Do you hate it when people ask about your diabetes?

Question

When people see me check my blood sugar the first thing they ask is, "Does that hurt?". The second thing they ask is, "Do you have to take shots, and do they hurt?" I understand people are curious, but sometimes is can get to be a little annoying. Or they try to tell you what you're doing wrong, such as "don't prick yourself on the finger, my mom always checks her arm". (Someone actually said that to me.) Does anyone else have stories about this kind of thing?

Answer 1

It's a catch 22 for me. Yep, it irks me that people stare at me when I test my blood, but I am eager to talk about it openly to those who ask. The reason: majority of people need to know. With such an increase in people being diagnosed with the disease they should know the basics of it, they should know that its not just sugar we have to watch, its carbohydrates. They should know that we can live normal lives with it, and they should know how to prevent it.

I will never be embarassed or hide in a bethroom to check my blood. Diabetes is a part of me and I have come to accept it.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I would never use a public restroom to test or inject... they're the most unhygienic place you could pick.
Plus, I refuse to be "sent out of sight" as though I did something wrong.
A modern test kit is sufficiently inconspicuous that you can use it pretty much anywhere.. I keep one hooked on my belt, and it's very easy just to slip meter and lancet out, click on a finger and let the meter take the sample, then either lay it down for a few seconds to "digest", or just keep moving, with the meter in my hand. It beeps, I read the number, eject the test strip into the pouch and slip it all back in the "bat-belt" :-)

Elapsed time about 45 seconds, no big spectacle.
Everyone carries some kind of gadget today, either a cell-phone or a PDA or some such, nobody pays attention to just another little box that beeps.

I do understand that some people are "Squicked" by the sight of blood, or by needles, so there's a certain obligation to be subtle, but there is really no need for it to be a big sideshow.

If somebody is genuinely interested, I will make an effort to explain what I'm doing and why... in a spirit of education, but I will never seek to justify, or apologise.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

No, because people need to know and learn be more accepting of Diabetes, no matter what their cause or condition. This is a tolerance issue as well as an education issue.
"Do unto others..." is the best rule of thumb.
Remember, there are those people who are afraid they may have it and want to get information about Diabetes from a 'non-threatening" source such as someone who already has this. You can literally save another person's life without realizing it. Please answer their question as if they were a seeker, whether or not they seem to be one. Some people are very rude when they are afraid for themselves or someone they love.
The others who need a lesson from Miss Manners, will always need a lesson from Miss Manners. Treat them with courtesy and you can never go wrong. Everyone else will see them for what they are and think higher of you for doing the right thing.

Answer 6

I, too, understand that people are curious about the disease. I feel really self-conscious when people stare at me when I'm taking my insulin or checking my blood glucose. How would they like it if I stared at them while they put their contacts in or blew their nose?

Once in a while, I sometimes order a regular pop in restaurants when my blood sugar is low...sometimes, if the people know I'm a diabetic, they give me these disapproving looks. Look...if I don't have the regular pop at this particular moment, I may flop around on the floor in convulsions from extreme low blood sugar.

I don't mind the questions as much as the horror stories...My uncle never took care of himself, now he's blind and had his legs amputated. I don't want to hear that.

Anyhoo...I would much rather put up with someone asking 21 questions rather than someone who thinks they know all there is to know about diabetes, but in reality knows absolutely nothing.

Answer 7

Yep, all the time. i sometimes think that instead of wearing an insulin pump, and a medical ID bracelet, I should just wear a big sign saying "Yes, I am diabetic... now can we all shut up and get on with the rest of our lives?"

I have 1 person ask me about my med-id braclet today (which doesn't actually look like a med-id, but whatever), two ask me about my insulin pump, and at least another ask me why I was loosing my mind (dontcha love low blood sugars?)

Of course people want to know if it hurts. Humans seem to have a morbid fascination with anything abnormal, or slightly gory (eg blood testing or fetal pigs in large glass jars...). So, its only natural that people ask. But, it does DRIVE YOU CRAZY... especially since after they find out, people assume you want to talk about it (and no, the only people i regularly discuss my diabetes with in depth are my doctor, and a few close friends...)

Answer 8

I have a story to share with you. After church I was sitting at a table with a friend who was checking her glucose level. A lady came over and started asking questions about it. The conversation continued for a while and she offered to take a reading on the lady....who had a reading of 400! Her daughter took her immediately to the hospital. It turned out that this lady suspected she had diabetes but was frightened and did not pursue care. Anyway, she was regulated and got health care on a regular basis.

Answer 9

Sweety it is in human and nature and especially female human nature to have empathy. We want for you to understand that we are concerned for you and would help if we could. I think this feeling of wanting to help is what has made so much progress in the medical field so that we do have doctors to discover such conditions as diabetes or depression for that matter. Try to see these people's responses or reactions to your condition as a good thing and just blow off teh stupid ones. Best wishes

Answer 10

There are no words to describe how much I effing hate those people. No one should feel they have a right to bother us or try and use us to satisfy their curiosity. They should just step the **** off and die. We're people, not ******* walking freak-show exhibit.

I don't have any major stories, just people staring or pointing and dumb shite like that, but I do not do anything diabetes related in pubic unless it is an emergency or otherwise can't be helped.

All I can say is, learn to be assertive and tell people to back the **** off or go screw themselves when they bother you.