"SO AND SO Has Diabetes REALLY BAD." [Archive]

Olidus

05-06-2008, 05:02 AM

*** WARNING ***
I have no idea how or where this thread is going to go -but it has been on my mind for sometime now and I really need to get it off my chest.

"SO AND SO Has Diabetes REALLY BAD."
The amount of times I have heard someone say this statement since DX'd is more then I want to admit.

I want to get all your thoughts on this statement.
Now for me, maybe its because I am still new to the D - and believe me when I say I learn something new on it every day, mostly thanks to all you and this great site.
It bothers me when I hear it said.
Mind you - we are all different; we all have a different insulin resistance, heck even some of us still produce our own- But the one thing I learned about diabetes really quick is - its only going to get as bad as you let it get. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong but if someone has "Diabetes REALLY BAD" does that normally mean poor control? If I am totally wrong with this I want to apologize now, as I do not want to offend anyone. Its just sometimes when I hear it, makes me feel like my diabetes is belittled. Like all the hard work I put into taking care of myself and making sure I am in control of this disease is nothing cause its not as “BAD” as so and so.

It has been eating me alive - and I would really love to hear the community thoughts / feedback on this.

Thanks in advanced.
Mark K~

art

05-06-2008, 05:19 AM

It pretty much means the speaker doesn't have a clue what they're talking about.
And don't forget the ever present " you can't have that there's sugar in it"

Art

2high

05-06-2008, 05:19 AM

Quite often, i think people think that if you are on Insulin, you must have D bad... people don't understand the diferences between type 1 and 2, and just assume that they are the same disease. I was told at a bar, by a bar tender, that I must have d really bad because I'm on insulin... (he was fussed at having to go find diet coke for me). You should have seen his face when I showed him my pump... he was mortified that I'm "so sick" I need insulin all the time... sheesh.

fgummett

05-06-2008, 05:22 AM

Diabetes (Type 1 AND Type 2) is a SERIOUS, CHRONIC, PROGRESSIVE DISEASE.

Just because there may be few/no outward signs; like a cast on the leg or a limp to elicit sympathy, it doesn't change the above plain facts.

Anyone who thinks otherwise probably has D and has their head firmly planted in the sand... floating down that river in Egypt.

Those of us who step up and decide to take control may have full rich and hopefully healthy lives but there are no guarantees.

---

With all that said, your statement suggests to me someone who is in the final throes of the COMPLICATIONS of D: blindness, renal failure, heart failure, amputations etc... whether they got there by their own neglect of themselves (most likely) or by the unpredicatble progressive nature of D I can't say.

Gangrel

05-06-2008, 05:32 AM

Here's my advice to a long, stress-free existence: ignore it.

I've had diabetes for 25 years now, and I've heard it all. But I don't take any of the comments I find "off" very seriously, else you'll be getting all worked up over nothing.

Besides, I know for a fact that I have had incorrect ideas, some most likely spoken, about other diseases and ailments myself, so 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other........

But, that's just me.

davef

05-06-2008, 05:35 AM

To a certain extent I'd go with the sentiment "It pretty much means the speaker doesn't have a clue what they're talking about."

I have recently come across the concept that because I'm type 2 that it's not the bad one. I was at the funeral of a friends Father, there were some people there that I haven't seen in over a year. The commented on my weight loss and I said I was pleased with it, one asked what had spurred me into losing the weight and when I said I had been DX last November there were gasps, then I was asked if I had to take injections everyday, I explained that I am a Type 2 non-insulin dependant diabetic, using diet and tablets, which was greeted with "oh, so it's not the serious type then". I said oh G*d no, the worst that could happen is that I'd lose my sight, have legs amputated and have heart complications, so it's not serious at all. Geez!!

Jan B

05-06-2008, 05:38 AM

99% of the time, I would think: Out of control = really bad.

Phonelady61

05-06-2008, 05:45 AM

It pretty much means the speaker doesn't have a clue what they're talking about.
And don't forget the ever present " you can't have that there's sugar in it"

Art
My aunt used to do this to me all the time and yes she knew nothing about diabetes !! she would aggrivate me to no end .

Evermont

05-06-2008, 05:48 AM

Forgive me if I think and talk like a programmer sometimes, it's an occupational hazard.

We could call it 'severity'. It's one of the variables. People tend to have trouble dealing with multiple variables, it gets complicated. Especially with things that you can't see directly.

Another variable we could call "effort". This is how hard a person tries to gain control. Yet another variable is "effectiveness" (of effort). This is how appropriate the effort is for a particular case.

I think that every case has it's own unique combination of severity, effort, and effectiveness and that it's not only difficult to compare these things from one person to another - but fruitless too. What's the point?

I've been thinking about this a lot because I feel that I am quite fortunate in that the severity of MY case of diabetes is less than a lot of people that have been diagnosed. Particularly people who find their way to DF. Many of them seem to "have it worse" than I do. Now make no mistake, the level of effort, AND the effectiveness of it have something to do with my success so far but severity certainly plays into it.

Degree of control is a combination of these three variables and more. It's complicated and maybe impossible to measure. Severity is what it is. You may be able to prevent severity from getting worse by effective effort. Effectiveness is what we can expect to increase by coming here to DF. Effort is entirely up to you. Fight the good fight!
:boxing:
Well, that's how I see it.

xMenace

05-06-2008, 06:17 AM

I think that every case has it's own unique combination of severity, effort, and effectiveness and that it's not only difficult to compare these things from one person to another - but fruitless too. What's the point?

From an external perspective, ya. Bad, Good, and Moderate are about all they'll comprehend anyway. I've tried explaining differences but usually cut myself short realizing they were totally ignorant. Those of us in this business have a hard enough time understanding the differences. A total noob has no chance of understanding in a 60 second lecture. I now use the "Smile and Wave" policy.

But for someone in the game, understanding the variables is critical. From a management perspective, there are almost countless more granular variables to learn about. Effective control is the result of identifying our relevant variables and discovering their behavior and interactions. My current project of emulating a 3D Excel spreadsheet with a CompositeDataBoundControl is childs play in comparison ;)

fgummett

05-06-2008, 06:20 AM

And for those of you who still think that software programming is an exact science... IT AIN"T :eek: Just like managing D, it is more of an art-form, with subtle nuances than can take a life-time to master :)

morrisma

05-06-2008, 07:21 AM

The best advice I've seen in this thread is to ignore it. You have the disease. It's your happiness & health (& butt) on the line. It's your goals & dreams.

The only time I'd give it any credence is when the person uttering it is someone special to YOU. Then it's worth the time to educate.

No stress!

Mich

05-06-2008, 07:42 AM

I look at it like this:

At least the stock ignoramus statements have evolved over the years. It used to be "So and so has SUGAR diabetes real bad."

For you programmers, here it is in teacher grading language:

When you look at the Bell's Curve of potential intelligence or education, this statement is probably from someone in the lower quatrile.;)

Mich

notme

05-06-2008, 08:09 AM

solox316

05-06-2008, 08:16 AM

I tend to agree that people who say this simply don't know. It is out of ignorance. It used to bother me, but I realize now that many many many people simply have a misguided idea of what diabetes is. I tend to make a joke of it... If someone asks if it is the bad kind, I simply say "Yes, but it is the REALLLYYY bad kind!" and chuckle...

I am sure I have made statements about other diseases/conditions out of ignorance...

If time is available, and it is a comfortable arrangement, I will attempt to explain T1/T2... as well as people's control leading to severity of complcations.. etc...

Penny

05-06-2008, 08:59 AM

:D I tend to agree that people who say this simply don't know. It is out of ignorance. It used to bother me, but I realize now that many many many people simply have a misguided idea of what diabetes is. I tend to make a joke of it... If someone asks if it is the bad kind, I simply say "Yes, but it is the REALLLYYY bad kind!" and chuckle...

I am sure I have made statements about other diseases/conditions out of ignorance...

If time is available, and it is a comfortable arrangement, I will attempt to explain T1/T2... as well as people's control leading to severity of complcations.. etc...

I had that happen recently, and said "Yes it is the really bad kind and very contagious!" The lady backed away and asked if it was safe to eat with me. :D I am too soft hearted to keep it up though....I just laughed and told her I was teasing, but she still tried to avoid getting too close to me.

morrisma

05-06-2008, 09:14 AM

:D

I had that happen recently, and said "Yes it is the really bad kind and very contagious!" The lady backed away and asked if it was safe to eat with me. :D I am too soft hearted to keep it up though....I just laughed and told her I was teasing, but she still tried to avoid getting too close to me.

Penny,
That's GREAT!

solox316

05-06-2008, 10:13 AM

"Yes it is the really bad kind and very contagious!"

That is HILARIOUS! I never went that route with it!

Alice

05-06-2008, 10:37 AM

I'm evolving into a "total opposite" view of my former self. Yes, this stuff bothers me...in the sense that you realize how many people are 1) clueless about basic diabetes knowledge or 2) clueless about most everything. Unless they have half a brain to begin with...learning something basic about diabetes won't be much help. Same with cancer, aids, & MS.

I'm in a Weight Watchers group where I hear this stuff every week. I also hear each week how someone was "cured" by losing 25 lbs. I was told by someone that since I took insulin I should avoid "starches" at all costs.

This stuff goes on and on. I didn't hear it much when I was younger...but entering the baby-boomer-diabetic-wave...it's now several times a day.

I rarely discuss diabetes with anyone now...unless I know them personally.

Janlaton

05-06-2008, 10:43 AM

I agree it is a cross between showing how little they know, the person who is being talked about has a "poor ME" attitude or the person is nearing the end of life due to complications whether because they did not take care of themselves or not who is to say.

I also make a joke of it. One of my favorites is when asked if I am a full blood Indian I say no I'm a pint low from checking my blood sugars.:D

So like many areas of life put on your big boy pants and deal with it or let what other people say rob you of joy in life.

MarcS

05-06-2008, 11:10 AM

Its the old joke....."What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?" ......"I don't know and I don't care!"...

People just don't understand, or care about it, until they are lying in a hospital bed with a tube in their arm, or worse.

UpNorth

05-06-2008, 11:20 AM

Some people are so clueless...

In MY oppinion, diabetes is always bad but it can get worse! So i guess you COULD say those who struggle soooo much and still can't gain control at all, have a bad case of D, while people who have good control with or without struggling a lot, just have diabetes. But the main thing is that many don't understand the reason WHY some diabetics use insulin and others don't. So i guess because many don't know why some diabetics are on insulin, it sort of becomes an indicator of Bad diabetes since it's being used when nothing else works.

Hope it makes sense... I'm currently at 1.9mmol/l so i'd better go and eat something:eek:

grace girl

05-06-2008, 01:14 PM

I've gotten to where I just laugh...it's just so much simpler, really.
My current fav remark is when someone tells me to be glad I ONLY have to take shots because their friend so and so has Diabetes SOOOO bad they they are on a PUMP!
I just say, wow, that's gotta really suck, huh???

princesslinda

05-06-2008, 01:20 PM

I often get asked "is your sugar bad like your mom's was?" Therefore, I think to be a "bad" diabetic would be totally ignoring your disease and having tons of complications because of it.

Generally, I respond with an "i'm doing well, thanks" and leave it at that. I don't have time or inclination to educate those who don't really care to learn. If they wanted to learn, they'd use a different term than "bad diabetic."

When I hear this, I have this mental picture of me at the table with a plate of mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls and birthday cake with ice cream, with someone standing over me with a rolled up newspaper saying "BAD BAD diabetic!" :T

Gary_W

05-06-2008, 02:00 PM

For most folks outside this club that you don't want to join, injections seem like the worst part of the deal. Other than that, most people just think that you have to leave sugar out of your tea and go careful on the cakes.

For that reason, Joe Public tends to view injections as meaning serious.

As 85-90% of people with diabetes have T2 which is MOSTLY diet and meds controlled, the public think this one isn't as bad. This mindset is reinforced because if T2 'gets worse' they go on insulin, therefore anyone on insulin in the first place must have it really bad. This is backed up further due to everyone knowing at least one T2 that doesn't change their lifestyle in any way due to diabetes. They will get away with this behaviour for years before it bites them, but bite it will. A T1 cannot really do this. The immediate seriousness for a T1 ignoring the condition is all too real, again giving the illusion that it is more serious.

I'm seeing a colleague next week over in Ireland. He's known me for years and is well aware that I have to inject before dinner. I called him the other day and, during the conversation, I told him that I was now half man and half machine as I had an insulin pump. 'Oh my word is it that bad now?' came his response. It's the second such comment I've had since pumping and it's not even been 3 weeks yet. I just laughed and explained. Heck, if I could be blissfully ignorant of this disease I would be to. He's a lovely bloke and will be happy for me once he understands the benefits.

With that in mind, I'd like to propose the Layman's terms of diabetes:

1. Pre-diabetes - A bit like being pre-menstrual but involves less cakes.

2. Syndrome X - A form of metabolic disorder that involves people in tight trousers deciding if you've got it or you haven't.

3. Type 2 - Fairy diabetes. Nothing to worry about whatsoever as it's not serious in any way shape or form. Can eat absolutely anything (unless it's birthday cake, and then you can make a scene about them not having any in front of the crowd)

4. Type 1 - Deadly serious diabetes (otherwise known as DSD). Involves lots of needles so it must be terrible. Nothing else about the condition is a problem. Cannot eat birthday cake in the same manner as a T2 (see Fairy Diabetes, above), but anything else goes.

5. Type 1.5 - A diabetic bisexual, partial to both bread AND cakes.

6. LADA - A very bad Eastern European car that has to go easy on the bread

7. Mody - Someone that samples other bits of diabetes and then puts them to heavy basslines and old blues records. Afraid of croissonts.

8. Pumper - Terminally ill, could croak in front of your eyes. Can eat anything as they'll be dead by morning so where's the harm?

Next time my pump alarm goes off and someone looks at it with suspician, I will calmly explain that it means I have 10 minutes to live and need to find someone to have sex with so I can go out with a bang....

Gary

Penny

05-06-2008, 02:16 PM

This made me think about when I had bladder cancer. I had BCG treatments which uses a TB virus to get rid of the cancer. I took elaborate precautions (much more than I was told to do, just in case) to make sure I didn't cause anyone any problems from my treatments. During this time, I would only use my own bathroom, even though there were times when it was painful to wait. Most of my friends and family knew this because I explained it to them. But there is always the one person who chooses not to understand what you tell them. I stooped to pick up her 2 year old and she screeched...."No, I don't want you to give him cancer". Besides the fact that the whole neighborhood heard her, it about broke my heart when the little one ran from me, scared because Mommy was telling him to get away. So it's not just Diabetes, I remember my mother not letting us visit a lady with lung cancer, because we might catch it. I guess if you don't have a reason to be educated, you don't bother with it.

terryok123

05-06-2008, 02:20 PM

:D I guess if the shoe fits wear it... some of us like my father had lack of education and parentless childhood which lead to bad eatting habits. i have his GENES and ........... you know I just need to keep working at it. GYM......... off i go.. bye!

Janlaton

05-06-2008, 02:36 PM

i loved it. zzzzCould not have thought of such a way to describe the disease if I tried.

shiftzor

05-06-2008, 03:01 PM

1. Pre-diabetes - A bit like being pre-menstrual but involves less cakes.

2. Syndrome X - A form of metabolic disorder that involves people in tight trousers deciding if you've got it or you haven't.

3. Type 2 - Fairy diabetes. Nothing to worry about whatsoever as it's not serious in any way shape or form. Can eat absolutely anything (unless it's birthday cake, and then you can make a scene about them not having any in front of the crowd)

4. Type 1 - Deadly serious diabetes (otherwise known as DSD). Involves lots of needles so it must be terrible. Nothing else about the condition is a problem. Cannot eat birthday cake in the same manner as a T2 (see Fairy Diabetes, above), but anything else goes.

5. Type 1.5 - A diabetic bisexual, partial to both bread AND cakes.

6. LADA - A very bad Eastern European car that has to go easy on the bread

7. Mody - Someone that samples other bits of diabetes and then puts them to heavy basslines and old blues records. Afraid of croissonts.

8. Pumper - Terminally ill, could croak in front of your eyes. Can eat anything as they'll be dead by morning so where's the harm?

Gary

lol, it’s funny how true it is. There is an awful lot of ignorance i see it out there every day. Even my own family who go quiet on the subject, i have always been public about it and not afraid to do what i have to do. My latest comment was from a pharmacy which stated that all blood glucose monitors were the same and 100% accurate. Not the worst thing in the world but i soon corrected her, she was shocked. It’s like going into PCWorld and asking for advice on computers, most of them don't know sh!t. Diabetes is just another one of those clouds, like computers far too complicated for people to understand and so they would rather get on with their lives in ignorance. Can you really expect them to know anything about it? The only time they will ever "NEED" to know about it is when they have gone down with the big D, probably due to an insect bite or that cold they had last week. I am happy for people to know nothing about diabetes, the same way I know nothing about other diseases; however I would prefer if people didn’t “pretend” to know anything about it.

Scrabblechick

05-06-2008, 03:33 PM

Gary, that was priceless! Too, too funny.

I kind of got that at church Sunday. Some friends were talking about the Mother's Day banquet and what she was bringing. I won't describe it. Suffice it to say one piece would throw this whole forum membership into hyperglycemic shock! Naturally, it's very yummy. I said, "Sounds like I'm going to have to stay away from the dessert table." Which honestly is what I have to do in order to maintain my sanity. I like sweet stuff way too well to resist it.

So she says, "Well, you can have just a little."
Me: "No, I can't. I'm diabetic and I just don't need it."
She: "Not even a little?"
Me: "No, not even a little. It's delicious stuff, but I just have to stay away from it." And I do. With me, one transgression inevitably leads to another one.
Her husband: "Well, my dad had diabetes and he never watched what he ate."
Me: "How old was he when he died?"
Husband: "In his early 60s, but he had a massive heart attack."

Turns out, he had been on steroids which caused the D to start with, and had heart trouble for years before his DX, but I think you all get the drift.

My response? "Well, my dad was 61 when he died from complications of diabetes caused by not staying on his diet and doing what he was supposed to. I'm not interested in going down that road."

I'm getting a little more snippy and a little less likely to suffer fools gladly in my middle age. LOLOLOL..

I try to take advantage of teaching moments, but sometimes...

Otherwise, I just roll my eyes and let it go.

notme

05-06-2008, 04:21 PM

OMG by this description, I have the deadly serious diabetes, I am terminally ill and could croak by morning. I want fairy diabetes. Sounds much cuter. :T

RobiJo

05-06-2008, 04:27 PM

Generally the people I hear that from don't know what they are talking about and/or they say that regarding people on insulin.

Depending on who it is and the situation, I'll take the time to straighten them out.

morrisma

05-06-2008, 06:06 PM

Gary,

Your definition list was priceless. I'll be making a poster at work tomorrow!

owlyn

05-06-2008, 06:13 PM

I have to agree Oldius, it bothers me when I hear that statement. I think the reason it gets to me is I know that I have to do one of two things. I either have to ignore it and smile and nod, or I have to go into a long dissertation on Diabetes. I usually choose the smile and nod. :)

I go into the long dissertation. It serves two purposes: First, it educates them if they choose to listen, and B, if they don't listen, it punishes them for being ignorant. Either way I win. :)

And, BTW, I consider Type 2 to be the "bad" kind. At least with type 1 you have a shot at eating pretty much anything.

RobiJo

05-06-2008, 06:26 PM

8. Pumper - Terminally ill, could croak in front of your eyes. Can eat anything as they'll be dead by morning so where's the harm?

Next time my pump alarm goes off and someone looks at it with suspician, I will calmly explain that it means I have 10 minutes to live and need to find someone to have sex with so I can go out with a bang....

Not sure how I missed this the first time. Gary your list is great. When do the t-shirts go on sale??? My battery was low on my pump today and some kids in my class heard it beeping. When someone commented on the noise, one little guy said to another-"She has Diabetes, duh, she told us all about it remember? That's her medicine machine!" It was so cute, and to think my first graders know more about it than the general public!

Alice

05-06-2008, 07:52 PM

Had one of these conversations this morning...the lady said her sister had died a horrible death from diabetes. I expressed my sorrow for her loss and how glad I was that this lady speaking to me was in such good shape (she was a Type 2)...I ended the conversation with the suggestion that undiagnosed diabetics are the ones that are exposed to the most damage...and that upon diagnosis, there is different degrees of damage. She agreed.

It was encouraging to see her at age 78...taking Lantus/Novolog for Type 2 and taking care of herself...she just needed a little encouragement.

jacobsam622

05-06-2008, 08:26 PM

I just say no big deal but you know what you are not getting out alive either:D

My mother-in-law thinks that the lady who works for her who has diabetes "real bad" knows more about diabetes then me because she has had it for years and has bg in the 400.

pokie

05-06-2008, 11:23 PM

Yeah... When I started on insulin I got comments like "oh, so your diabetes must be getting worse" or "wow, you have it bad, don't you" It's too hard to explain the process of keeping my blood glucose under control in order to avoid the "bad" complications so I have usually declined to comment!

Olidus

05-07-2008, 07:36 AM

Ignorance Is Bliss.

I'm glade that I was not alone in this one - and I am going to take all your responses to heart - thank you very much.

As much as I complain now - I have to agree with those of you who posted about not knowing anything about it as well untill DX'd, I am guilty of this as well, its still does not make it right.

Gary_W - your post ROCKS btw!

sprzepiora

05-07-2008, 08:25 AM

Being newly diagnosed this conversation has come up many times between close family members and myself.

I just recently straightened my dad out. He has a close friend that has diabetes and we all know it, but my dad kept making the comment that he was not taking care of himself because he eat and drinks sugary things like non diet root beer and doesn't watch what he eats.

Now this guy is a little overweight, but not a lot, so I went over the basics and he understands now that we can eat those things, but instead of our body regulating itself we have to do it with injections. I did not go on to tell him that I should limit myself to have good control as quite frankly I do not ant the D police on my back.

Like someone said before people that do not have diabetes should not be expected to now everything about the disease and they will learn from rumors. It is our job to educate them when the timing is proper, although I have gotten sick explaining it to people and I am new to this disease so some of you people must be downright frustrated :)

Janlaton

05-07-2008, 09:55 AM

Did you ever think to say, "Excuse Me, but what do you mean by bad diabetes?" I think if you did that to a few offenders and found there answers it might be a better answer in the long run than all the answers you will get from this site.

fgummett

05-07-2008, 10:09 AM

My battery was low on my pump today and some kids in my class heard it beeping. When someone commented on the noise, one little guy said to another-"She has Diabetes, duh, she told us all about it remember? That's her medicine machine!" It was so cute, and to think my first graders know more about it than the general public! That is just priceless :D

fgummett

05-07-2008, 10:12 AM

It used to be "So and so has SUGAR diabetes real bad." Wasn't Sugar Diabetes that famous Welsh boxer?

UpNorth

05-07-2008, 11:09 AM

With that in mind, I'd like to propose the Layman's terms of diabetes:

1. Pre-diabetes - A bit like being pre-menstrual but involves less cakes.

2. Syndrome X - A form of metabolic disorder that involves people in tight trousers deciding if you've got it or you haven't.

3. Type 2 - Fairy diabetes. Nothing to worry about whatsoever as it's not serious in any way shape or form. Can eat absolutely anything (unless it's birthday cake, and then you can make a scene about them not having any in front of the crowd)

4. Type 1 - Deadly serious diabetes (otherwise known as DSD). Involves lots of needles so it must be terrible. Nothing else about the condition is a problem. Cannot eat birthday cake in the same manner as a T2 (see Fairy Diabetes, above), but anything else goes.

5. Type 1.5 - A diabetic bisexual, partial to both bread AND cakes.

6. LADA - A very bad Eastern European car that has to go easy on the bread

7. Mody - Someone that samples other bits of diabetes and then puts them to heavy basslines and old blues records. Afraid of croissonts.

8. Pumper - Terminally ill, could croak in front of your eyes. Can eat anything as they'll be dead by morning so where's the harm?

Gary, this is so friggin hilarious! :D :rofl: :laugh: :hahaha: :T I'm so glad i wasn't drinking something while reading this :D My computer would have been soaked then lol

bryan42

05-07-2008, 11:21 AM

People say it like that to "drama" it up, Its like when somebody says, "yeah, they were involved in a bad accident" Is there a "good" accident?? give me a break!

volleyball

05-08-2008, 09:24 PM

This is a continuing rant among diabetics. They should know all about our problem and support us. Well how many of us are experts on the subjects near and dear to their hearts? And would we be "experts" if we did not have it? Not likely.
I know a lot of people enjoy the pain of dealing with these morons. I have diabetes and I don't have time to worry about them.
Co workers have told me for years I should write a book about computers because of my experience. They have a question and appreciate a quick reply. Now if they are not looking for that particular answer, if I started just randomly spewing it out, I'd get that glazed look from the same people.
I let the people who think they have it under control with their 400 BG readings be because they won't listen anyways. I too have seen severely obese sedentary people who say they control theirs like I do with diet and exercise as they stuff a twinky into their face.
We too are guilty of offering advice to people about diabetes. We too say some stupid things (in their mind) and yet we feel like we are doing them favors. And they get upset and have to get it off their chest on a forum.

alicat61

05-08-2008, 09:42 PM

:) Hi,
I hear things like this all the time. Oh you have 4 injections of insulin you must be a really bad diabetic. or they are only on tablets well then there diabetes is not that bad!!
In other words the speakers of these statments have no ****clue. (My husband used to always say things like this when I first met him. I've tried to educate him!!):D
I find when you try to explain a lot of people don't want to know. So be it.:(
As others Have said we know what we have and how to care for our selves and who cares what others choose to beleive.
It's no use getting stressed about it as all that will do is put your BSl's up:D

judi t

05-09-2008, 12:29 AM

Imagine the frustration, Evermont, if you 'fight the good fight' and do everything humanly possible to be a 'good diabetic' (and I hate the word 'diabetic' too) and you still wake up in the morning with a soaring - 18.9 - BG, as I did this morning. So you're just lucky if your condition is relatively predictable.

I agree with the guy who said 'smile and wave'. It drives me nuts, as I've already written elsewhere, having to explain my diabetes to 'lay' people. I think it's none of their business, but everyone feels it's okay to talk about it, whereas if you had cancer they may be less inclined to stick their big noses in.

When people make stupid enquiries at the coffee machine at work, or across the table at a dinner, for example, "How are your levels?" I've been known to shoot back a line like, "Has that vaginal infection cleared up yet?" I get away with it because I'm known for being somewhat caustic -albeit in a humorous way. It soon shuts them up. (I don't say that to the blokes, by the way, but weirdly, they rarely ask such intrusive questions.) Another way to shut them up is to go all quiet and just mumble that you don't like talking about it. That one always works - but they usually go off and gossip about it! It gets back.

Unlike some of my fellow Ds on this forum and on a few blogs I've read, I don't feel it's my job to raise awareness about diabetes. I just want to live my life and not have the pejorative label of 'the diabetic'; good or bad.

Lloyd

05-09-2008, 07:20 AM

fgummett

05-09-2008, 07:24 AM

I get that too... "type 2 on insulin = bad diabetes". Not so... I chose to take control early on and fortunately I had a proactive thinking specialist :)

judi t

05-10-2008, 11:24 PM

LOL! I really did!

Eddy

05-11-2008, 09:51 AM

I had someone comment in chat (elsewhere) "I'm sorry you have diabetes so bad you have to use insulin".

I likely could have handled it better, but what I said was effective.

"I have an A1c of 4.9. What's yours? Who has it bad?"

I think that the response was appropriate. :) Congratulations on a totally sweet (figuratively, not literally! ;)) A1c value!

A well-meaning friend was talking to some doctors about my D. "Oh, he should have it controlled by now! He's doing something wrong!"

Yeah, I still have dips and spikes. Far more than I'd like, in fact. Working on it. But I dropped my A1c from 12.9% to 5.3% in four months... so... uhhhh....