A lukewarm rant: You know they have machines to measure your blood sugar?
I'm really not upset because I'm used to it. It's just irritating.
I was out to lunch with a group of people today. The topics of pets came up. I mentioned that I had a cat who passed after 19 years. (Loved her).
Anyway, now that I zig-zag in and out of hypo unawareness and have actually passed out before, I signed up to get a service dog. There is a wait list, so it will be awhile.
The person I was talking to was like "well, they have devices to measure your sugar, you know."
Duh? I pointed out to him that I'd taken my glucose before the meal and gave myself a dose of insulin all while I was sitting at the table. (I've had type 1 for so long that it's pretty unnoticeable unless someone is watching me.)
I then explained hypo unawareness. However, I was just like, "WTF?" I always feel like people who don't have diabetes and don't know much about it have stuff to say.
(Honestly, I think it's worse if someone's related to someone with type 2 because they start talking about oral medication and other stuff that simply doesn't apply to me.)
Okay, lukewarm rant over, but the longer I have diabetes (it's been over 20 years now) the more I want to punch people who try to be smart about it around me. I didn't though. ;)
Tags: rant
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Terry on -
Regina -- I hope that you can get a hypo alert service dog. I have one and it has improved my life immeasurably. My dog is not 100% accurate but neither is the latest medical technology. He is right a high percentage of the time and several times each month he alerts me to a low than I didn't sense. And that's saying something as I am usually very aware of my blood glucose status. I fingerstick test 10-15 times per day and also wear a CGMS.
I've read that diabetics are twice as likely to suffer from depression as the general population. The companionship and emotional support that my dog gives me greatly contributes to my sense of well being. I never had a dog before this and I now appreciate why pets are considered part of the family.
The general public is terminally confused about T1 diabetes. I guess it's just human nature to be ignorant about that which doesn't directly affect you. It's our job to gently remind them of the facts when appropriate. I know it's hard sometimes to remain patient but that is the nature of our situation. Good luck to you.
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on -
It would be interesting to see what we all knew about diabetes before our diagnosis. I'll be brave enough to share my own ignorant state (and it's not like I was a kid at the time!).
I knew my grandmother had it and used insulin but wouldn't have a clue which type - she was old for the time I knew her, dying when I was 11. I'd heard it skipped a generation. (?).When I was diagnosed I don't remember if they actually said Type 2 or if they assumed, like I did, that is what it was as I was 58. I vaguely knew there was a kind that "you got diagnosed with as a kid". I "had heard" that "diabetics" could go for 20 years or more before needing insulin so I wasn't terribly bothered by the diagnosis. When the educator brought up diet, I said "I eat very healthy, I don't eat fast food, haven't eaten sugar in 13 years and am a vegetarian". (What's amazing is she accepted this statement, not thinking to ask whether as a vegetarian I ate a lot of rice and pasta!). I was given a meter and told to test, I believe 3-4 times a day, and given a prescription for several medications. That's it, the sum total of what I knew before diagnosis.
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Permalink Reply by Emily on -
Before I was diagnosed I knew the difference between type 1 and 2. However, I knew nothing about the differences in treatment. I didn't know about carbs. When I was diagnosed I was actually excited because I just thought 'now I don't have to feel so crappy all the time!'. I thought type 1 diabetes meant having a shot once a day and not eating sugar. I stocked up on sugar free candy and cookies before anyone even told me about counting carbs. Now I can't believe it when people say dumb things like 'how many shots a day?!?!'. And when people tell me how weird it is that 'my diabetes just got so bad so fast!'. It makes me want to SCREAM.
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Permalink Reply by Regina on
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Yeah, those are people who, most likely, have a relative with type 2. That's why the off-handed comments about "oh, I'm so glad I don't have to take insulin" chafe my hide. "Look you type 2, you...grrrrrrr." ;) Most of the time I choke on letting them have it because it probably won't solve anything. I just go into teaching mode and point out there is a form of diabetes that requires insulin, and that's not the one that they have.
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Permalink Reply by Type1Gal on -
yeah, same with me; just don't eat sugar and take a shot. I knew the difference too between type 1 and type 2...but I had no clue what type 1 REALLY meant. When I was told I would need insulin the rest of my life..I wasn't THAT freaked out initially. it was afterwards, it's when this all settles in and you realize what type 1 Diabetes really means, the struggles, highs - lows (on every level), feeling like crap, the complete adjustment in one's life. I remember my mom saying to me, "geez, I had no idea type 1 diabetes was like THIS." I too wish people who were ignorant just not say anything, or just ask if they want to know. I don't like talking about it much..but I'd prefer someone ask rather then pretend they know anything...because, typically they do not.
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I too wish people who were ignorant just not say anything, or ask with if they want to know. I don't like talking about it much..but I'd prefer someone ask rather then pretend they know anything...because, typically they do not.
That sums it up. People just need to learn to ask more and listen better. These days it seems that people want to have an opinion on everything. I hope I still know when to shut-up and say "oh, tell me more".
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Permalink Reply by Emily on
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After I was first diagnosed I wanted to explain everything to EVERYONE. but eventually you just get tired of hearing the same phrases from people and saying the same thing over and over. I especially get tired of people I work with who forget everything I tell them after THEY ask. A coworker asked me if I had the kind of diabetes you get from birth. I told her no, it's auto immune and she said 'yeah because I was gunna say that you're not very fat'. WTF is wrong with people??
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Permalink Reply by Type1Gal on
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well, i think your co-worker was referring to juvenile diabetes (the kind you get 'from birth'), which is the same thing as what you and I have, it's type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease.
type 1 diabetes, juvenile diabetes, autoimmune diabetes, they're all the same disease! one in the same.
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Permalink Reply by Emily on
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I know she meant juvenile diabetes but I was only diagnosed a few months ago at the age of 20. A lot of people that I knew before being diagnosed were confused about how someone older had juvenile diabetes so I guess I'm a little sensitive about it.
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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on -
That's exactly why it's not called juvenile diabetes any more. Although I wouldn't expect the uneducated public to know that. You can get T1 at any age -- my CDE told me of a man who was diagnosed with T1 at the age of 85! Dunno how he avoided the trigger for so long, but he did!
There are LOTS of people on here who were diagnosed with T1 or LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, which is a slowly progressing form of T1) at WAY older ages than you were!
So you aren't the oldest diagnosed T1 by a long shot, LOL!!!
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I was diagnosed in college, so I was terrified and I knew this wasn't want my aunt or someone else would have. I definitely didn't know much about the disease either.
As I said in my reply to Betty though is there is a difference between merely not knowing vs. being insensitive or hurtful. This guy yesterday wasn't hurtful, but he was insensitive. How in the hell am I an insulin dependent, pump wearing, type 1 diabetic who'd be unaware that they had glucose meters?
Nah, this guy was particularly stupid or socially inept. I'm not writing him a pass.
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