There are times as a diabetic when some conversations make you very, very annoyed. These could be one-liners, stories or questions, but they will exasperate you.

We’ve taken a look at seven of these triggers. Try not to get angry when you read them.

1. “Have you heard of diabetic chocolate?”

Asking someone newly diagnosed isn’t too bad. If you know the person you’re asking has had diabetes for years, however, then yes, they will have heard of diabetic chocolate. They will know about the reported laxative effects, that it is overpriced and contains just as much fat and calories as ordinary chocolate.

2. “I had the worst night’s sleep”

Did you? Did you really? Try waking up four or more times in the night for toilet trips due to high blood sugars. Alternatively, try having a hypo in the night and stumbling downstairs to procure some sugar. I bet you actually had a better night’s sleep than that.

3. “I’ve got a real fear of needles”

That can’t be pleasant. However, imagine sticking a needle inside you over five times a day – you’d soon get used to it. This comment is especially worse if you’re in the process of injecting and someone follows up with: “How do you do it?” To stay alive, is how I do it.

4. “Can you inject in any part of the body?”

This surprised me when I was first asked, but over the years, people kept asking, referring to very strange body parts. Surprisingly, though, the groin, feet and neck are not among the commonly advised injection sites.

5. “So if you have a hypo, I should just inject you with insulin?”

Most people with diabetes that inject will have that friend(s) that has it all backwards regarding insulin and low blood sugar. You can correct them until you’re reciting a template message, but it still might not sink in. This is why having a HypoWallet can be useful, and telling your friend(s) about it could correct their thinking.

6. “So I’m still ill”

This might sound harsh, but all too often I’ve noticed a simple “How are you” to particular company can lead to a painfully self-involved anecdote about their ill health. I always assume people would not want me moaning about my diabetes, so I don’t, even though I could. In return, I would appreciate a modicum of reciprocity.

7. “I know someone that lost a leg to diabetes”

Stories of family members who had diabetes aren’t ever really welcomed. If they lived for decades with no complications, that puts the pressure on to imitate their success. If they died from diabetes-related complications, we’ll be endlessly worrying that it could happen to us. Just don’t mention it.

What things do you find people say to you about diabetes that particularly wind you up? Let us know in the comments section below.

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