Diabetics and stigma

The only ppl I freely chat about my health with are here on this forum, and friends I have made from this forum.

I grew up in a family where all the aged relatives found their health the most interminably fascinating topic of conversation (particularly their bowels!), and I grew up into someone who cringes when ppl start subjecting me to their personal health history. I call it The Wind Tunnel Effect, when your hair gets blown back with the force of their enthusiastic self-obsession.

If the topic comes up naturally (it almost never does), I may mention ‘oh yes, same here.’ Or ‘have you looked online? DCUK has a lot of info that dispels a lot of the media myths and nonsense.’ Or ‘I found .... worked for me.’

But I ain’t going further than that unless they leap all over it. And I’m certainly not handing my personal health history out to strangers or colleagues. It can get REALLY dodgy when you discuss health at work. I’ve seen it come back and bite ppl badly.

as for doctors and nurses, I have always been polite, but appointments often leave me frustrated, angry and despairing. Especially when I have researched the subject beforehand, and can see how the HCP is just running on a hamsterwheel. But that applies to other conditions as well as D.

I can really only echo what @Brunneria has stated. I don't openly discuss my health with anyone apart from the forum here. I used to attend a diabetic clinic, but don't anymore. As the attempts to influence how I manage my own condition and their assumptions based on nothing were just irritating. Usually they were that I was hypoing all the time based on my A1c this was noted down as fact. Problem was I wasn't hypoing as they assumed. The other problem I had was that I was told I needed to raise my A1c because they didn't like seeing anything around 5.5% or below 40 Just a lack in understanding was also a constant thing. My GP does not try to influence or assume, but gets all the blood work done that I need and is extremely helpful. So I just see him now days. Much happier

Andydragon said:

Guessing this wasn’t reverse psychology?

I’ve had mostly nice DNs although one in the surgery I don’t like. To be fair she was only saying the truth to me, that if I did lose weight and did better I could gain control. It’s just the way she says it

I guess compared to the way some have treated y’all I got off really lucky

I’m oddly excited about my nurse visit on Tuesday cause for the first time ever, I can show and tell that I made a real effort

I do get that it must be hard when all they see day in day out are people who don’t make a change. I kind of think there are many who don’t want to change. But you’d think there are some who make the effort to make it all worthwhile. But still, putting fear into people for the right reasons doesn’t need rudeness

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No she has no bedside manner and up until my diagnosis, I had very little to do with her as I would go to a different nurse. Had lots of problems in the past with her and the surgery are aware as I explained the situation with GP. Hopefully if my levels go down I will only have to see her once a year

Andydragon said:

Seriously?
Someone says something like that who is supposed to be a professional... shocking

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I know. I was totally shocked! Very very unprofessional