I’ve noticed that it really irritates me when people without diabetes talk about sugar spikes and insulin as if they are experts. Does anyone else feel this way? I know it comes from the fact that us PWDs deal with these things on a daily, even hourly basis. So when I hear someone say “increased insulin levels are unhealthy” my internal reaction is something to the affect of, “at least your pancreas produces insulin so you can have increased levels if you need it.” Also the typical “too much sugar wreaks havoc on your pancreas and leads to diabetes.”
Of course people are entitled to talk about this and give their opinions, but I’m curious if other people with diabetes get annoyed by it considering the condition we’re living with every moment of every day.
I work in a healthy grocery store AND wear an insulin pump, so everyone asks/has an opinion. I usually smile and nod as long as they aren't being mean. Hell, even if they are being mean I try and let it go. The people who actually work with me usually talk WITH me instead of AT me and anyone who won't isn't worth my energy. Long story short, yes. It irritates me, but if I let it get to me I'd be irritated far too much :P
Well Matti, I do get aggravated at insensitivity of others but then I take the stance, if I stayed angry or upset at the ignorance of others then I would angry all the time (lol). It is hard not be a little sensitive though...but those who live with diabetes know when they encounter those people who act the way you describe. If one is ignorant, they just do not know. If one is insensitive, just ask them, how often they check their glucose and/or what has been their highest level or lowest. I find most of the old school peeps think you cannot eat sweets at all...but that is what they were taught. I have had to educate some of my family as well.
Oh and I must add that I overheard one making a joke about being a diabetic after a meal at a restaurant. That person was insensitive and stupid for such a loud remark.
It's difficult not to want to punch people sometimes. I've had to deal with friends, family members, and even co-workers making comments on MY diet as if they are the ones who have to go through the pain and trials of constant balancing and dealing with temptation and worrying about lows and highs.
I do try to remember that most of the time they are just trying to be helpful...most of the time. But like Amy said, I just smile and let it go, it's not worth it to get upset.
The only time this annoys me is when people talk about having low blood sugar. I know what they mean - they're hungry and irritable and maybe even a bit woozy because they haven't eaten in a while. But it annoys me that they call it "low blood sugar" when they have not tested, have no diagnosis, and have no real idea what *real* low blood sugar feels like.
But I never say anything when this comes up. I just try not to do the same thing with other diseases (i.e., I don't say I have a "migraine" unless I have an actual migraine and not just a headache; I don't say I have an allergy unless I have an actual allergy and not just an intolerance/sensitivity/dislike, and so on).
Well some people without diabetes really do have hypoglycemia, but it's almost never as severe or as bad as what we have. I have a few friends with reactive hypoglycemia .Though I think all of my friends with this condition understand reactive hypoglycemia is different than diabetic hypoglycemia. The big difference being diabetic hypos are treated with high glycemic index foods to rapidly bring up the blood sugar before it gets life threatening , reactive hypos require the person to eat a lower glycemic index diet because the reactive part is their body reacting to the high glycemic index foods. Still a crappy thing to have go on, but not the same as my incredibly crappy illness.
I get irritated by people who talk about diabetes AND aren't educated at all on the disease. I love my CDE and she's not a diabetic at all but seems to have a very understanding of the disease, likely because she's been working with it for close to 30 years of her life. People like her are the okay kind of non-diabetics that talk about diabetes.
The not okay ones are the idiot ones like what you mention that INSIST that sugar and diet is the only thing behind all types of diabetes . I understand that sugar might play a role in type 2 but it's like a small part of a complex picture. Both Type 1 and type 2 are very complex and to bring it down to just being entirely about sugar is pure stupidity.
True, but the context in which I most often hear non-diabetics talking about low blood sugar (rather than "hypoglycemia" which implies they actually know something about what they're talking about) is when people are in a meeting or something and haven't eaten for several hours, and tell the group they have to take a break and eat to get their blood sugar up, or they're feeling woozy because their blood sugar is low.
But, as I said, I always keep quiet and just try not to do the same thing to other diseases. :)
The office manager at my doctor's office said I did not need an insulin pump. I simply needed to eat a peanut butter sandwich before going to bed every night!
Insulin Shock = the reaction at the retail cost of insulin.
And as far as this thread is concerned, I just think to myself there is no cure for diabetes, but even worse there is no cure for stupid and nobody seems to take the cure for rudeness.
Nice older phlebotomist at my GP's office: "Oh dear, I see he's got you booked for an A1C test. Don't worry, I can tell just by looking at you that you can't possibly have diabetes!"
However, the reason it annoys me is because they are often dealing with snippets of valid information in a context of ignorance, and say things that are "truthish" but not accurate.
For example, lots of insulin (hyperinsulinemia) is bad, and leads to all sorts of metabolic problems, including increased insulin resistance (a real catch-22).
Gobs of carbs (sugar) does not in and of itself cause diabetes. However, if one has metabolic syndrome and/or genetic predisposition to insulin resistance, chronic heavy carb loads can lead to the conditions (IR, beta cell exhaustion/decay) that eventually become diabetes.
I read a novel about a teen with TD1 who was always hypo but needing his insulin because he was in "insulin shock". My only shock is when I hit a nerve with my needle lol
Now I wante4d to buy some candy-themed fabric, makes some scrubs (easy to sew) and wear them - I guess that's what a diabetic looks like: Sugar Coated!
