So I have one particular pet peeve that has been a problem since maybe forever. I hate when people try to tell me what's best for me. In my opinion, I should be able to SLAP every single person who tries to give me unsolicited diabetes advice who is not my doctor. And I don't mean I should be able to TRY to slap them. I mean they should stand there and present their face to me so that I may open-handed hit them with the full force of my body behind it. That is how infuriating it is.
Everyone seems to think they know what's best for a diabetic. I blame education. Now generally I'm a fan of education, I'm not sitting here going "RAWR DO NOT EDUCATE PEOPLE RAWR" but the small tidbits of diabetes education that well meaning groups push on people makes my life even more difficult. See people don't get educated on what is exactly going on with a diabetics body, or even what the difference between type I and II is. People don't get told that there are many different strategies for managing diabetes and everyone has to find their own. The don't get informed about how insulin works. They certainly don't get told that it's RUDE to tell a diabetic how to manage their disease. All anyone ever tells them is diabetes=sugar bad.
I eat a lot of cupcakes (See? There is a connection to the title of this post.) In fact, I love all things sugary and terrible for you like chocolate, cotton candy, spoonfuls of straight up processed white sugar...I love it all. (Remember, this is a blog about me being the worst diabetic...) However, this is not really a problem for my diabetes (overall health is another story) because I have an insulin pump. I have had an insulin pump since I was 12. I can handle ANYTHING I want to. But if you're diabetic or know one you know what people say when they see a diabetic about to eat a cupcake: "YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT OMG!!!"
This is where the slapping should be allowed to take place.
Now I know people are just trying to show they care and save me from what I clearly don't understand (sugar=bad) even though I have been diabetic since I was 9 but come on! I feel like people should trust that I am not suicidal and that I do know what I'm doing. But that's not the point. The point is, even if I was trying to kill myself with cupcakes, it's none of your business! You don't know how I manage my diabetes so don't say ANYTHING.
The fastest way to get me to be self destructive and actually actively harm myself with cupcakes (because I'm certainly not going to forgo the cupcakes) is to tell me what to do. Tell me not to eat that? Oh I'm going to eat it...I'm going to eat SEVERAL. Tell me to test my blood sugar? Screw that, I wont test it for three days! Take my insulin? Not after you've told me to!
Are you seeing a pattern here? You should be, if not, you're probably the person who's been telling me not to eat that candy bar for the past 15 years. Just don't do it. Don't tell me what to eat, when to test, what to take. Ask questions! I am HAPPY to answer questions. Hell, ask me "So how are you able to eat that cupcake and stay healthy?" but don't be snotty about it, be sincere. I will happily explain to you how my pump works and what carbs are and how my symlin helps and all of the exciting things you never really wanted to know about how I manage my disease. But for god's sake, unless your diabetic friend ASKS you to be their medical police, shut the fuck up because it really REALLY isn't your business to tell them how to live. They've probably got enough people doing that already.
Also: Don't offer me your sugar free candy/cookies/cake/etc. That shit blows. I don't care if you made it with splenda, it probably still sucks.
PS: if you see a diabetic eating like a maniac or stumbling around, their blood sugar is probably low. Offer to help but don't be all "YOU SHOULD TEST" or "YOU SHOULD EAT"...we know that.
In reference to the last paragraph of your post, I agree; I think the best thing to do for someone who's diabetic in that situation is to ask how you can assist them. Suggesting things or trying to pull something out of their butt could do the person more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteIt really is frustrating when people who aren't you think they know what's best for you. I'm even hesitant about doctor's telling me what to do because they aren't living with it and don't realize what it's like to try and integrate things into my schedule and I wish they would be more understanding of that.
ReplyDeleteAnd people who barely know me piss me off the most. I had one guy give me a LECTURE about it. I don't care that you lost your leg because you suck at being diabetic. That doesn't help me and makes me angry because you don't know me!
Makes me want to do the opposite of what people tell me because I'm stupidly stubborn.