I can relate. I think with all illnesses there is a lack of understanding unless people can visibly see what is wrong. Eg. If I had a cast on my leg and crutches then people know full well I've broken my leg and they have a good idea what my limitations would be. But diabetes and all my other illnesses are not visible to anyone. Some of them can be heard (eg. my voice and my chronic burping and hiccuping). But people don't relate to anything they're unfamiliar with. Since I've had diabetes I can only recall one person who correctly identified I was having a hypo. Her response was "you need to eat NOW".... probably only because I was talking to her at the time and my speech started to slur. With my other conditions that have symptoms like my chronic burping well people find that funny or rude don't they. I get stared at, laughed at, and I even get inappropriate comments at times like "excuse you". All this when I'm minding my own business and in fact have my mouth closed (which hurts me more) just trying to be polite for their sake. People have no idea what we go through with our illnesses... no idea at all about the pain and anxiety they cause. They only will know if they have it themselves or are very close to someone who has. Although your girlfriends comment of "you're not dying" is probably true she is being dismissive though of what it's like for you to deal with it. It is life threatening for us if we don't get things right. I think for me the only way I'd get help in public is if I'm unconscious and even then I may face the possibility of some uneducated person injecting my insulin into me to kill me quicker. lol. (I had someone ask me did I take my insulin when I hypo). I wish you the best.