Pulse - September 2022 - 15

Kasey Lilefield
Kasey Littlefield, an overnight veterinary technician
at Orange County Emergency Clinic,
has been a Type 1 diabetic since she was six
years old.
" I've been living with diabetes all my life, " she said.
" I'm on insulin multiple times a day. I also have a glucose
monitor that constantly tells me what my blood sugar is. "
She started her career in veterinary medicine in 1997
at the same clinic where she is now employed. " I've
worked primarily in emergency medicine and critical
care, " she said, " although I've done a little bit of everything. "
She has been an RVT since 2006.
" Dealing with diabetes while I'm working can be
challenging, " Kasey said. " It never goes away and I always
have to think about it. If I'm going in for what might
be a long surgery, I have to think about my blood sugar
level and whether I need to eat or give myself insulin
before it starts.
" I can't ever forget to bring my lunch with me. I
always have to know where there's something I can eat
in an emergency. I let the people around me know that
I'm diabetic. They need to understand that it's not me
wanting to take an extra break if I say I need to stop and
eat or give myself insulin. "
She has had awkward exchanges with colleagues when
she has had to give herself an insulin shot. " I carry insulin
syringes with me. And I have had people express shock
when I pulled one out of my purse and started injecting
myself. And I have had to stop and say: 'I'm diabetic and
this is my insulin.'
" That was an awkward conversation when I was
younger but now it's automated. I'm very lucky that, if
I seem a bit wobbly, the people I work with will ask:
'Do you need to sit down for a second? Do you need a
snack? Are you feeling OK?'
" The people and the doctors I work with are very
understanding. I try to keep things under control but
sometimes, if I've been running around for a couple of
hours and my blood sugar drops, I feel like I'm letting
my colleagues down, if I have to stop in the middle of
my shift because I'm getting shaky or because my glucose
monitor is going off. "
If blood sugar issues sideline her, it takes about 10
minutes for her to get back on the floor, she said. " I've
been very lucky that I haven't had a seizure or coma as
an adult. That's one of the reasons I tell my colleagues:
'Hey, if you ever see these signs, these are the emergency
steps you need to take.
PULSE
SEPTEMBER 2022
" I'm a night person and the hours I work - 8 p.m. to
6 a.m. - have probably been the hardest part of being
diabetic. If you're a diabetic, human doctors want you to
be awake and eating breakfast at 8 a.m. with lunch at 1
p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. I've had a lot of conversations
where I've said: 'This is my schedule. I'm not going to
base my life around being diabetic. I'm going to work
diabetes around the life I have. That's caused some conflicts
with my medical providers. " Kasey said.
" Diabetes is a lot easier to take care of now than it
was in the old days when we didn't have glucose monitors
and we didn't have different types of insulin. The
way to treat it was to stay on a strict regimen. That's hard
to do and keep the flexibility you need for emergency
medicine.
" There are plenty of diabetics who work their whole
lives around being diabetic. And it just doesn't seem right
for me, " she said. " I am diabetic but that doesn't define
who I am.
" I've tried to have a more stable life. I tried to go into
general practice and I wasn't happy. If you're at the emergency
clinic at 3 a.m., you are there because you love it.
" Those of us with chronic diseases - be it MS or diabetes
- have a whole diverse range of things to deal with.
And I hope people can give us a little grace and realize
we're carrying a little bit of an extra burden but we're
doing our best. "
She said that it can be irritating when people worry
too much. Somebody once brought donuts to the animal
hospital and " I allowed myself to eat one. And it was 'Oh
my gosh, should you be eating that?' and I'm thinking,
I've got enough to worry about. You worry about what
you eat and I'll worry about what I eat. I know how
to work my blood sugar and it's OK for me to have a
cookie once in a while. "
" I'm not going to base my
life around being diabetic.
I'm going to work diabetes
around the life I have. "
15
Pulse - September 2022

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