# Diabetes and scaffolding



## Jgarrity (Jan 29, 2022)

Hi I am new to the group my name is james and I’m 37 and am type 1 diabetic and am a scaffolder just wondering if there are any other lads who are also scaffolders . It can be tough at times and would love to hear and maybe get advice from anyone out there in the same situation as me


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## Chris Hobson (Jan 29, 2022)

I've done some quite physical jobs in my younger days but that was long before I was diagnosed. I imagine that balancing glucose levels must be quite tricky for someone doing that kind of job for a full working day.


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## Bat5 (Jan 30, 2022)

Jgarrity said:


> Hi I am new to the group my name is james and I’m 37 and am type 1 diabetic and am a scaffolder just wondering if there are any other lads who are also scaffolders . It can be tough at times and would love to hear and maybe get advice from anyone out there in the same situation as me


Hi James
I work in the forestry industry and encounter the same issues. I sometimes wonder how we are expected to hold down a job. Since diagnosed i have never been able to put the same amount of effort into a days work as I would before I was type 1. If that makes sense?
I feel there are some experiences we could share and benefit from?
thanks


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## Jimmy2202 (Jan 30, 2022)

Jgarrity said:


> Hi I am new to the group my name is james and I’m 37 and am type 1 diabetic and am a scaffolder just wondering if there are any other lads who are also scaffolders . It can be tough at times and would love to hear and maybe get advice from anyone out there in the same situation as me



I work on roofs, scaffold & ladders every day.

This was the reason I had the freestyle libre prescribed to me not long after diagnoses. 

I don’t have any problems - just keep all your bits and pieces near by and check every hour that’s what I do.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 31, 2022)

Glad to hear Libre is helping you @Jimmy2202 - are you using Libre2 with the alarms?

I think you are still on insulin pens? We had a member for many years @HOBIE who was an electrician and always said he was ‘up and down ladders all day’ who was a long-term T1 and a firm advocate of insulin pumps, partly because of his physical job.


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## rayray119 (Jan 31, 2022)

I'm not a lad and not a scaffolder don't know if this post will help.  but I work as a steward(causal as and when job) which can mean being on my feet for hours at a time and using pens it differently does take some trial and error of handle it. I'm adjusting my insulin for days I'm working and trying to keep an eye on my blood sugars throughout the shift


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## Jimmy2202 (Jan 31, 2022)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Glad to hear Libre is helping you @Jimmy2202 - are you using Libre2 with the alarms?
> 
> I think you are still on insulin pens? We had a member for many years @HOBIE who was an electrician and always said he was ‘up and down ladders all day’ who was a long-term T1 and a firm advocate of insulin pumps, partly because of his physical job.


No - they have given me the Libre 1. 
So I don’t have the alarms, but it makes testing that much easier/quicker. 
Correct I have novarapid pens but I don’t inject during the work day as a 30g carb meal for example is enough to see me thru till the next meal. (God bless the honeymoon period)


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## Jgarrity (Jan 31, 2022)

Thank u everyone for your replies it’s nice to know I’m not on my own. Sorry for the lads comment I appreciate feedback from anyone in a similar situation to me lol. I hav been on the freestyle libre sensor for 6 weeks now after trying to qualify for the grant for the last few years they seemed to be a bit funny about giving it to certain areas of the country at one point or another. I have had to adjust my insulin so much my ratio for carbs to units is so different to days when I’m working to when I’m not and I hav pretty much reduced my levemir (long lastin insulin) by ten units in the morning.. I am always low at the end of every work period I hav quite a lot of pasta for my break and lunch does anyone hav any food reccomendations for a physical job  I know sometimes I should giv less insulin but there’s such a fine line between too much and not enough. I have been type 1 for 20 years and things still change out of the blue from time to time .does anyone else have changes in the amount of insulin they need ? 
Currently I have 18 units levemir in morning and 18 at night when I’m not working but 10 units in morning on a work day . Then prob 0.75 units of hunalog to every ten grams of carb on a day off and less than 0.5 units to 10 grams when I’m at work. Deep breath sorry to rattle on. 
Thanks everyone 
James


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## rayray119 (Jan 31, 2022)

Jgarrity said:


> Thank u everyone for your replies it’s nice to know I’m not on my own. Sorry for the lads comment I appreciate feedback from anyone in a similar situation to me lol. I hav been on the freestyle libre sensor for 6 weeks now after trying to qualify for the grant for the last few years they seemed to be a bit funny about giving it to certain areas of the country at one point or another. I have had to adjust my insulin so much my ratio for carbs to units is so different to days when I’m working to when I’m not and I hav pretty much reduced my levemir (long lastin insulin) by ten units in the morning.. I am always low at the end of every work period I hav quite a lot of pasta for my break and lunch does anyone hav any food reccomendations for a physical job  I know sometimes I should giv less insulin but there’s such a fine line between too much and not enough. I have been type 1 for 20 years and things still change out of the blue from time to time .does anyone else have changes in the amount of insulin they need ?
> Currently I have 18 units levemir in morning and 18 at night when I’m not working but 10 units in morning on a work day . Then prob 0.75 units of hunalog to every ten grams of carb on a day off and less than 0.5 units to 10 grams when I’m at work. Deep breath sorry to rattle on.
> Thanks everyone
> James


Youre much more experienced then me then . will be 5 months this friday.


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## rebrascora (Jan 31, 2022)

Jgarrity said:


> I have been type 1 for 20 years and things still change out of the blue from time to time .does anyone else have changes in the amount of insulin they need ?
> Currently I have 18 units levemir in morning and 18 at night when I’m not working but 10 units in morning on a work day . Then prob 0.75 units of hunalog to every ten grams of carb on a day off and less than 0.5 units to 10 grams when I’m at work. Deep breath sorry to rattle on.


That is interesting. I tend to find that I need a lot of Levemir in the morning (currently 24-26 units) but I need to dial my evening dose back following days when I have been particularly active. My evening dose is anywhere from 0-7 units Levemir. 
I follow a low carb way of eating and find that protein and fat provide steady slow release energy along with my liver to keep me going through the day, but my muscles seem to suck all the glucose out of my blood on a night whilst I sleep to replenish their stores, even if I am down to 0 units on a night. 
I need to be careful with my bolus insulin during the day if I am active but with being low carb I don't use a lot anyway, so I get the odd "free meal". Eggs are great for me for providing slow release glucose (takes about 2 hours to start releasing though) and cream in my coffee and cheese and then just a piece of dried fruit here and there to top up if need be.


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## Peely66 (Feb 1, 2022)

I worked as a decorator and then, briefly, as a stonemason and lots of ladder work and up and down scaffolding all day. I just had to cut my lunch insulin mainly and always had a bottle of full strength lucozade not far away. I'm not that old, 55 now, but I don't think I could do it anymore as I've got problems with my hands and have moved into care work which has different challenges but doesn't hammer my body quite as much.  I think just glossing the occasional door and emulsioning a wall is about it for me now.  Scaffolding always looked such bloody hard work I take my hat off to you doing it with type 1.


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## Jgarrity (Feb 1, 2022)

rebrascora said:


> That is interesting. I tend to find that I need a lot of Levemir in the morning (currently 24-26 units) but I need to dial my evening dose back following days when I have been particularly active. My evening dose is anywhere from 0-7 units Levemir.
> I follow a low carb way of eating and find that protein and fat provide steady slow release energy along with my liver to keep me going through the day, but my muscles seem to suck all the glucose out of my blood on a night whilst I sleep to replenish their stores, even if I am down to 0 units on a night.
> I need to be careful with my bolus insulin during the day if I am active but with being low carb I don't use a lot anyway, so I get the odd "free meal". Eggs are great for me for providing slow release glucose (takes about 2 hours to start releasing though) and cream in my coffee and cheese and then just a piece of dried fruit here and there to top up if need be.


Thanks for the feedback Some good points for me to think about nice one


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## Jgarrity (Feb 1, 2022)

Peely66 said:


> I worked as a decorator and then, briefly, as a stonemason and lots of ladder work and up and down scaffolding all day. I just had to cut my lunch insulin mainly and always had a bottle of full strength lucozade not far away. I'm not that old, 55 now, but I don't think I could do it anymore as I've got problems with my hands and have moved into care work which has different challenges but doesn't hammer my body quite as much.  I think just glossing the occasional door and emulsioning a wall is about it for me now.  Scaffolding always looked such bloody hard work I take my hat off to you doing it with type 1.


Thanks for the feedback I find it hard completely cutting out insulin I think it’s more in my head it just doesn’t seem right and if I do 1 unit I never feel it’s enough always feel more comfortable with 2 but yea I always hav a bottle of lucozade sport wiv me and pretty much use it every day. I get on fairly well and I like the graft I just wanted to reach out to see who is in the same boat because I can’t help but feel work life could be a lot easier with the right tips . The libre has been a life saver to be honest over the years Iv had some quite severe hypos at work and always found when I had 1 I would have a few more the same week.


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## helli (Feb 1, 2022)

@Jgarrity do you have a half unit pen?
If not, I recommend you request one (or two so you have a spare). When you are sensitive to insulin, it is often useful to be able to dose half a unit. 
I assume you have reusable pens, hence the suggestion for two so that you have a spare.


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## rayray119 (Feb 3, 2022)

the problem with me making a plan to adjust to working.  is that shift times change so I make a plan in what I'm going to do to adjust then the times change so I have to reformulate a plan.


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