Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Brian Wittman on October 5, 2011 at 9:00pm

Kinda bad to be so clueless.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ch33to on October 5, 2011 at 9:07pm

haha i just was bitching about that yesterday. mine is always, "aww but youre so young". THAT is why i try and keep it a secret. It makes it sound like you brought it on yourself....i blame all the excessive attention the last 10 years on type 2 for that reaction. but yes Im with you. totally annoying and hurts my ego for sure.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by newtoheaven on October 7, 2011 at 2:51pm

I keep it a secret for that reason, also! I don't want pity or guilt put on me. I do just fine managing my diabetes, and because I do, I'm healthier than a lot of people who do not have diabetes!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by suezq1949 on October 12, 2011 at 5:13am

I am so happy to see there are a few more out there like me! I was diagnosed T1 @ the age of 59; my three year anniversary is coming up in January. Only two people, other than medical staff, know it; one sister and one friend who found out by mistake. It's just much easier not having to explain, especially since I was always the "healthy" one, always exercised, alway ate right, weigh about 100 lbs. soaking wet etc. After I see the comments that others get, I will continue to keep it secret as long as I can.

Sue

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kari on October 6, 2011 at 4:25am

I've gotten that I shut the person up when I replied with 'You think I'm young now? You should have seen me when I was six!' (I was diagnosed when I was 6)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on October 6, 2011 at 5:32am

Yeah, I get that sometimes and it just cracks me up. I usually reply, "Yeah, well, I've had it since I was 3, so what do you think about that?"

I can understand when such a comment comes from a lay person, but I have no patience lately when the response comes from someone who is a medical professional. For example, I was at the dentist a couple of weeks ago and the hygenist was asking me some basic health-related questions (such as how much do you exercise, diet, etc). Now, I am a very healthy eater and I exercise quite a bit more than the average person. My chart clearly says, "Type 1 diabetes" and I listed Humalog as a medication that I take. I am also not overweight. The hygenist looked at all this information and said, "Well, if you exercise so much and eat so well, how come you still have to take insulin?" She didn't say this in an accusatory tone, just as something she was generally curious about.

But my jaw almost hit the floor. I explained (quite curtly) that as a type 1, my body makes NO insulin, so even if I exercised all day long, never ate a crumb, and weighed 50 pounds, I would still need insulin shots to stay alive. I reminded her in a somewhat patronizing voice that there are different kinds of diabetes. The only response I got was, "Oh, I see."

I realize a hygenist isn't a doctor per se, but diabetes also isn't some rare medical condition. Every medical professional should be knowledgeable of the basic differences between these kinds of diabetes. Honestly, it sometimes really scares me how all medical professionals seem stuck in this "type 2" world, because I fear it will compromise any medical care I do need to receive.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lila on October 6, 2011 at 5:46am

Shocking ignorance but let's look on the bright side - at least you got the chance to educate someone (who should really have known better) and hopefully, she won't give the same crap to the next T1 that she meets.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by newtoheaven on October 7, 2011 at 2:55pm

Very much agreed on everything you said. That is why I'm working towards being CDE so that I can, not only educate patients, but also educate medical professionals. They should know much more that what will get them to pass med school.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by newtoheaven on October 7, 2011 at 3:06pm

I love your username, BTW.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stemwinder on October 6, 2011 at 5:55pm

It makes you wonder if they know the differance between T1 and T2. Age 32 is not kinda young to be T1 but 32 is kinda young to be a T2. It would be scary if this is comming from a health care professional. The how-did-you-deserve-diabetes tone sound alot like what T2's hear all the time.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tim on October 6, 2011 at 6:23pm

My favorite was when I was having my blood drawn, and the tech (a kindly older lady) looked at my paperwork and said "Oh, don't worry dearie. I see your doc checked the A1C box but I can tell just by looking at you that you don't have diabetes."

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by newtoheaven on October 7, 2011 at 2:59pm

What????!!!! That is the most ignorant thing I've heard so far! As if "diabetic" was a specific race of people. Unbelievable!

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page