Only a few people where I work know I have type 1 diabetes. It’s just one of those things I only share with folks I’m close to (for a variety of reasons). Anyway, we were having a little party at work the other day and someone brought in some cupcakes as a treat. Sometimes I’ll allow myself to indulge, but my BG had been in the 200s all day, so I didn’t tempt fate.
Anyway, “coworker A” (who does not know I have T1D) noticed I wasn’t having a cupcake and commented that I was “disciplined.” Coworker B joined in the conversation and the conversation turned into a discussion about healthy eating.
Coworker A turned to me and said something like (in reference to my not having a cupcake and generally eating fairly healthy), "Well, at least you’ll never have to worry about getting diabetes or anything.”
“Exactly,” I replied.
I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I wasn’t in the mood to go into the differences of T1D and T2D and how I have had T1D since I was 3. But I laughed all the way home…
Well this coworker can be forgiven for making such a crass remark if she did not know.
What bugs me are the people who keep asking if I should be eating this or that? Or why won’t you eat that … or comment on my brittle diabetes - “you are not doing much to control that, are you?” in a nasty tone - and this is someone from church! Grrrr. Another one is “What are you eating that for? You will get fat!” (this when I had been diagnosed and also had gone down to 6 1/2 stones!) - and the food that I was eating (with difficulty) was fish on toast!
I, too, practise restraint in who I inform of my condition.
One time a coworker in the lunchroom was talking to me and my mom–both Type 1’s who worked together at the time (but she didn’t know that)–that she is at risk for a whole bunch of things…and the worst part was “I could even be at risk for diabetes. That’s so scary. Do you know how bad that is?” She had this very emotional tone, and both me and mom kept a straight face and comforted her…laughed later.
Oh, I wasn’t mad at coworker A. I just found it hilarious, and a good example of the misconceptions out there about diabetes in general. I blame the media, because they rarely distinguish between the types of diabetes, and instead just lump them all into one category despite the fact that they are very different diseases. Even among Type 1s there is variation, as not everyone with Type 1 has the autoimmune form.
Anyway, even funnier was that coworker B (who was part of the conversation) does know I have T1D and I think she saw me stifling my laughter.
Hahaha! That’s a good one. Just curious, but why do you not share that you have T1D with others? For me, it’s just at work that I practice some restraint, and for years this was largely due to the fact that I didn’t want my D to ever be a reason for not getting a promotion or another job. I’ve always been really scared that someone would use it as an excuse not to hire me (even subconciously), either for fear that I couldn’t do my job or fear that I would raise a company’s health insurance premiums.
Many many times over the past 30+ years I’ve had diabetes, I’ve gotten a lecture from someone (who didn’t know I was diabetic) about how awful it would be, to be diabetic. And they tell me it would be even worse if they were Type 1 (well, early on it was called “juvenile diabetes” but more often the speaker uses the term “the bad kind of diabetes”) and had to take shots.
EVERY SINGLE TIME: I just bite my tongue and nod.
I think there’s a place for healthy diabetes awareness advocacy and I try to set a good example, but when faced with attitudes like that… that’s just beyond my limit to handle.
Yeah, sometimes I feel bad that I’m not more of a D-advocate. I feel partially like it’s almost my responsibility to educate folks. Sometimes I do, especially if the person isn’t being flat-out ignorant but has general questions about how the disease works, how I manage it, etc. For example, a coworker who does know I have T1D asked me some really thoughtful questions about my pump (like how it works, what benefit it provides for me over MDI, etc). I was happy to answer those questions because they were technical and thoughtful.
But when faced with blatantly ignorant comments (including comments that refer to the “bad kind of diabetes” or diabetes being caused by excessive sugar intake, etc), I usually just don’t say anything. Because anything I do say might be a snarky…
I was “resting my eyes” in the library today after a late breakfast and someone came and shook me awake and asked me if I had had nice dreams - still have no idea who she was. Talk got on to diabetes and she said, well I will never get it because I do not eat too many sweets! I nearly blew a gasket but warned her quietly that she should never, ever make judgements based on ignorance!
The funny part of this to me is that all the people I work with including all the students I teach (I teach adults) know I have T2 diabetes because I tell them. I tell them how to tell that I might be having a low BG. If I do have a donut or other treat I may get looks but no one has ever come up to me and commented to me about anything I am eating. My problem is I can be very blunt with people, especially when they need to mind their own business. So I generally don’t say anything at all.
This made me snicker! And I love how your response could very easily be taken in both ways! It’s like…a play with words…of sorts.
And sad thing is, I do that too. Only difference, my best friends know while non of my relatives have a clue. Something about…not wanting them to pity me for something which I do not consider worth pitying over (my mom’s advice which I grew to agreeing on. Made me feel good about listening to her that time )
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