What Annoying Things Have People Said About Your Diabetes?

Begun to get a few confident "Oh, I know all about diabetes" from newer colleagues who have been keeping up with what is released on the media demonising Type 2s especially and who maybe have a distant relative who's not necessarily keeping on top of their diabetes...

The colleagues who've been with me all the way through this journey tip-toe off to get the popcorn for the entertainment as I demolish the myths, explain my story of the last 3 years through Type 2 to LADA ("There's more than 2 types?!" is the invariable response) then they line up to watch me go for the kill when I'm told what I should and shouldn't be eating, or "I bought this healthy food for you" (without checking if it is or not) so I go on to tell them I will decide what I eat, when I eat I will not take any notice of their definition of healthy food.

I usually get them to the point of "Oh, perhaps I don't know as much as I thought..." I can see it will get annoying, though. Maybe need a simple pamphlet, which is Japes specific.

Resurgam said:

The guy in the bakery which has just opened said that because the bread he sells has no sugar or preservatives or additives then diabetics, celiacs and people with IBS can eat it, no problem.

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Oh my God!!!
And they let these people out to run a business??? ... is there no training involved when you open up an activity dealing with food? The authorities concerned with granting licenses give them to people with this amount of ignorance??? This is dangerous ... a person who has no idea about these type of conditions could buy something in good faith for a friend or family member believing the rubbish this guy says ...
I am truly appalled

gemma_T1 said:

Oh my God!!!
And they let these people out to run a business??? ... is there no training involved when you open up an activity dealing with food? The authorities concerned with granting licenses give them to people with this amount of ignorance??? This is dangerous ... a person who has no idea about these type of conditions could buy something in good faith for a friend or family member believing the rubbish this guy says ...
I am truly appalled

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The sad thing was that there was another diabetic woman in the shop saying 'oh yes, I eat good bread all the time - you should do the same.'
I asked if she tested her blood and she said no - she did not need to.
I told her that I did test, as I needed to - but that I did not eat bread, not since Lidl had stopped making one safe for me to eat. and she was totally unconvinced.

that I'm a bad diabetic because I ate a whole pack of bacon and its full of sugar.. when I started to protest I was told to google it.. in this instance I realised there was no reasoning with this person.. on other occasions I might get really really mad or even start to cry in frustration (depending on blood sugars).. people just don't get it

Well it’s not good having it but well ..... at least it will sort of ..... help you loose weight ! Every cloud eh?

Ziggy2017 said:

Hi all what’s the most annoying thing a doctor or a family member has said about your diabetes my examples are
Family member: you can’t eat that it has sugar in it!
Family member: that will make your blood sugar high
Family member: your using to many test strips
Nurse: don’t prick your fingers too much,it will hurt you
Doctor: you can eat whatever you want as long as you take novorapid after
Nurse:don’t check after meals

So guys tell me what stupid things you’ve been told so we can have a laugh

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So many things! ‘Are you allowed to eat that?’ ( Allowed as if I have the’Diabetic police’ watching me.)
The most annoying thing if friends who go on all the time about dieting and how hard they find it, just shut up!! Welcome to a taste of my world!

Ziggy2017 said:

Hi all what’s the most annoying thing a doctor or a family member has said about your diabetes my examples are
Family member: you can’t eat that it has sugar in it!
Family member: that will make your blood sugar high
Family member: your using to many test strips
Nurse: don’t prick your fingers too much,it will hurt you
Doctor: you can eat whatever you want as long as you take novorapid after
Nurse:don’t check after meals

So guys tell me what stupid things you’ve been told so we can have a laugh

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Me to GP: I would like to speak to a dietician to advise me on certain aspects of maintaining remission without medication.
GP: We only refer patients to dieticians if they are on medication.

A not quite ex friend was very helpful at first, even provided low carrb options when I ate at her house. Until one day when there was almost nothing I could eat - and she told me her boss got into remission by low carb plus running every day and now eats normally.
The unspoken bit was 'and so can you a's the large dish of mixed veg/chicken and rice was passed around.

I have multiple disabilities/chronic conditions and use a walking stick for short distances and otherwise a mobility scooter, and I can only stand for a few minutes. Running? if only I could exercise and then eat more carbs.

It’s not so much what someone has said, I went for an eye test and was asked do I pay for my test I said no. I was then asked to pick out from a list the reason why and it’s said ‘suffers’ from diabetes. That word makes me rage, I have diabetes I don’t suffer makes it sound like I’m in agony all the time! Surely this is outdated and should be re worded?!

TriciaWs said:

A not quite ex friend was very helpful at first, even provided low carrb options when I ate at her house. Until one day when there was almost nothing I could eat - and she told me her boss got into remission by low carb plus running every day and now eats normally.
The unspoken bit was 'and so can you a's the large dish of mixed veg/chicken and rice was passed around.

I have multiple disabilities/chronic conditions and use a walking stick for short distances and otherwise a mobility scooter, and I can only stand for a few minutes. Running? if only I could exercise and then eat more carbs.

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As a disabled person myself. It is like your friend is avoiding the blooming obvious so that she doesn't have to put her self out when cooking for you and preparing food. So far I haven't eaten at friends so haven't come across this. I am afraid in my old age I am starting to get rather sharp with anyone treating me as stupid. Best of Luck.

I don't really get annoyed by other people's ignorance. I just quietly point out where the mistakes are.

Sarah69 said:

it’s said ‘suffers’ from diabetes

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Synonyms for suffer are:

deteriorate
endure
experience
get
go through
hurt
undergo
ache
agonize
ail
brave
droop
flag
grieve
languish
pain
sicken
smart
writhe
be affected
be at disadvantage
be convulsed
be handicapped
be impaired
be racked
be wounded
complain of

I struck out the ones that have no real relavance to being a diabetic.

One of my acquaintances told me how good it was that I was type 2 not type 1 because type 2 isn't serious.

I agree type 1 takes much more effort, but it was so dismissive. Luckily as she's anorexic herself (which I don't criticise ever) I didn't get the Fat Chat.

Most of the nonsense that I've been on the receiving end of as a T2 has been from very close family , e.g. ;
A few months after diagnosis and eating low carb having brought me down to pre diabetic levels : so I was amazed to be told that I apparently don't understand anything about low carbing. However when watching sugar content, I needed to understand that all sugar comes from sugar cane, and later, that I don't ever need to check food containing any added sugar as there's less of it!! I later found a trend (I wasn't then preparing my own food) that what we were eating suddenly included more sugary or starchy ingredients. I now buy and cook for my ignorant diabetic self.

My original Diabetes support nurse was understanding and encouraging: "Just keep on doing what you're doing" when seeing my continued low carb success. But on my first review with her dozy successor, having had a discussion about my long term control with a low carb diet, (at that point over 7 years & some without any T2 medication ) asked had I considered bariatric surgery. Due our Practice COVID restrictions on reviews, I've fortunately not seen her since...

However I've never been on the receiving end of my all time favourite piece of nonsensical advice that I should not be testing my glucose levels because finger pricks will hurt. I often wonder what magic miracle applies to T1 and other diabetics actually needing to regularly test - do they suddenly become immune to this obviously extremely(!!)-painful-to-be-avoided-procedure that T2s have to be warned against?

Outlier said:

One of my acquaintances told me how good it was that I was type 2 not type 1 because type 2 isn't serious.

I agree type 1 takes much more effort, but it was so dismissive. Luckily as she's anorexic herself (which I don't criticise ever) I didn't get the Fat Chat.

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Isn't serious?! Oh my goodness gracious me. My line for that is, "There is a reason type 2 diabetes is on the list of top five diseases you really don't want to get. But you don't want me to list the reasons why do you? That would not be kind to me. A bit depressing. Much better if you go away and quietly look it up online yourself..." All said with ah, er, charm and graciousness. (on a good day.)

On another thread it was mentioned that gluten intolerance has become socially acceptable, with low-carbing/keto due to carb intolerance/type 2 still lagging more than a bit.

I had experience of this when last at my foodie-Aunt's house, and she offered me morsels "all gluten free" like that was a thing for me. "It's not the gluten Auntie - it's the carbs - and don't worry about it, I'm used to choosing food that is lower carb at afternoon teas". To which she very clearly rolled her eyes at me. (She's neuro-diverse, and does not realise she is showing her disdain and contempt with her body language, so I forgive her, sort of.)

"Well auntie - I AM diabetic, so, you know.... I have good reason. I want to live as long as I can...I don't even have grandchildren yet." She kind of froze. Her own daughter, my cousin, has had gestational diabetes, so she must have heard about blood glucose dysregulation before. (And she has from me.)

I say I have forgiven her, but I won't be attending any more avo teas at her's. Life is too tough already without eye rolls from folks passing you a tea cup.