So, on every diabetes website I've visited there seems to be a long
list of people posting the things ignorant non-diabetics say to them
about their diabetes. Whether they're confusing insulin and low blood
sugar, asking how they got the disease or if they'll die if they eat
sugar, the questions are all amusing, true.
But...do we deserve to call these people ignorant?
There are a hundred diseases I don't know ANYTHING about...why
should everyone understand diabetes perfectly just because we have it?
The act of simply asking a question doesn't make a person stupid --
we all ask questions and we all DON'T KNOW a lot of things about a lot
things! In fact, I appreciate it when someone asks me about my diabetes
because the act of asking a question implies they want to learn!
They're curious, they're taking an interest in you and your life, and
it's your job as the person who knows so much about the disease to
educate people around you.
I didn't know anything about diabetes before I was diagnosed with it, why should anyone else?
Hey, I know this one!! Ginger, you'll probably won't be so exited when you see the first response is from me since you've already heard my point of view on the matter (based off knowing how excited I get when I see people have responded to my posts -- but that's just me, and we all know how [sometimes ridiculously] excited I get. Like the Water Experiment Group. Ahh, that was great: 200+ for a week after Gina contacted me about it) Here is the rundown of my opinion, hopefully more straightforward and clear on here than my rambling on the blog version:
I think there is a difference between non-diabetics being aware and knowing about juvenile diabetes. For example, before I was diagnosed while I grew up with two type 1 family members and a type 2 grandpa, it wasn't something that pertained to me or even necessarily mattered, at least not to the extent it does now. Then, if you asked me what juvenile diabetes was I could tell you (with my "fantastic" 10 year old vocab) it was something you get when your pancreas stops working. On a good day, I could say it was specifically when it doesn't produce insulin. But could I tell you there wasn't a cure? No. Did I know their were complications, and then even tolls the chronic illness takes on diabetics even when they're taking care of themselves? Probably not. However, that's my point: I was aware. I didn't know everything about my relatives' disease, but I knew that it was out there. I believe the same thing pertains to others: so long as they know we need their help, it probably couldn't matter less whether or not they knew the precise, exact differences between type 1 A and type 1 B, for example.
No promises that I'm done ;) There's usually something that someone says that makes me think deeper or add to what I want to say. "I'll be back...." (but for now I turn it over to everyone else so Ginger can stop having to listen to my rambling again, and again, and againnnnnn….!)
I agree that awareness is important! Awareness equals more people who care which equals more people fighting for a cure. On the other hand, there are so many diseases and conditions that we need to develop awareness for: alzheimers, multiplesclerosis, breast cancer, aids, rape, cystic fibrosis, leukemia, etc....so we can't expect everyone to aware of everything. But, yeah, we should try.
The real thing that gets me though, is that we forget that is OUR JOB to educate people about diabetes. They may ask silly questions, and some of those questions may come off as plain old RUDE, but it is still a result of them simply not knowing. I would rather they ask then not ask at all, because if they don't ask at all they will learn nothing. And if they don't ask at all, they really don't care. Where as a question shows an interest and concern.
the thing about when someone asks the questions its one thing but when they make stupid comments and assumptions that's just annoying.
for example i have explained to my best guy friend about diabetes and he doesn't completely understand it, which is okay as long as he understands the basics: sugar when low, insulin when high, test when not acting normal. but once he was being stupid and decided to avoid me for a day saying if he hung out with me he would "catch" diabetes, now we just joke about it but at the timee it was annoying.
its comments like like his that really is upsetting to me personally. questions and curiosity is one thing but when someone decides they know more about it then you when that's the first they ever heard of type one diabetes its annoying and they ARE ignorant.
I don't mind if people ask me questions, in fact, I kinda love it! What annoys me to no end is when people try to tell me what to do. Once, I was in my EMT class and one pompous paramedic-wannabe TA goes off on some story about how he's so much better at EMS than everyone else. So just to shut him up, I threw out some info about glucagon because he is not certified to deliver it (stupid, but only paramedics can do that). Thinking I'd done it, I turned to leave and he has the nerve to contradict me. Let me just say it was one epic battle about everything diabetes that included the phrases "well, I'm diabetic" and the counter of "well, I'm almost done my paramedic training."
It's not so much the "stupid" questions that bug me..I mean, they annoy me yes..but it's understandable in most cases. It's more the blatantly rude comments that make me mad. Such as:
"You shouldn't be eating that, you can't have sugar." / "You shouldn't be eating that because it has sugar in it." "My cousin had diabetes, but he cured himself with excerise and diet. You should really try that." "You must have eaten a lot of sugar as a kid." "You know you can cure yourself if you really wanted to."
The media doesn't help, I've had a lot of bad run-ins with people who get all their information on Diabetes from the news reports and assume T1 and T2 are the same. The media rarely gives the difference and when they do..it's barely talked about...and then the person makes rude(as I view them) comments about my weight as a child, what I shouldn't be eating, etc.
i have never been one to get too defensive about it. so i just laugh and correct people on the misinformation. ok for example:
i was in my communications class giving a speach on T1 and after i was done several hands went up asking questions and i answered the best i could with what knowlegde i had of both T1 and T2. when i went back to sit down this guy tells me of how some football player that was having trouble in a game (the football player was T1) and so the guy was like get that boy some insulin he's low. i laughed then said no actually he may have needed sugar if he was low, but if his glucose was high he would need insulin.
i think if we think of each person we come across who comes up with the real lane questions are like little kids in the knowlegde of diabetes, then it will be easier for us to handle the real kinds of rude comments like "you are diabetic? you can't hang out with us." just a thought.
I just got a funny one from a new coworker. She asked 'can't people just donate insulin, like the same way you donate blood? That way, you wont have to buy those expensive prescriptions all the time!' LOL. Ha Ha Ha.
Oh... and, she asked 'how did you find out you were diabetic, is it because you were craving alot of sugar? my friend was craving sugar and so she went to the doctor...'
Oh... and, she asked 'how did you find out you were diabetic, is it because you were craving alot of sugar? my friend was craving sugar and so she went to the doctor...'
The conversation just keeps getting more interesting, I wish you could hear it! Apparently, she google'd something about insulin and how a 'lack of insulin' attributes to weight loss. She asked why they cant take the insulin away from the the people from the Biggest Loser and give it to us. She said it would work both ways, they would lose weight, and we'd have insulin.
Half of the stupid comments I blame on community misconception or lack of detail in the media. I don't think that people are stupid because they ask stupid questions. ;)
Just because people have been told something wrong for most of their life doesn't make them guilty, it just makes them unaware. We educate them, and typically they're better off for it, having known someone in the situation themselves with actual empirical evidence to provide.
Half of the stupid comments I blame on community misconception or lack of detail in the media. I don't think that people are stupid because they ask stupid questions. ;)
Just because people have been told something wrong for most of their life doesn't make them guilty, it just makes them unaware. We educate them, and typically they're better off for it, having known someone in the situation themselves with actual empirical evidence to provide.
I warned you. I really did; or I at least tried. I'll make it brief, I'm too tired to do much rambling.
I don't think this is ignorance, I really don't. Before you were diagnosed, would you have expected yourself to know what juvenile diabetes was? Even if you did, would you have known where we get insulin? The number of finger pricks we do? What an A1c is? Did you know any of that before you were diagnosed, especially if you didn't grow up with another type 1 diabetic?
I don't think we can expect people to know this stuff on their own. We can't expect them to Google it, for goodness sake. If we don't tell them, who will?
The funny thing is that since I am "all growed up" and my mother is no longer responsible for taking care of all things D, she seems to have forgotten some of what is involved and sometimes, because of the changes in medical treatments that have been developed over the years, she simply does not know! As an example, shortly after I started with my pump, we were sitting in a restaurant together. I pulled out my BG meter and she asked "Oh, is that your pump? It's not actually attached to you?" I chuckled, then explained.
Yes, I do understand. I am actually a nurse and it amazesme on a daily basis how misunderstood diabetes is to medical professionals. When I eat people always stare at my plate and make comments about what I am eating and what I am allowed or not allowed to eat. I call them the diet police. Funny enough they are eating hamburgers and french fries and are overweight and not exercising. I sit there with my vegetarian meal from home and get dissected. I do feel healthier than everyone I work with even though I live my life with type 1- amazing!