What A Diabeetus, Part 6
(I have been called to the nurse’s office. Earlier this month I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.)
Tutor: “We notice that you’ve been missing a lot of school lately, and we wanted to be sure that you’re all right.”
Me: “Yes. It’s like my parents said: I’ve got diabetes, and I’ve had to go to the hospital a lot to make sure my glucose levels are stable.”
Nurse: “Hm, I don’t see anything in your records about this. Are you sure you have diabetes, and are not just skipping school?”
Me: “No, I definitely have diabetes.”
Tutor: “Look, [My Name], you can talk to us about any problems you’ve been having. Is everything all right at home?”
Me: “Everything is absolutely fine. Did you not listen to my parents when they told you that I have diabetes?“
Nurse: “Troubled children sometimes make stories up to get attention. I read up on it a lot in medical school. There’s even a disorder for it. Munchausen, I think.”
Me: “I am not a troubled child, and even if I was, what good would it do pretending to have diabetes? It isn’t exactly something you can fake.”
Nurse: *putting on a sweet sarcastic tone* “Okay, if you can prove to us that you have ‘diabetes’—” *yes, she did air quotes* “—we’ll let you go back to your lesson.”
(I look at my tutor and he urges me on. I lift up my shirt to reveal my insulin pump.)
Me: “You know what this is, right? It’s called an insulin pump.”
(The nurse sputters and turns to her computer. My tutor’s face drains and he, too, turns away.)
Tutor: “Okay, you can go.”
(I told my parents when I got home, and my mum marched up to the school and chewed the heads off anyone who tried to get in her way. I ended up being moved to another tutor group, and that nurse hasn’t been seen since. I also received a laminated letter, signed by the headmistress, saying that I did, indeed, have a medical condition, and was under no obligation to prove it to anyone in school. It’s been a year and I have yet to use it.)
Related:
What A Diabeetus, Part 5
What A Diabeetus, Part 4
What A Diabeetus, Part 3
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?
