So I just had a coworker tell me that he tells his kids (13, 10,and 6)when they bug him for extra sweets and stuff no because they might get childhood diabetes, and then they would be like me, and have to do all the pain in the butt stuff that I have to do, and wear all these things (insulin pump and CGM). When he told me that, since we work in medicine, I was honestly just in shock and I stared at him. He felt awkward and followed up with "because they like you and you're the only person that they know with diabetes. I'm 31 with type 1.
First of all, lucky them that I'm the only one that they know! Second, I didn't say anything at the time because I was so in shock, but if he ever brings it up again I will. It's too late to say anything now. To me it's insensitive, but it wasn't mean spirited. My concern is that his kids will end up with some classmate who wears an insulin pump and then THEY will say insensitive things to that kid because they heard it from their dad.
I was ordering salmon in a restaurant and it came with a baked potato. I asked the waitress if she could substitute another vegetable like broccoli. My friend interjected that I'm diabetic (which is a bit annoying in itself), and she responded that the potato would be fine for me since it didn't have any sugar in it...
When someone makes a remark like that potato comment to me, I ask them, as sincerely and un-sarcastically as I can, to remind me once again where they went to medical school?
I recall an incident in a restaurant where I asked what was in a sauce. I mistakenly said that I had diabetes. Big OOOPS n my part. Steel Magnolia's was in the theatres. the waitress - at the top of her lungs because she backed away from our table in fear, "what did I do when I had my fits - People like you (me) had fits" She then said she had just seen Steel Magnolias - which was good because that alerted the entire restaurant what was going on. I wanted to just disappear. Ironically I had to go to the same restaurant for a luncheon meeting. Another person with a food allergy (which I've learned is more socially acceptable so if I have to ask about a menu item I same I'm allergic) Anyway, the server that time was most helpful and went on to tell my lunchmates and I about what had happened the last week - she didn't know it was me. She said so many people called up and complained about the (my) treatment, that the server was let go. This server said she just wished the restaurant could make it up to the diner with diabetes. I kept mum.
Well that's good at least, that the restaurant admitted their behavior was inappropriate! I stopped eating sugar due to an eating disorder 13 years before my D diagnosis. Ironically, when I questioned whether something had sugar in it sometimes the person would ask if I had diabetes. Sometimes I just said "yes" because it was easier. But then - and now - I don't bother giving a reason for my food choices. I just say "I can't have..." or "I don't eat..." I live in California where people have very varied dietary choices, so it is rarely questioned. Sometimes I just say "no toast for me" for example when I am already allowing myself a potato when I'm out for breakfast. Usually I'm offered an alternative, which in the case of breakfast is most commonly fruit. When I turn down the alternative the waitress always seems a bit puzzled, because most people want their "money's worth". The lesson I've learned with my ED, my D and being a vegetarian is that it isn't necessary to explain my choices, just state them. I don't eat in fast food or even chain restaurants so maybe they are less accommodating, but in general I find waitresses willing to work with my requests.
I know just how u feel. I was at school and this kid was yelling at,someone that they were going to diabetes get just because the other kid was eating candy. and i was standing right there! And one time someone said i got diabetes because i at sugar! Its times like these that really get me mad.
I didn't have any REALLY bad experience yet (hope I won't) but I noticed it's hard for most people to learn about it. Which is not that hard to believe since it's a complex disease. Prior to diagnosis I knew that there are two types, that one of them is (supposedly) caused by "bad eating habits and lifestyle" and the other one is not and can't be cured (I didn't even know about autoimmune diseases). That's how much I remembered from school and from that rare encounters with actual diabetics (ok, my grandma is type 2, my ex's father is also - my ex always reffered to it as "obtained" versus "genetic" diabetes, my best friend's mum is type 1 but we never talked much about it except how expensive pumps are). So I knew VERY VERY little but still much more than an average person without diabetes does. It's really bad how media still perpetuates those wrong claims and I think people remember the tiny bit of it without ever going to details, and that's what makes for stupid comments.
For example, my cooworker, she knows about diabetes mostly because of the fact that we work in organic/health store so lots of people come in asking what can they buy without sugar etc... I still had to explain her the differences several times and she still doesn't seem to get it (for example, I think she still doesn't get how insulin works.. she said something weird like that eating proteins will drop my sugar levels.. what???).
All in all, I'm not angry for people not knowing, I'm only angry at alter (as in alternative "medicine") communities who want to heal everything without even knowing mechanism of disease and although type 1's are generally more informed, it can be dangerous for type 2's like my grandma who just read some sponsored magazines and believe they can magically heal themselves with eating tones of cinnamon or whatever's popular these days.
Yeah, Krisa I know what you mean. I really don't expect the general public to learn "all about" D, but I do expect the health care community and people to whom others look for advice to have at least a basic understanding. I didn't know squat about diabetes before I was Dx'd at 30 with rapid onset type 1.(Thus the mis-dx since I didn't know to question the type 2 diagnosis) Anyway, I keep fighting to get at least the basic "how you get it" info right. It might help get rid of the blame the PWD and it might very well get someone to go to their MD and get it caught early. I'll be starting my annual "campaign" soon. I contact news station health reporters during October for November's Nat'l D Month.
In my experience most (nearly all) restaurants will substitute veggies for a starch, and seldom even ask why. My wife requests it all the time, and she isn't even PWD.
A group of friends (I was unable to go that night) went out to eat. The next day I see a Facebook post that says "excuse me, but my girlfriend is diabetic." I asked what that was about, thinking my friend's new girl happened to be diabetic, but nope. This guy, who also used to work for JDRF, went up to a table that was taking a long time and LIED to them asking if they would "move it along" because his girlfriend was diabetic (she's not) and needed to eat. The kicker? That wasn't even their table. I'm pretty mad at him. So was everyone else there, after they got over their shock and embarrassment.
Being a t1 for 23 years now myself I can relate to a number of the replies given on here. But as a couple of others have also stated prior to my own diagnosis both my father and his sister were already t1’s themselves but honestly as a kid all I knew was that they both had to poke their fingers and take shots multiple times a day. Since becoming an adult dealing with t1 and the sometimes ignorant or rather idiotic comments that people make at times I find it easier to explain the truth to the incorrect part of their comment. I honestly think that the comments most of the time are made because they’ve heard parts of different comments from others or read part of something. Thus being said is one of the biggest reasons I’m not afraid to let my pump show(Omnipod user). As when someone asks what it is I get to tell them about it. After all there’s no hope of ignorance of our daily battle, or anything for that matter, going away without people being taught the actual reason behind it or the daily struggle it entails.
Somewhere on the site there is a thread about how to answer dumb questions. My favorite (can't remember who said it, or I would give full credit) is the member who, when asked about their insulin pump, says they are on work release from jail and it's a monitoring device. That usually terminates what was a stupid conversation to begin with. :)
Oh you have no idea. I live in Guyana, South America, and almost everyone has their own cure for type 1 diabetes. Things to eat to control your sugar, things to eat that will drop your sugar.
What bothers me is when non diabetics truly feel they know more than the diabetics about their disease. They state their opinions as facts, and that's when the line is crossed. Otherwise I just ignore it and move on. Very rarely will a non diabetic be able to trump the knowledge of an actual diabetic.
Also, it's really annoying when people are lecturing me about type 2 diabetes, and listing all the facts, totally ignorant of the fact that I have type 1 diabetes.
YES! what erks me is when someone says "well i know someone with diabetes and they don't have these problems" like I'm lying my answer is always diabetics are people and no two are the same
