When Others Are Insensitive

Sometimes people say the wrong thing. And it leaves you feeling...bad.

How each of us deals with it depends on our personality, our upbringing or simply the emotion at the time. It could involve anger, tears, shock, swearing, disappointment, you name it.

When it's the professionals who say the wrong thing, the comments seem somehow, worse.
They're supposed to know better, right? Right.
They're supposed to be sensitive. Yes.
They're supposed to understand what it's like to live with diabetes. Well, you hope.

I'd love to accept that they're having an off day but I'm really not that generous. It's hard to have a glass half full when you felt your glass was empty in the first place.

When a professional catches me off guard I react. I will say nothing. That's my reaction. For those who know me well, they would never believe that. The anger, the tears, and yes, the swearing comes later when I am safely with my loved ones who allow me my moment. Or two. Or more.

There is one situation that come to mind for me.

I went to see a diabetic professional about my diabetes. There had been many warnings in the news about a med I was on. There were class action suits in both the USA and Canada. Well of course, that concerned me. I told her what I had heard/read.

The response: No. That's it. No.

I asked another question and again I got no. Oh, AND she was doubling that med because my blood values were not where she wanted them to be. There was no discussion. There was no doctor consulted.

Well, I don't think so. We were not on the same page.

Now if she were a puppet and I could speak for her, here's how the interaction would have gone.

I tell her about the class action suit.
"I hadn't heard about that. Tell me what the suit states."
I tell her.
"At present there's no evidence to support what the suit is claiming. However let me get in touch with Dr Endocrinologist and get back to you. Do you feel ok staying on the drug until I get a hold of the Dr?"
Yes. When will you call me back?
"He's away today but I will call him tomorrow and ask him what he is aware of to see if he can speak to your concern."
Ok. That sounds great. I look forward to your call.

Well obviously it didn't go that way. I left with the Rx she gave me. The next day I called back to the Education Centre and told them to close my file, I wouldn't be back.

That decision felt right and I never looked back. Until now. Because of the blog. Hahahahaha!