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[soso]

I have a good client who is a private nurse and actually goes to a care home for special needs young adults, who are all diabetics to give insulin injections. Therefore we have had many discussions about diabetes and food and she has told me toe curling stories about what this home is feeding these developmentally challenged people...not to mention they only get one shot a day, so guessing it is an older mixed insulin. she tells of bgs in the 20's before meals.... which consist of oven chips and burgers..so no wonder.
Anyway, today we were discussing my recent problems with lows and odd highs and she says...are you a really bad diabetic then... is that what they call you... I was a bit stunned..... bear in mind she meant it in the sense of bad being afflicted..as in bad case... I said err.. it's all bad I think... I notice that when I complain to people about lows or have one in front of them, they are soooo much more concerned than they are about highs.. that worry me a lot more.
We then had a conversation about insulin resistance (which she thought was caused by too much sugar) and she said she often thinks she understands about diabetes, then she talks to me and realizes she doesn't really.. She is married to a doctor and is a really great caring person,so no disrespect to her as she obviously wants to know, is but I am struck yet again by the yawning gulf of misunderstanding that exists about this disease. It comes hot on the heels of a friend I have been spending quite a bit of time with recently saying, god, I had no idea you had to do all this stuff.. I used to work with a woman who had it and she didn't do anything...
Not sure if that makes me feel good or bad.

[ant hill]

I have a good client who is a private nurse and actually goes to a care home for special needs young adults, who are all diabetics to give insulin injections. Therefore we have had many discussions about diabetes and food and she has told me toe curling stories about what this home is feeding these developmentally challenged people...not to mention they only get one shot a day, so guessing it is an older mixed insulin. she tells of bgs in the 20's before meals.... which consist of oven chips and burgers..so no wonder.
:eek: My god!! WOW Just one injection then I would want a pump now!!! And also in the 20 / 360!!!
Anyway, today we were discussing my recent problems with lows and odd highs and she says...are you a really bad diabetic then... is that what they call you... I was a bit stunned..... bear in mind she meant it in the sense of bad being afflicted..as in bad case... I said err.. it's all bad I think... I notice that when I complain to people about lows or have one in front of them, they are soooo much more concerned than they are about highs.. that worry me a lot more.
Yes we worry about the variations in BG's as we have to act to take a jelly bean or not as my diabetes educator tels me I am not in control and what worries my more that when I was low then she wanted me to eat a whole jar of these jelly beans!!! :eek: I said I don't need all that!!! It's a wonder on how they educate these so called professionals such rubbish!! :confused:
We then had a conversation about insulin resistance (which she thought was caused by too much sugar) and she said she often thinks she understands about diabetes, then she talks to me and realizes she doesn't really.. She is married to a doctor and is a really great caring person,so no disrespect to her as she obviously wants to know, is but I am struck yet again by the yawning gulf of misunderstanding that exists about this disease.
Yes, This is the confusing mix of these two people who seems to think otherwise. Being fat don't help as you know that fat can slow the insulin to work. and they blame insulin resistance say the manufacturer say 10 - 20 minuets where in fact it's half an hour or more depending on where you are BG wise. :(
It comes hot on the heels of a friend I have been spending quite a bit of time with recently saying, god, I had no idea you had to do all this stuff.. I used to work with a woman who had it and she didn't do anything...
Not sure if that makes me feel good or bad.
These people are Nongs!! IE plain stupid!!! as you know better yourself. Some how I would be glad to attend a course to tell these diabetes educators is to DON'T PANIC!!!! is the worse thing to do. The best Endocrinologist is you!!!

[soso]

hahahah...you are right Peter!
It is scary.. I live in fear of not being able to take care of myself.. I just know they will kill me with kindness.....

[ant hill]

Yes Indeed Soso, It is scary and the thought that these people presrsribe you insulin to do the job to get the BG's low as you know yourself that to dose the way you feel is the right for you.
Are you dependent of these people Soso?

[TrueWorship]

I don't understand where people get this idea that you get diabetes because you eat too much sugar. I was diagnosed when I was 11 and I had a lot of my friends at school ask me if I got diabetes because I ate too much sugar. As I grew up I thought maybe they just didn't understand because they were kids and didn't know any better. But now that I'm an adult, I realize that adults often have the same misconception. People don't seem to understand that it's a disease like any other disease. I often believe that nobody really understands diabetes except a diabetic. I said something like that to my husband the other night and his response was, "that's not true, I understand you!" I believe he wants to understand and learn more about diabetes so he can help me more, but he can't understand what it's like to have this disease and spend every day trying to manage it.

Jenn

[matingara]

yes even smart adults have no idea.

we were at the in laws the other day for lunch.

my father-in-law offers me a thick slice of bread and announces "This bread has ABSOLUTELY no sugar in it. I asked at the bread store especially".

:eek:

i was going to explain to him that bread is essentially glucose. it is almost pure carbohydrate and the carbohydrate gets broken down into glucose almost immediately when it hits your saliva.

i was also going to explain that long, complex molecules that contain carbohyrate do not taste as sweet a short chains of carb molecules.

but, it would go in one ear. and out the other.

so i accepted the bread and just didn't eat it.

:eek:

-- Joel.

[ant hill]

yep just locked in the 1970's Joel as he would not have a clue. :mad:

[matingara]

yep just locked in the 1970's Joel as he would not have a clue. :mad:

actually Peter, i think he is locked in the 1950's!

BTW, you better watch out cos he lives in Mornington!

:D :D :D

-- Joel.

[soso]

Yes Indeed Soso, It is scary and the thought that these people presrsribe you insulin to do the job to get the BG's low as you know yourself that to dose the way you feel is the right for you.
Are you dependent of these people Soso?

No, luckily for now I have a Doc who does not really interfere, she has been a real brick..just I have no kids and so can foresee a day when these people might be in charge of me! eek....

[Alice]

I have (had) a friend who is an RN. I pretty much have kissed our friendship goodbye...after talking to a brick wall about fast-acting insulin and carbs...(she could only relate to the sweets part)...

She just kept giving me the "non-compliant" attitude for years. I have quietly stepped aside in this "friendship".

Your friend sounds like she is at least open-minded about learning more. Yes, it's puzzling why our medical professionals/technicians are so clueless. Maybe the drug companies could start educational seminars for employees of the doctor's offices instead of bringing lunch in every week?

I've decided that nurse "friends" seem to enjoy a passive-aggressive attitude about my diabetes. It must be about their own superior eating patterns, I guess. And, I love to watch them light up a cigarette.

[ant hill]

BTW, you better watch out cos he lives in Mornington!

:D :D :D

-- Joel.

Who lives in Mornington? Seems that there are DF members poping up in Melbourne!!! We should meet!! (http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/meet-and-greet/24633-hey-aussies.html)

[soso]

I have (had) a friend who is an RN. I pretty much have kissed our friendship goodbye...after talking to a brick wall about fast-acting insulin and carbs...(she could only relate to the sweets part)...

She just kept giving me the "non-compliant" attitude for years. I have quietly stepped aside in this "friendship".

Your friend sounds like she is at least open-minded about learning more. Yes, it's puzzling why our medical professionals/technicians are so clueless. Maybe the drug companies could start educational seminars for employees of the doctor's offices instead of bringing lunch in every week?

I've decided that nurse "friends" seem to enjoy a passive-aggressive attitude about my diabetes. It must be about their own superior eating patterns, I guess. And, I love to watch them light up a cigarette.

Hahahaha.. too true, I know a few nurses who smoke too...they say it is a very stressful job and I don't doubt it..
My friend is very keen on learning about diabetes, but I get the impression she has a hard time taking it all in and I was surprised to note she did not seem to understand the basics of insulin resistance and was quite fascinated when I gave her a simple rundown of the problem. She is a good customer though, so I see her quite often...another year and I will have her trained up I would think..lol.. one thing is that she is really concerned about the way the home is feeding those young people, she has talked to them about it many times and says she has managed to get their numbers down a bit. She says she wishes they would have me over to advise them on some more diabetes friendly recipes. She does say that one of the problems they have is budget...isn't it always? I suppose bread, potatoes and white rice are cheap.

[Scratch]

She does say that one of the problems they have is budget...isn't it always? I suppose bread, potatoes and white rice are cheap.

It's a bit sad and frustrating that buying healthier sorts of food tends to be more expensive. Buying food with less nutritional value and increased carb density tends to be less expensive, which is one of the reasons why the obesity rate seems to be increasing faster the lower one goes down on the economic scale.

[JediSurfer]

I often wish I could perform a Vulcan mind meld and save myself constantly repeating myself day in day out. Amazing how the levels of ignorance have hardly changed over the years. It can be so so frustrating SoSo.

Rich

[shiftzor]

I often wish I could perform a Vulcan mind meld and save myself constantly repeating myself day in day out. Amazing how the levels of ignorance have hardly changed over the years. It can be so so frustrating SoSo.

Rich

You could create a "fact" sheet and hand it out to every ignorant sod out there :D , but I wonder how many people would read it? If the professionals can't get it right then how can the average man on the street be expected to? Personally I would rather people didn't assume things and just let me get on with it.

I feel sorry for the people in that home, maybe you could suggest cheap low GI index alternatives such as tomato soup. I would hate to end up somewhere like that and I guess the supposedly educated people believe they are running a good service for the patients at the home, which is the worst part. As an optimist I would hope things can get better. ;)

[gettingby]

About nurses. My aunt is an ER nurse at a hospital in TN (forgot which one). She doesn't know a whole lot about diabetes but she is willing to learn. When she is here for a visit, we sit down and talk about these things. If she's home and has a question, she will email me and I respond to her. Not all nurses want to stay in the dark. My aunt is willing and wanting to learn and I am teaching her as best I can.:)
Soso, just do the best you can to educate this friend of yours. Hopefully she can educate the ones running the care home.
(((hugs)))

[soso]

You could create a "fact" sheet and hand it out to every ignorant sod out there :D , but I wonder how many people would read it? If the professionals can't get it right then how can the average man on the street be expected to? Personally I would rather people didn't assume things and just let me get on with it.

I feel sorry for the people in that home, maybe you could suggest cheap low GI index alternatives such as tomato soup. I would hate to end up somewhere like that and I guess the supposedly educated people believe they are running a good service for the patients at the home, which is the worst part. As an optimist I would hope things can get better. ;)

Haahaha I like the idea of a mind meld or a fact sheet...however, people around here already regard me as a bit of a kook... don't want to confirm it!

I think I might print out a bunch of possible recipes for them to make for the occupants though.. even if I only came up with good desserts. it would probably save them from some high bgs... One aspect is she says they end up 'treating' them as they are all developmentally delayed and have childlike personalities although they are about 25-30 yrs old.. I can see how that can happen, I am sure they are trying to be nice to them, I just suspect they have no clue as to what they are really doing. Every time it comes up I feel really bad about it though, so at least if I do that it might spark some interest on their part that there is another way..and esp if I nag my pal to nag them!