Insulin in my purse – Life as a diabetic, professional working woman in India

Every morning, before stepping out of my Kolkata flat, I check that I have 3 things:

1. My phone
2. My wallet
3. My insulin pen

I also typically carry (alongside my lipstick and ID card) a small blue pouch with my insulin, a strip of tablets, a biscuit in case of sugar dips, and a folded piece of paper with my emergency contact.

To the world, I appear to be any working woman in the city. But hidden in my handbag is the reality that I live with every day – I’m a diabetic.

And every day, I’m trying to hold my body and my career together without letting one destroy the other.

A commute balanced with carbs

I leave for work at 8.45am and take a 40-minute bus ride to my office in Salt Lake.

Some mornings are peaceful, others are rough. The heat, the crowds, the delays – All of it has an impact on my sugar level.

If I skip breakfast to save time, I feel the sugar crash halfway through the bus ride.

If I eat too much, I spend the rest of my day battling blood sugar spikes.

One time, I fainted on the bus. A kind stranger gave me water and helped me call my office. Because of that incident, I now carry sugar candies and snacks. I’m also now much more aware of the fact that I can’t take my condition lightly.

Lunch breaks and silent adjustments

At work, I don’t talk much about my diabetes – I don’t want pity, the whispers, or special treatment.

During lunch, when my colleagues order biryani or Chinese takeout, I open a home-cooked tiffin containing 2 rotis, sabzi (vegetables), and sometimes a boiled egg. I avoid rice (even though I love it), and I watch the dessert tray from afar.

Sometimes my colleagues ask me why I eat so lightly. I smile and say it keeps me energetic. I don’t tell them it’s because my blood sugar reading this morning was 175 mg/dl (a nondiabetic’s is typically <100) and I’m trying to keep it in check.

After lunch, I excuse myself to the restroom to take my insulin. It’s quick, quiet, and I’ve practised enough to do it without fumbling. I used to feel shy about it, but now I just do it – Because this is what my body needs.

The clash of office culture and my condition

Corporate life in India isn’t exactly diabetic friendly. Late-night projects, team dinners, birthday cake surprises, chai breaks with samosas – None of it goes well with diabetes.

I have to plan constantly. If I know there’s going to be cake, I cut my carbs beforehand. If there’s an evening meeting, I carry an extra roti.

One evening, my team had a work dinner at a hotel buffet. Everyone was excited. But I looked at the spread (rice, fried food, desserts), and realised there wasn’t much for me.

I took a plate of grilled vegetables and dal and sat down quietly. A colleague joked, “Why are you eating like a monk?” I laughed it off, but deep inside, I felt a sting.

It’s not about food. It’s about feeling different.

Hormones, deadlines and sugar swings

There are days when I’m in perfect control.

And there are days when my sugar suddenly drops in the middle of a presentation – My hands shake, my head spins, I pause, sip on juice, and keep going.

Being a woman adds another layer. During PMS, my sugar goes up, my moods swing, and my readings are unpredictable. But work doesn’t stop for hormones or hypoglycaemic episodes, and neither does life.

There have been days when I’ve smiled through a client call while silently fighting dizziness. Or handled a project deadline after a sleepless night of high sugar levels.

No one sees these battles. But I fight them anyway.

Dating with diabetes

Last year, I met someone at work. We talked, went for coffee and got close.

Then one evening, I told him about my diabetes. He nodded, and said it was okay – But after that, things changed.

He stopped asking me out to dinner and inviting me to group hangouts. He never said anything cruel, but I could see the hesitation and knew he was pulling away.

Eventually, we drifted apart. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

But part of me still wonders if it would have been different if I hadn’t mentioned the insulin pen in my purse.

The strength I carry with me

Living with diabetes while working full time isn’t easy. It’s a job within a job – Planning meals, tracking sugar levels, and making decisions your colleagues don’t even know you’re making.

But it’s also made me stronger, more disciplined, and more aware of my body.

I don’t have the freedom to be careless. But I do have the power to be careful.

I’ve learned to:

• speak up when I need rest,
• say no to the second cup of tea,
• and keep moving forward, even when my feet feel like lead.

Not just surviving – Thriving

When I think of my life, I don’t consider myself just ‘surviving with diabetes’ – I’m living with it, working with it, and thriving despite it.

Yes, I may carry insulin in my purse. But I also carry confidence, determination, and hope.

I know there are thousands of women like me, juggling work, life, health, and expectations. To each of them, I want to say you’re not weak, and you’re not alone.

You’re a warrior in office shoes.