Idiot in the clinic!

[HB1]

Just went for my first appointment at a new clinic.

I turned up at the clinic and had to go into a seperate room to have my bloods done. The nurse took the blood samples, put a plaster on my arm and bagged up the tubes while chatting away to me, and then she took a small chocolate from a tin and ate it, and said to me:

"One of our patients gave us these (indicating the large tin of chocolates) wasn't that nice of him? Of course, you can't have one, being a diabetic." (Plus pitying half-smile, you know the type I mean, we've all seen these at one point!)

:rolleyes:

Several points:

1) My DIETICIAN (this lady was a nurse, not a dietician) educates us to eat the healthy diet recommended for the rest of the population, i.e. low fat, salt & sugar; high starch,fibre & lean protein - and that treats are allowed in moderation, as long as the rest of the diet is good, and provided they fit into the food/insulin/activity equation.

2) If "diabetics can't have one" then why was she being so rude as to scoff them in a diabetes clinic while reminding diabetes patients that they "can't have one"? Eat anything you like in front of me - just don't use it as an excuse to launch some ignorant comment at me!

3) And last, the one that really fried my head: "diabetic" is an adjective, not a noun or even an adjectival noun, and I resent being described in this way!

The funny thing is, when I got in to see the doctor, she was very nice, very well-informed and has put me on a carb-counting course, is changing my treatments and has set up follow-up appointments with herself and her DSN (not the blood test nurse!)

Anyone else faced ignorance on this sort of scale, and how do you answer it? (I came up with a few good answers to this one, sadly while I was on the bus home though! Isn't that always the way? :) )

[rickst29]

Because you're an UNINFORMED CLUELESS IDIOT, and of course Clueless Idiots can't have chocolate!

(But I wouldn't dare to say it until AFTER the blood draws have all been taken.) I really do speak this way from time to time, because many people need really big cluestick whackings in order to get the message: they DON'T KNOW Diabetes, and need to stop pretending that they do.

[HB1]

I like your style!

She could have ASKED me what I do & don't eat, asking isn't ignorant!

I currently work for a boss who says "If you don't know the answer, it's not a stupid question". My thoughts exactly!

But to ASSUME... and to speak down to someone as though they were five years old at that! Grrrrr!

[Connie(BC)Type 1]

I'd write a letter to her supervisor asking she get proper diabetes education before she gives more bad info to a new patient who has no idea she's a clueless idiot:eek:

[jkeller459]

I agree that the nurse taking blood needs a serious education (not just in diabetes but patient care and manners as well).

I would have a talk with your endo at your next appointment. You appear to have developed a respect for him/her. Therefore, be direct. If that aspect of your care made you uncomfortable, let him/her know. The clinic cannot change a practice or educate one of it's employees if they don't know about the problem.

If you are hesitant about being direct, remember that other patients may be experiencing the same thing and need your voice - we all do!

[Nikki]

Gotta love it. Wait til someone she cares about gets diabetes... maybe her child, grandchild, neice, etc. It will happen. There is a bigger force of diabetics as such every 5 seconds and so on - not that this is a good thing. I dont think i would have been as dignified as you though, i woulda pretended to burst into tears and said yes, its been over ten years since i had a chocolate and i would really appreciate it if you dont eat them in front of me (or asked her to give me one, either way).

The worst blood test i had was the one where i went in, said i was a fasting insulin dependent diabetic with a low blood sugar, and was forced to queue with ten other people. Told my endo and he wrote them a letter...

[Momof4gr8kids]

That was just plain rude, and I don't think it could or should be explained as ignorance.
If you know your friends son can't have strawberries, but loves them; do you eat them in front of him? Her thinking you couldn't eat them, and then eating them in front of you was just assinine!
Second, most nurses especially in a clinic for diabetes are trained to know about diabetes. She must have got her lisence out of a cereal box!
And just one more, wouldn't you think that food should be kept out of the room they are drawing blood in? Not just for the safety of the moron eating food where bio hazards live, but also blood samples could be contaminated!
Anyway, I hope you let your doctor know, or write a strong letter to the head of the clinic. That woman needs to either be trained properly, and gain some manners, or she needs to be let go of!
I am glad you found such a good doc, though! That is very good news!
I hope you are doing well, Jamie

[madde]

Ignorance- that's all I have to say, pure, simple ignorance.

[mischloss]

I agree with everyone regarding saying something to the doctor. A: About her lack of tolerance for those that have diabetes. Taunting you with sweets and then saying "Oh Yeah, you can't have any" is just malicious in my book. B: As the above posting said, regarding bio-hazards and unsanitary conditions when food is in a clinic.

I can sympathize...my son's teacher refused to give him a popcorn snack for their movie time. All the other kids were having the snack in front of him and he had to call me to ask special permission to have the popcorn because she said he is a diabetic and can't have any! Ignorance I am afraid comes in all shapes and sizes. ;) I emailed her right away and told her he is allowed to have a small cup of popcorn as long as he and the clinician at school are aware of his current BG numbers and account for it in his insulin dosage. Geeeez!!!!