When others express ignorance through what they say, it does not annoy me at all - I see it as an opportunity to educate others. After all they or members of their family or their friends may develop diabetes in the future and I think those of us who live with diabetes should be educationalists. I judge them as I judged myself when first diagnosed, ignorant of the facts because they have never had the need to learn. Come on - be honest, unless you have a family history, - most of you probably knew very little about the condition before you or a member of your family were diagnosed.
The people who annoy me most I would break into 4 camps
1. Those who have diabetes or care for someone with it, who try to prove that either having Type 1 or Type 2 is worse than the other. Neither is worse, people with either type have their individual problems, based on the condition yes, but also based on their response to it.
2.Those that appear to think having Type 1 diabetes nowadays is far more difficult than having it 50 years ago, not a nice thing to say. It was different 50 years ago, but no easier than it is now! Sterilising syringes, using needles until they became blunt - no disposables then. Trying to keep urine tests at a certain shade of green, eating exactly the same amount of carbohydrate at meals 7 days a week - no variation allowed, having to eat 6 meals a day, having strict times when you had to eat, having to go for a walk after each meal no matter what the weather etc. I wonder how many people on here could manage such a strict, monotonous routine - try it then tell me it was easier!! It was different but not easier.
3. This is a difficult one and may lead to others disagreeing, but I have witnessed this. Professionals and other diabetics who appear to be determined to encourage others to become what I call diabetic cripples i.e. people who centre everything around their diabetes instead of enjoying life. For me type 1 has caused few problems in 53 years, because I have not let it! I believe this is because I had brilliant parents who encouraged me to just get on with it, with their support. Thanks to them and a great paediatrician, I did not turn into a person crippled by my condition, but from the age of 9 years old did my own testing, food weighing, injections etc I really believe that there is far more to life than a perfect HbA1c. The treatment pathways I was given for over 35 years of my life did not ensure a stable Hb A1c, so I must ask - how come I am still live today with the only major complication being hypoglycaemic umawareness?
4.Professionals who choose to treat people with diabetes as criminals if the wonderful 9 government tests are not within "normal" limits. These are the professionals who make statements that you could easily begin with "All you have to do is". Here are some examples, I bet others can add more
(All you have to do is) Eat less and it will prevent/treat/cure Type 2 diabetes.
(All you have to do is) Take less insulin and that will stop the hypoglycaemic unawareness. (My GP)
(All you have to do is) Just balance your insulin with carbohydrates and then you will be stable. (Oh yes, what about exercise, stress, illness?)
When I taught diabetes courses to junior nurses, following discussion I made them live as they would expect a Type 2 diabetic to live for the 3 months of the module - no sugar, low fat, restricted calories etc, (This was between 1978 and 2005). Not one of them could stick to the strict criteria they set for others and that stopped the "all you have to do is" statements. I think all professionals who's occupation includes supporting people with diabetes, should be made to live with the dietary restrictions themselves for 3-6 months.