Diabetes - T1 and T2 and the inappropriate comments made

[Countrybumpkingirl]

Right, this is something that has been bugging me for a very very long time. As someone with T1 diabetes I am sick to death of people on SM, on TV and sadly on Tattle making comments which are in fact highly offensive.

These include say a pic of a cake and the comment diabetes on a plate. With #diabetes.
The other one is the joke of Bob has 24 chocolate bars what does Bob have ... diabetes.

Firstly completely wrong especially for us with T1 and to some with T2 as sugar is not always the cause of insulin resistance, but it is discriminatory. Would you say to someone who had lung cancer a joke about cigarettes, no! So why is it okay to do it to us!

I have seen Fitness influencers say it, Paul Hollywood say it and even members on here say comments about it today. You try living with diabetes and then make jokes about the daily injections and testing! Sorry for the rant but I do think better education is needed because people become embarrassed to admit they have this disease for fear of comments such as did you eat too much sugar as a child!

Rant over!

There is a brilliantly written article which I attach from America which may explain it slightly better as to why this is soo offensive to so many.

Why your diabetes jokes are rubbish unless you're diabetic

How not to offend a diabetic with misconceptions

actuallymummy.co.uk

 

[Croc]

Preaching to the converted here.

I'm type 2, on insulin as nothing else works. I'm not fat, I'm not lazy and my diet is pretty good. The fact that 3 out of 4 siblings and 1 parent and various relatives on that side of the family are also type 2 pretty much proves its genetic.

As for the people (well 1 brother in law) who thinks if I really tried I could cure myself cos he managed to go from pre-diabetes to none, duck off mate!

 

[BigMavis]

My parents were both T1, most of one side of my family is too. I hear you. Its very frustrating.
Also a lot of people are unaware what to do when someone goes off, my fathers wasn't well controlled and sometimes people thought he was drunk but he was actually tea total. That's a whole other thread though.

 

[mcfeez]

I have probably made a crack like this before and didn't think much of it - but you are absolutely right. It was wrong of me.

As someone with mental health issues I detest the use of "being a bit OCD!" - it totally diminishes the seriousness of the illness and this is completely similar.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

My parents were both T1, most of one side of my family is too. I hear you. Its very frustrating.
Also a lot of people are unaware what to do when someone goes off, my fathers wasn't well controlled and sometimes people thought he was drunk but he was actually tea total. That's a whole other thread though.

I was in DKA once and paramedics thought I was hungover/drunk. I was so ill by the time they finally took me to hospital and left me sitting in a corridor, by the time a consultant saw me, my kidneys were shutting down and I was about 10 minutes from a coma. Worst pain I have ever been in.

I have probably made a crack like this before and didn't think much of it - but you are absolutely right. It was wrong of me.

As someone with mental health issues I detest the use of "being a bit OCD!" - it totally diminishes the seriousness of the illness and this is completely similar.

Thank you for understanding, I think that is all we ask. I mean in the past people used to make the jokes about people's sexuality using the F word etc but now nobody would dream of it. Obviously totally different level.

 

[tyrellsg]

My son is t1 and I get so frustrated at comments from people, educate yourself before you open your mouth!

 

[BigMavis]

@Countrybumpkingirl thats so scary. I really wish there was more awareness around diabetes. My niece was diagnosed when she was 5 and her parents had a difficult time with the school, just not being in tune with her. But yeah the dietary misconceptions have always particularly bothered me.

 

[Woolmercardington]

I'm also T1. The general conceptions of diabetics/people with diabetes is they are fat, lazy, greedy and brought it on themselves.

I've been told a few times that I "don't look like I have diabetes" or my favourite was, "you must have it really bad if you have to take insulin". This was from a proper know-it-all type, too, who still kept saying the same thing to me no matter how many times I explained T1. Like I was wrong and she knew so much more about it

 

[Pixieboots]

I'm T2 and I AM fat. For what it's worth, it's most likely genetics that got me too, based on family history, but it's a bit hurtful to come into a thread for commiserating and still see people rushing to distance themselves from T2 and the stereotypes.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

I like to remind people that one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all times was type 1 diabetic. Everyone forgets about Sir Steve Redgrave, I remember when he had just won his last gold medal, I wrote to him and told him how much he inspired me. Crazy enough he actually replied!

I think the comment I get the most is, is that the one with too much or too little sugar. I mean that isn't diabetes at all!

 

[Woolmercardington]

I like to remind people that one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all times was type 1 diabetic. Everyone forgets about Sir Steve Redgrave, I remember when he had just won his last gold medal, I wrote to him and told him how much he inspired me. Crazy enough he actually replied!

I think the comment I get the most is, is that the one with too much or too little sugar. I mean that isn't diabetes at all!

I don't mind people not really understanding it, as I only knew a limited amount before diagnosis - I didn't get why they weren't supposed to eat cakes and biscuits but then would eat cakes and biscuits when they didn't feel well - but an awful lot of people do make lots of incorrect assumptions or state things as fact rather than asking questions to try and understand.

 

[DinosaursLayEggs]

I hate hate HATE those diabetes on a plate “jokes”. I once took a photo of my supplies on a plate and hashtagged it with that, the amount of people who told me it wasn’t funny or that it made them uncomfortable was unreal. Like yeah, neither is your comment and it’s supposed to make you feel uncomfortable.

I do like to make jokes about my diabetes though because if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry, but the amount of people who are butthurt over it is unreal, like I shouldn’t be allowed to make jokes about diabetes if they can’t. I mean, I wouldn’t make a joke about any other disability/illness that I don’t have, but it’s not for me to police how they cope with it.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

May of just lost it slightly on someone on here! I am just sick of the Ill informed jokes. Probably the hypo at the same time hasn't helped matters.

 

[DanaScully]

I agree with you. It's in the same vein as people claiming to "be OCD" because they like the labels on their tins facing forward.

Most of my aunties are T1 and have been for as long as I've known them. I've seen them testing, injecting and having hypos since I was knee high and it's not a laughing matter.

I can't stand to see any condition or illness trivialised or joked about, really. People rarely understand how difficult a condition can be to live with and how hurtful their "jokes" can be.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

So now some members are laughing at it and laughing at me for saying my piece. The hurt and frustration about this is incredible. These people haven't got a clue and I hope to god none of their family members never suffer from this disease. Attitudes like this is utterly disgusting.

 

[Sazbee]

I am Type 1 and a nurse who was changing my canula in hospital once asked me if I had eaten too many sweets when I was a child! I was too gobsmacked to say much but you would hope the bloody nurses would be a bit more well informed!!

 

[bunnyboo]

Good on all of you who stand up for yourselves/your loved ones, and fight against discrimination. It's ridiculous that people with medical conditions are forced into having to self-advocate. Keep fighting the good fight. I'm not diabetic, so I can't say that I 100% understand what you guys go through. I will say that as someone with crippling anxiety disorder and PTSD, it used to make by blood boil when I'd hear others saying "omg he's soooo bipolar", "omg I still have PTSD from that day" and all that kind of tit. Ok actually duck that, I'm not perfect, I still get mad. But you know what? Over time, I realised that I'll never be able to educate everyone I ever encounter with those crappy attitudes. Some people are just bleeping idiots, who choose wilful ignorance and they're never going to change. I can't change them, but I can choose to stay the duck away from them lol.

Also side note: I'm shocked that some of the posters here faced this kind of ignorance from medical professionals, it's truly baffling behaviour. I had a nursing assistant in A&E ask me "Are you really depressed? Or this going to pass on it's own?" etc, I said "Are you really qualified to work in a medical capacity or did you just skip that class on mental health in college?". Shut her up pretty quickly.

 

[Sazbee]

I just remembered an old manager saying to me “it could be a lot worse than diabetes Sazbee!” When in a meeting about my sick leave. Yes Sue it could be a lot worse but it could also be a lot better!

 

[Woolmercardington]

I also used to find that when people knew your were diabetic, some if them seemed compelled to tell you diabetes horror stories, i. e, their granny who went blind or their uncle who had his foot off!

Not long after I was diagnosed, I had a workmate blurt out, "Oh that's a terrible disease. My son's friend has it and he's about your age. He's just had his big toe amputated!"

Thanks for that

 

[DinosaursLayEggs]

I also used to find that when people knew your were diabetic, some if them seemed compelled to tell you diabetes horror stories, i. e, their granny who went blind or their uncle who had his foot off!

Not long after I was diagnosed, I had a workmate blurt out, "Oh that's a terrible disease. My son's friend has it and he's about your age. He's just had his big toe amputated!"

Thanks for that

Yes, what it is about that?! I’ve had it since I was 3 so I really don’t know any different, but so many horror stories! Like thanks, I know I can risk losing my eyesight or my feet but I prefer to keep that at the very back of my mind!
Also the comments like “my auntie had diabetes but cured it by eating a spoonful of cinnamon every day”. What. If that’s how it worked, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be sat here, 20+ years later, still having diabetes