Spread the word
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
© 2013 A community of people touched by diabetes, run by the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
