Ignorant people

Karenchq.
I feel for you as do all of us here. Lots of good answers here, but beating an idiot with a stick will not do the slightest good and could get you arrested. I think the least aggressive approach is the best. Smile through your pain and come out on top, as you surely will.

Why don't you print out one of the leaflets or articles from this site and give it to them. That way it provides some education and may adjust their opinion.

As a longstanding Type 1 I have forgotten the amount of times I have heard comments like this.

Honestly, in that situation, I would leave her behind and find someone/something that could help me, just as you did. But what do you say going forward?
I love the idea of a note: it's informative and non-confrontational. It's effectiveness, sad to say, is all predicated on her willingness to learn.
When I first became a T1, lo those 50 years ago, I was told by my school counselor that I shouldn't tell people I was a diabetic because people would consider it a "character flaw." I had a friend that constantly heckled me because I talked about my diabetes freely, just as he would talk about being gay. I had a boyfriend whose partner at work died over the weekend from undiagnosed diabetic hyperglycemia. And just a few weeks ago, I had a severe hypo that left me unconscious - and my friend wanted to "give me an insulin shot" to bring me out of it. (Thank God he called the paramedics instead.)
Some will learn to listen; some will never learn. The most important thing you can do is discern the difference.

Eliz76 said:

Your t1 diabetic my cousin/mother/aunt is diabetic but they are a bad diabetic!!!!

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Everyone searches to be compassionate, I think. They will equate one with diabetes to anyone else who has diabetes. It's, "I had a [father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, fill-in-the-blank] who had diabetes, but they didn't take care of themselves and they lost their [sight, leg, life, fill-in-the-blank]." I get it; they're trying to relate.
It's just - dammit! - I know what can happen to me! They don't have to remind me at every turn. And most don't know what "taking care" means because they don't understand diabetes.
The kindest thing ever said to me was by an acquaintance who was a paramedic. "Type 1s have it so hard," he said. "They really struggle to do everything right and sometimes, it just doesn't work." I loved this man.

Karenchq,
I understand exactly how you feel.
I am a Podiatrist and I'm fed up with some ignorant people telling me that "training for 3 years at University is a long time just to cut toe nails". !!
You could use this as an educational opportunity. Next time you see here just mention that, last time you met, you noticed she had some incorrect ideas about Diabetes and would she like to learn more? She may say "No" or claim she knows all about Diabetes, in which case just take the attitude that 'You can't fix stupid' and leave her in ignorance.
If she says "Yes" then you have an opportunity to tell her , briefly, what living with Diabetes is like.

AloeSvea said:

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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Some great advice above, @Karenchq. I do hope that your neighbour's unthinking comment hasn't brought you down. Sadly, all illnesses and conditions can attract such comments: my mother-in-law was an epileptic and had quite severe fits at times. She had a rather spectacular one in a supermarket while we were with her and she collapsed by the fresh meat cabinets. While we and the extremely helpful staff were attending to her, a woman reached right over her body (and us), grabbed a packet of sausages and walked away. The only thing we could do was look at each other in astonishment and laugh (which did help!), because how on earth do you deal with that behaviour?