Dear Barista

As Type 1 Diabetics, we’ve all had extremely insensitive and uneducated comments directed toward us. Here are a few we’ve probably all heard:

You’re too skinny to be diabetic.
You don’t look diabetic. 
I’m guessing you ate too much candy as a kid.
Is that the good kind, or the bad kind?
You can’t eat that! 

The sad thing is, we’ve heard so much more. And the truth is, friends and relatives say them too…the people who should know better. However insensitive, we get past it and pass along some helpful enlightenment about T1D along the way.

After hearing all of these comments, plus more, I finally came across one that actually hurt me. It was SO insensitive and completely unnecessary. I honestly couldn’t even reply to the barista making my drink. I was furious. Angry. Sad. Hurt. Shocked.

The story goes as follows. I asked for my coffee to be made with heavy cream instead of milk. In Germany it’s super goofy, if you want heavy cream people will look at you weird. It usually only comes whipped. So I had to specifically ask for the liquid form. Thankfully they had it in the back room.

The woman who was actually making my drink sparked up conversation with me. I guess I had a weird request because she asked why I wanted “Schlagsahne”…heavy cream. I told her it’s much lower in carbs than regular milk and it’s easier for my type 1 diabetes.

Here’s what she responded with,

Man, I wish I had diabetes too.

HOW INSENSITIVE?! I just can’t image telling someone that I wish I had their disease too, or their cancer, or whatever they have. NEVER. There are SO many other simple responses she could have given, or even to have said nothing.

Here’s the other problem, we were speaking German together (hence me living in Germany). I am conversationally fluent, but when it comes to situations like this, I freeze. And that’s exactly what I did. Froze. I couldn’t even reply. I just stood there.

Have you had an experience like this, one that you can’t forget?