Monday, May 17, 2010
Ignorance
I have found that as we deal with T1D I have little patience for ignorance. I have gotten questions like "is it the bad kind of diabetes?" to "why is she eating THAT?" and more. So many people get T2 and T1 mixed up and really just don't get it. One night while dining in a local restaurant, I kindly asked our server how many carbs in an item and her answer was " a lot". Are you kidding me?? A lot? In compared to what? How does that help me? "I don't know" would have sounded more intelligent. I honestly wanted to punch said server in the nose. Why does ignorance when it comes to T1D ruffle my feathers so much? I think there are two reasons. First being that I want everyone to understand. I don't want their pity but I want them to get what my daughter goes through every day. Secondly I am jealous. I used to be that ignorant person who thought that counting goldfish crackers was over the top and had no clue what Lantus, Novalog, carb ratios, keytones, etc, etc. were. There was a day that I was ignorant too and ignorance was bliss.
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What a creep..."a lot." If only your server knew how thoughtless those words were.
ReplyDeleteI try to educate one person at a time. It isn't my favorite thing to do...but necessary for my sanity. I just can't walk away with out them knowing the truth.
I know that people generally mean well. I might need to come take lessons from you Meri on how to educate with out blowing my top. I have never blown my top in public but I can feel the irritation under my skin. I am always afraid of letting out just a little frustration for fear I will not be able to hold back.
ReplyDeleteYeah. It's a pain. I've had diabetes for 16 years and I still haven't figured out how to deal with people's ignorance. I don't really have any definitive tips or answers or anything. I just wanted you to know you're not the only one going through this kind of situation. I know it's frustrating, but having patience with people (unless they're absolutely rude!) will probably help your daughter figure out how to deal with those questions and comments in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input Virtue, I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to this post, I can't tell you how many times I have experienced ignorance and missinformation about type 1 diabetes since my girls were diagnosed. It is hard to deal with, especially since we have so much on our plates already.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Connie and I have two daughters with type 1 diabetes, they were diagnosed 11 months apart and it has been an incredibly difficult journey for us. We have come a long way since they were dx, but it never gets easy...just easier, sometimes.
I wish that people understood, but like you I knew nothing about it either until my daughters were diagnosed. It was one of the reasons I started to blog, I wanted to give my family and friends a glimpse into what type 1 is really all about...without shoving T1 info down their throats all the time and driving them crazy :)
Sorry for the long comment, I just found your blog tonight and this subject touched a nerve for me :) I look forward to learning more about you and your family.
This strikes a nerve in me too. James has been helping me learn to tame my tongue....I seriously think that book was written just for me!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, like Meri, I try to educate. If it seems like I can't get the truth represented, at the very least I hope the other person walks away knowing they should just keep their mouth shut in the future.
(((Hugs to you)))
Vent away, my friend!