The Diabetes Community at mySugr

To work at mySugr means to work with people that want to make diabetes suck less. Our team currently includes 20 people with diabetes. While not all of us here at mySugr live with diabetes, it’s still so important to us to create a working environment where people with diabetes feel understood, respected, and supported. After all, mySugr is by people with diabetes, for people with diabetes. We spoke to some of our wonderful in-house Monster Tamer’s to find out exactly what makes the mySugr diabetes community so great.

“Well I for one, am very happy that people help out my ass when I run out of certain supplies again or my delivery is late. If I would not work in this environment, I would probably have a way bigger problem every time. Thanks everyone! I think every single one of you has helped me out already at a certain point.”

- Jens

Jens lives with type 1 diabetes and told us how grateful he is to have colleagues he can reach out to if he runs out of diabetes supplies. There’s always a fellow diabuddy willing to help out. The fact that other colleagues understand just how important it is to have the right supplies means that they’re always more than happy to help. No questions asked.

The ability to be so open about diabetes in the workplace is also a massive part of what makes our community so great. Juli, who lives with type 1 diabetes, said that she really appreciates internal exchange sessions with her colleagues where they discuss their experiences and challenges. There’s also a dedicated online chat channel for colleagues with diabetes where they can ask questions, share information, and reach out if they need something.

Another great practice we have here at mySugr is our ‘Diabetes Sucks’ story at our weekly Show and Tell meeting. A colleague living with diabetes is free to share a story that highlights their challenges with diabetes, whether that be taking diabetes on the road or exercising with diabetes. The purpose of this is to remind us all how and why diabetes sucks. For those colleagues living with diabetes this is a great way to identify with other people’s experiences. For those that don’t live with diabetes, it raises awareness and reminds us exactly why we do what we do here at mySugr.

Consti, who lives with type 1 diabetes, told us that having colleagues with an understanding of diabetes helps him feel much safer in the workplace. We all know what to do if someone has low blood sugar and we know exactly what they mean when they tell us they’re too high. Working in an environment where you know someone always has your back is wonderful and is exactly what we set out to achieve at mySugr.

“For me, it is the first time that I am working in a workplace with people with diabetes, and I love it. First and foremost, I feel secure, safe, and comfortable, knowing that people around me know my condition and help if needed. It makes a huge difference in living a normal life without hiding anything. Secondly, I love the casual discussions about diabetes topics with others while having a coffee or over lunch. Third, being surrounded by so many people with diabetes who deal with it for a long time is a fantastic knowledge pool I like to tap into. Finally, since there are so many of us, it also affects many other colleagues without diabetes. They become more interested and understanding. It really influences the whole company. Thanks to everyone for making diabetes suck less.”

- Consti

Sarah-Maria also told us how grateful she is to be surrounded by supportive and empathetic colleagues. At mySugr there’s no judgement. It’s no big deal to inject in the office, or for a meter to start beeping during a meeting. At mySugr, we want our Monster Tamer’s to feel as comfortable managing their diabetes in the office as they are at home.

“I feel like I am in a very unique and fortunate situation, living life in an awesome bubble. Of course, I have to remind myself that this is not the normal situation for many people living with diabetes- that is why I appreciate it so much. There is no difference for me managing my diabetes at home vs. in the office. Everybody knows about the struggles and is super empathetic and supportive. No judgment or feeling of competition, at all. Many times we help each other out with supplies, advice or just by being there to complain about life with diabetes. It really puts your mind at ease knowing you have such a great network at hand. Finally, I feel like we really can make a difference for others in the company and help remind them why diabetes sucks and why our work really matters.”

-Sarah-Maria, living with type 1 diabetes.

Having this support system in the office is great, but we also didn’t forget about the practical side of things. You can always find a healthy, low carb snack in the mySugr kitchen, while the refrigerator is packed with juice and soda for when a low blood sugar strikes. In fact, the butter compartment in the fridge is also full of insulin. Great for people with diabetes. Bad for people trying to make a sandwich.

Having a diabetes community to identify with is both valuable and important. We’re so proud to have created our little bubble here at mySugr, where people with diabetes feel safe, understood, and comfortable managing their diabetes at work. There’s always someone on hand to help out and there’s never any judgement if you're a couple of minutes late to a meeting because of a bad low. We focus on embracing our colleagues that live with diabetes and educating those that don’t so we can all work better together to make diabetes suck less.