A change would do me good

On Monday, I’ll be starting a new job. (The job change itself has nothing to do with diabetes, though I still hope to work in a role that somehow relates to it, someday). But the switch does have some diabetes related implications.

First, I’ll be transitioning from a field-related job to a desk job. This means less time on my feet and more time in a chair. It will likely translate into less exercise, and therefore higher blood sugars. That, in turn, will lead to higher basal insulin rates. This is not a good thing.

But, being in an office environment means that I’ll have a desk rather than a backpack. There will be my own space, in a climate-controlled environment, where I can stash backup insulin, glucose tabs, and even meters, without  fear of them getting lost, broken, or cooked. That’s a good thing. (It’s also easier on my back!).

Also, I can better choose what to eat for lunch, rather than grabbing fast-food from wherever I happen to be at the time. That’s also a good thing.

The new office is just ten minutes from home… a very good thing — for many reasons.

Sometimes, however, I’ll need to travel to the New York City office (not a good thing. Trust me, the novelty wears off quickly). However, I know another T1D who works in that Manhattan office, which is a good thing.

Side Story: He and I worked together at a different company a few years ago. Neither knew about the other’s diabetes. But when we had an office pizza-lunch one day, he saw me pressing some buttons on my pump and rallied “Doin’ the Dual Wave!“. That’s how the connection was made.

Image source: nycsubway.org

I won’t be climbing aboard PATH trains from track level, from dirty, dingy tunnel corridors beneath the floor of the Hudson River anymore. And won’t be licking steel brake-dust from my fingertips before testing my blood sugar. That is definitely a good thing. (There’s speculation that being near the trains and 500-kV third rail may have lead to pump Motor Errors, though the timing of the two makes me doubtful.)

But desk jobs tend to make me restless. I often feel the need to get up and walk around, and usually “around” mean to the coffee machine. The extra caffeine tends to make me even more restless. It’s a vicious cycle.

* * *

Of course, with a new job comes a new insurance plan. This plan is better than the plan at my old job (which was none at all). Their most basic plan, a high-deductible-then-coinsurance type plan, has no out-of-paycheck cost at all (for the employee).

For the last few years, I’ve been on my wife’s company’s plan. They’ve been good to me and cover everything I need (except for medical adhesives, but I’m OK with that). I plan to stay on her plan, but wonder if there’s a benefit to taking the one from my employer as well. After all, it doesn’t cost me anything extra. But I have no idea how the primary-secondary insurance thing works, and somehow I think it will just complicate things, and I may end up paying more for my stuff in the end.

Does anyone have experience with being on two plans, and is it worth it? Could it work out worse than just being on one of them?

The new job offers life insurance, too. I’ll probably buy as much as they’re willing to sell me — which (history shows) won’t be a lot, but is better than nothing. Hopefully, buying this policy turns out to be an enormous waste of money.

They’re choices I didn’t have before, so  I suppose they’re good.

* * *

I’m hoping this change doesn’t have an effect on my DOC participation and blogging. I won’t have as much down-time in the middle of the day as I used to, but since I will no longer be bringing my work home with me (or so I’m led to believe), hopefully the time will shift but not decrease.

It’s always tough deciding on a job change… even when D doesn’t enter the picture. But in the end, I think this will be a good move on all counts.

Except for the shirt-and-tie dress code. That’s not so good.