Jiminey Crickets! Argh!

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A little background first: I have this slightly eccentric associate who looked at my insulin pump, asked me what it was, and when I told him...here's the conversation that followed:

Him: "So you have diabetees?"

Me: "Yes, I have type 1 diabetes."

Him: "Well, all you have to do is lose about fifteen pounds and do what your doctor says, and you should be fine."

Ah. Memories.

So then last night, in announcement form, as in, loudly, and in front of a group of people who are listening to him, he shares this pearl of wisdom. Oh...by the way...he's not any type of diabetic...not type 1...not type 2...definitely not gestational...anyway:

Him: "Diabetes is easy to live with. You just manage your sugars."

Brilliant, dude.

So I am in the process of composing a "sensitive and polite response" to this...guy. So I can prevent...not being nice...when I confront him.

I've been told that this is probably a good idea because he is...an idiot...who is very vocal about his...ideas.

All those ...places are to prevent some anonymous person from deleting my post. Those of you with experience dealing with...people...like this...person...I would like to get some feedback from anyone who has ever confronted a ...person... like this without...being insulting.

I tend to think it would be easier to run at him while screaming at the top of my lungs and shove a knitting needle up his nose. But this...is not a good idea. And plus, you have to catch ...idiots...like this RIGHT as they are doing it because if you WAIT, they might think you were chastising them for something ELSE! Like just standing in public, looking dim.

I should also mention that this person is somewhat dim.

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(by associate do you mean a friend or a co-worker?)

 

this is what you should do.

 

get a couple packages of those sticky pads(not the small notepads but the ones with lines). get a couple people together and write down a bunch of facts about diabetes until you've used all of the pieces of sticky pads(but don't take them off).don't forget to quote the website you got the info off of(like say "from the Canadian Diabetes Association" or "Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation" or something)

 

go into work early one day before he gets there, and paste them ALL over his office, like on the phone, on the monitor(put the most important fact there like how t1 is different than t2) and make sure you have enough to cover his office with these facts.

 

and then sit back and wait to see what happens.

 

 

personally tho..my approach is to straight up tell them they don't know shit, and shouldn't tell someone with condition how easy it is to control it. and to either back off and stop making comments like that or you'll go to management and claim emotional distress over their treatment of you.

 

if it's a friend of a friend or something..just print out some facts about it, hand it to them and tell them that if they are going to make radical statements like that they should do their research. that you don't appreciate them making FALSE statements about a condition they obviously don't understand and you would prefer they either respect you by NOT talking about diabetes until they educate themselves, or at least stop talking about it to you.

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As serious of a story as this is, I have just finished laughing my........ "bottom".... off!!!!

Firstly, I am like you in the sense that I don't enjoy insulting people, especially in public.  However, this dim-whitted person did exactly that to you!  Therefore, I do believe the rules say that you are wide open to act as you wish!  (i.e. TAKE YOUR STAND AND CORRECT HIM IN PUBLIC!!!)  I'm pretty sure that even if I did not have Type one diabetes, I could still stand to lose 15 lbs or so!

He embarrassed you in public, now it's your turn!!!  (BTW, I really am not usually a vindicative type of person, but...)

If you decide to go ahead with the knitting needle idea, make sure that it is one from a smaller size pair.  Once you get into the larger ones, they are often made of plastic and bend to easily!!!  (Can you tell that I, too, am a knitter?!?)

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Batts, I LOVE your idea!!!!!!!!!

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After a long deep breath....   When I encounter this, now and then, I usually ask what type of diabetes they are talking about.  That usually gets the deer in headlights response.  Then I say well there are a few so which one are you generalizing about?  Did you know that there are millions of Type 1's that don't have the ability to produce insulin?  Did you know there are millions of Type 2's that also do not have the choice to manage their disease with diet, exercise and pills?  Some can but it's not everyone.  Did you know that there are Type 1's that no matter how closely they monitor themselves or eat properly, managing blood sugar levels are virtually impossible?  There are also some that are unaware when they are going low and it drops so fast there is little time to react - no matter what they do to combat it?   Do you think it would be easy for a pregnant woman to 'manage' their sugars with their hormones changing with the growth of the fetus?  The person usually responds with but.... blah blah blah ,  I heard this, I heard that.   Do you believe everything you hear?  I'm sorry to tell you that diabetes is NOT easy to live with and until you've walked in our shoes, you shouldn't generalize like that.  I can get some reading material for you if you like.    -  Your being nice by asking questions - just have to watch the tone of voice to make it sound innocent.  Drives them nuts.   

You must update us on the situation after its done!

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haha thanks. i actually got pretty excited about it. and then i re-read her post and realized she probably didn't mean a coworker so i went in and edited in the extra stuff.

 

personally i'm with you on being rude right back to him. generally that's what i do when people are like that to me.

 

"nooo actually your MOM needs to lose about 15pounds...but more like 50pounds. i on the other hand, do not need to lose weight, nor does that have anything to do with controlling MY diabetes...blah blah blah"

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[quote user="Doug D"]

After a long deep breath....   When I encounter this, now and then, I usually ask what type of diabetes they are talking about.  That usually gets the deer in headlights response.  Then I say well there are a few so which one are you generalizing about?  Did you know that there are millions of Type 1's that don't have the ability to produce insulin?  Did you know there are millions of Type 2's that also do not have the choice to manage their disease with diet, exercise and pills?  Some can but it's not everyone.  Did you know that there are Type 1's that no matter how closely they monitor themselves or eat properly, managing blood sugar levels are virtually impossible?  There are also some that are unaware when they are going low and it drops so fast there is little time to react - no matter what they do to combat it?   Do you think it would be easy for a pregnant woman to 'manage' their sugars with their hormones changing with the growth of the fetus?  The person usually responds with but.... blah blah blah ,  I heard this, I heard that.   Do you believe everything you hear?  I'm sorry to tell you that diabetes is NOT easy to live with and until you've walked in our shoes, you shouldn't generalize like that.  I can get some reading material for you if you like.    -  Your being nice by asking questions - just have to watch the tone of voice to make it sound innocent.  Drives them nuts.   

You must update us on the situation after its done!

[/quote]

that does sound like fun! i'm too hot headed for something as "innocent" seeming as that. i like to go right to the throat and embarass them before they get a chance to explain where their statement originally comes from. takes less time and is more satisfying for me at least. :D haha

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OMG, Batts, you're way too funny!!!!  Thanks for making me laugh - out loud - even though I'm all by myself right now!!!

Have a great week-end everyone!!!!!  Here in Ontario, it's a long weekend - Civic Holiday on Monday!  Woo-hoo!

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Trust me - just depends on who the person is  :)    I'm usually yelling and screaming at my job (except on slow days like this) so sometimes I like to go the calm route.  I did just a few min ago call out a co-worker b/c he says 'hey, the FDA just aproved a new type 2 diabetes drug' - all happy -  I said ' hey, ja... a$$, why do I care?  I'm type 1'  .   He laughed and said he could never get it strait.  But then, he's the same guy that calls me  PWAP - Pimp with a Pump.   We usually go back and forth like that. :)

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[quote user="Doug D"]

Trust me - just depends on who the person is  :)    I'm usually yelling and screaming at my job (except on slow days like this) so sometimes I like to go the calm route.  I did just a few min ago call out a co-worker b/c he says 'hey, the FDA just aproved a new type 2 diabetes drug' - all happy -  I said ' hey, ja... a$, why do I care?  I'm type 1'  .   He laughed and said he could never get it strait.  But then, he's the same guy that calls me  PWAP - Pimp with a Pump.   We usually go back and forth like that. :)

[/quote]

hah that sounds like me and my friend who calls me "Type 2" when he wants to push my buttons and get me all fighty. I've gotten over it now(after like 3years of it haha) but i still do something just to entertain him. haha. we just go back and forth but in the end it's all harmless.

 

 

@Nads - haha glad to hear you enjoyed it!

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Is this what you would do Batts?

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YES! only i would get the 5x8 lined ones(makes it easier to write on) and i probably wouldn't waste paper on covering under the desk. so more like this:

(btw i totally got an awesome photoshoot idea from discussing this haha)

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Both of you:  Stop it!!!!!!  I'm busting a gut here!!!!!!

Thank goodness we don't all work together...  Could be quite dangerous to our mental health!

 

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I'd ignore him.  Say "I'll take that under advisement" or "thanks for the info" and walk away.  You're probably not going to change his mind.  In the grand scheme of things does it really matter what this person thinks?

As an alternative, I'd do Doug's idea.

 

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that is awesome the cover their office with sticky notes!

if you shove the knitting needles up his nose, make it a long and skinny crochet thing. those have hooks on the end. then you can shove it up into his brain and pull it out like the egyptians did!

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I just let my son read this and he was BUSTING a gut!!!   Seriously, it was a teaching moment here for him.

Thanks for making us laugh tonight!!   Long needles, short needles ....go for it!

The sticky note visual was great!!

Keep us updated!

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this thread definitely made me laugh. we've all probaby had moments like that. working in a diabetes clinic, i get crazy questions all the time.

i'm sorry you had the experience though, he definitely sounds like a total moron. at least you are able to take it lightly and make the situation laughable. that's a good quality to have.

i have no advice here. i have a tendency to turn red in the face, fight back tears, and walk away in an attempt to not completely embarrass myself more. all of you who fight back are much better at handling these situations than i am! :o) i truly love the sticky note mental picture. 

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As a fellow knitter, I like the knitting needle idea.  :)  Perhaps you could knit this pancreas and shove it in his mouth next time the spouting begins? 

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[quote user="Lisa C"]

As a fellow knitter, I like the knitting needle idea.  :)  Perhaps you could knit this pancreas and shove it in his mouth next time the spouting begins? 

[/quote]

Awesome pancreas! Did you knit that Lisa?

 

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Lol...no, I didn't knit this.  But I have a friend who's done the entire digestive tract and a dissected frog for her hubby.