When Diabetes Advice is Deadly

A few days ago, a colleague came up to me and told me he knew of a cure for my diabetes. I decided let him finish his thoughts, as I wanted to remain professional and not be rude at work. Here’s what he told me:

…I was reading an article the other day about a diabetes cure. There’s an old grandma in Bulgaria that somehow mixes this special, native plant with water. It will cure your diabetes. But not many people know about it.

Literally. 

Unfortunately, this was not the first time this colleague made such idiotic statements to me. I say idiotic because I know he knows better. We actually had a half an hour discussion once about how there is no cure for type 1 diabetes (of course he thinks there is). My first clarification in such conversations is that my disease is auto-immune and cannot be reversed or cured. Most people understand this. But this guy proceeded to tell me he knew the difference between the types, and he did honestly know. He was extremely knowledgeable about the different types, which is why I thought I could explain to him that THERE IS NO CURE.

Even after telling him about fifty times that my diabetes CANNOT be cured by a special, native plant in Bulgaria, he never stopped.

So when he brought up the old granny story the other day, my response was:

I suggest you do not advise anyone else of this so-called cure. If they do not know any better, you will end up killing them.

I hope I got the point across. But it’s true. I hear all too often of type 1 diabetics who end up dying because they try alternative medicine, like this case here or this one. I think about my first years with diabetes, where I heard a lot about “cures”. Or keep newly diagnosed families in mind, with young children. All parents want to do is make the horrible disease go away – who doesn’t?

But the truth is, there is absolutely no cure for type 1 diabetes. Insulin is the only treatment, it is not a cure.

It is extremely important to inform and politely educate people of the falsities they are sharing. Even though YOU may know better, that doesn’t mean the next person they share the info with knows the truth. And that’s dangerous.

P.S. Diabetes jokes aren’t funny either. Read why I don’t tolerate them, here!