Ignorant people

Karenchq

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84
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
While suffering a bad low, my neighbor stepped in to tell me to get over it and that it was nothing to worry about because diabetes isn't serious like some other disease. I wanted to let her have it, but was to weak to try to reason with her. How do you deal with ignorant comments such as this?
 

rmz80

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332
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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I do not have diabetes
Long term untreated diabetes has horrendous side effects such as being the the number 1 cause of blindness in the UK.
Unlike most diseases where knowing what causes it doesn't really help; in the case of diabetes the more you know about it; the more you can avoid the misery of its consequences and even reverse it for some.
 

ickihun

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While suffering a bad low, my neighbor stepped in to tell me to get over it and that it was nothing to worry about because diabetes isn't serious like some other disease. I wanted to let her have it, but was to weak to try to reason with her. How do you deal with ignorant comments such as this?
She must handle mild hypos that come on gradually very well and assume everyone experiences the same?
Many don't get how fast type1 hypos and hypers come on. They also assume carbs influence it all.
 
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SueJB

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While suffering a bad low, my neighbor stepped in to tell me to get over it and that it was nothing to worry about because diabetes isn't serious like some other disease. I wanted to let her have it, but was to weak to try to reason with her. How do you deal with ignorant comments such as this?
How do you deal with any sort of ignorance? It's so sad that ignorant people are judgemental. I'm afraid I can't be bothered to waste my time ie my life trying to educate them anymore. I just shake my head and get on with my life and eating a fruit pastille to get over the low.
 

EllieM

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Well, as it's a neighbour, I'd probably have a word next time you see her. Explain that untreated low blood sugar can kill T1s such as yourself and unfortunately you weren't able to explain this when she criticised you because your blood sugar was too low for rational thinking. Or maybe write a note.

Dear Ignorant Neighbour (you probably should just put her name here)
I am a T1 diabetic, which means that my body no longer produces any insulin and without multiple daily injections of insulin I would die. Although insulin saves my life, if there is too much in my system (either because of too little food or too much exercise or just because my metabolism is slightly off that day) my blood sugar can go too low, initially causing confusion (my brain is starved of nutrition) and potentially, if untreated, causing coma and even death. This is called hypoglycemia (hypo for short). I wasn't able to explain this to you when I saw you because my cognitive processes were already impaired and I was concentrating on raising my blood sugar before I passed out. And unfortunately I can't just keep my blood sugar high all the time to avoid hypos, because high blood sugar kills too, just much more slowly, via complications such as blindness, renal failure and limb amputation.
I am telling you this because if you ever meet a confused hypo T1 diabetic you may actually be able to save their life by giving them sugar.
 

Guzzler

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Some people are beyond reasoning with. For many years I have been saying "You can't argue with an idiot, they don't understand the rules".
I am sorry that you have come up against this kind of sheer ignorance. I advise that you imagine finding a dirty stick and poking her in the eye with it, it works for me.
 

Tony337

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Not being on holiday....
Poke her in the eye with a sharp stick................
 
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Tony337

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Not being on holiday....
Normally I would have added a smiley face or made a humorous remark so I did a blood test thinking I'm a bit on the low side but no everything is tickety boo............
 
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JohnEGreen

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Ignorance is an absence of knowledge. Once enlightened a comment such as that proves the person is not ignorant which is excusable but a bigoted fool which is not.
 
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PenguinMum

Expert
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Type 2
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Dont worry it happens to us all, like “Type 2 isnt the real diabetes” or “thats a lifestyle disease” which I have had. Agree with Guzzler you cant reason with idiots though a lot of people who say these things should know better like my podiatrst!
 
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MikeTurin

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Messages
564
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
Ignorant is normally used as a slur, bur literally means that one doesn't know something.
So it's possible that people are getting wrong conclusions because they don't know anything about a subject.

There are a lot of people that don't know nothing about Raspberry Pi. I have know a lot of computer programmers that have never seen a VMS prompt on a VAXMate computer. I could easily explain them what are they and eventually that is relatively easy to make them work together. On the other hand if people aren't willing to learn, it' another story.
 

DavidGrahamJones

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diabetes isn't serious like some other disease.

It would be nice to think that it was just a bad choice of words, obviously "it is serious like some diseases", but not necessarily in the same way.

I wanted to let her have it

As soon as you get annoyed you lose the ability to explain the error of their ways, maybe the next time you have a chance, perhaps when she "pops in", you can ask her what she meant and then explain where she's wrong.
 

phdiabetic

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880
Type of diabetes
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Insulin
While suffering a bad low, my neighbor stepped in to tell me to get over it and that it was nothing to worry about because diabetes isn't serious like some other disease. I wanted to let her have it, but was to weak to try to reason with her. How do you deal with ignorant comments such as this?

Dreadful! I would tell her what for! I sometimes get comments telling me off for having anxiety about low blood sugars, even from medical professionals! (At the dentist I had fluoride put on my teeth, they told me no eating/drinking for half an hour, I said my blood sugar is going down I will probably need to have something, they argued that I probably wouldn't get low and implied I was worried about nothing. Sure enough my blood sugar continued going down just like I said. What a surprise, I know my own body!) If people don't know much about diabetes I usually use it as a chance to educate. I explain how low blood sugar can make you pass out, have seizures, brain damage and even death! I explain about normal ranges of blood sugar, and about the devices I use, and how I treat a low.

People think there is nothing to worry about because they have usually never seen anybody having a hypo, and if they've met diabetics before they are usually badly controlled ones who are perpetually high and therefore hypos never came up. Diabetes is extremely serious!! Don't let her get you down, you know you're right and she just has no idea.
 
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Ziggyzog

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Don’t know about the explaining and getting people to understand. I’ve tried to and then I find myself repeating it over and over. So I gave up and will not even discuss it with anyone who has demonstrated that comprehension on this subject is beyond them. It just adds stress and stress can spike your sugar levels.
 

Eliz76

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
While suffering a bad low, my neighbor stepped in to tell me to get over it and that it was nothing to worry about because diabetes isn't serious like some other disease. I wanted to let her have it, but was to weak to try to reason with her. How do you deal with ignorant comments such as this?
I would be mortified if someone said this to me. I haven’t had anything like this but I have had a few say “ aww! Your t1 diabetic my cousin/mother/aunt is diabetic but they are a bad diabetic!!!! What does that even mean t1 is t1 no??? I live a normal life I work and have a young family so try and manage things as best I can. Does this mean my t1 is not as bad as theirs?? Have never said anything to these people as I know it is just ignorance but still very frustrating
 

Grumpy ole thing

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290
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
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discovering you cant actually turn the stairs round, or move the roof...
Someone on here mentioned a battling handbag, some people like a good lipstick, personally I prefer nail enamel, bright, sparkly, with gems and stickers and.....everything
Then I can just smile to myself and know what I have overcome to get here. I suppose it depends on the outcome you want, as to whether you are kind enough to explain it or whether you prefer to just walk away. x
 
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Lampman

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Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I am struggling to think of anything I might have said which would be printable! I suppose the only polite thing I could say is that the best way to become an expert on diabetes is to get it and want to live. No excuse for bigotry from the ignorant though. The important thing is you know the dangers of your situation. Sod the ignorant, look after yourself!
 
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AloeSvea

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Messages
2,051
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
I have started to say, "That's great you know so much about it - could you tell that to my life insurance underwriters? They seem to have a different idea. I'll go get the phone number!..." and then smile wickedly.

I have yet to come up against someone who isn't frozen by this. (Frozen, I think, in this situation is exactly what you want them to be!) Anything to do with insurance, or death, or actually having to stand by their ignorant comments to an authority, seems to have a good freezing effect on folks. Talking about medical experts just doesn't seem to have the same impact. In the past I found an earnest response just got them to carry on and say even worse things.

Coping with other people's ignorance and incredible oafishness in actually sharing that kind of thing is very difficult indeed. Being able to smile wickedly in response helps me hugely! :)
 
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