Top Ten Things Other People Say

[Mimi]

In the style of David Letterman:

Counting Down the Top Ten Things Other People Say to the Fructose Intolerant (Especially at holiday parties)

Number 10: I’m sorry, it must be so hard for you to watch us eat this (cake, ice cream, cookies, … etc.)

Number 9: Wow, if I had your condition, I’d really be skinny.

Number 8: I brought fruit so there’d be something here for you to eat.

Number 7: I made this with artificial sweetener, so you could have some.

Number 6: There’s no sugar in (spaghetti, pizza, barbeque, ….. etc.)

Number 5: I know you can’t drink sodas, so I have ginger ale for you.

Number 4: You can drink (wine, beer, mixed drinks … etc.), can’t you?

Number 3: But you need a LITTLE bit of sugar to live.

Number 2: Are you sure you’re not diabetic?

And the Number One Thing Other People Say to the Fructose Intolerant (Especially at holiday parties):

So what CAN you eat?

[colormist]

Oh man, I get #9 and #2 all the time. #1 occurs at least weekly, but seems to be less annoying than the previous ones.

Another variation on #9: "Oh man, I'd love to have that problem!"

No, ma'am. No you would not.

I also like the "so, can you have any sugars?" I say, "well, aspartame, but that's gross." Then they make a face and agree that I should never ever eat that.

[Tammy]

I LOVE this list.
We get #10 a lot, but # 1 is without a doubt the #1.

Of course, we could add "wow, I've never heard of that".

We just ran into #6 last night. Someone makes their own ketchup and there's no sugar in it.

And we also get Laura's add on, and then I end up explaining things like lactose....

And why do people always want to withhold salt? As in "She can't have that - it has salt in it". I just tell them, "no, that's your fat butt that can't have salt". ;D

[ukbill]

"Do you want a piece of cake Bill"

My mother aged 86, bless her, still forgets.

[julienc]

Fun thread!

I get 10, 9, and 1 constantly, and Laura's "I wish I had that problem."

Or often a simple "That's weird."

Bill, our family joke is that my Dad STILL asks my brother and me if we want a soda when we are at his house.

[ukbill]

When I have to explain why I do not want a slice of birthday cake offered I tell people that although they may think I'm pretty strange already they have no idea just how strange I am..

Some of you who have read my posts will get a mind boggle thinking that one through!

At least it gets a smile and people do not then give me the "oh you poor thing" type reaction.

I find it is best just to politely refuse and say "its just not for me thanks" I only bother to go into details if they seem to take offence at my refusal of the food offered.

It gets difficult in a Public House (bar) if I'm driving and not drinking.. I get plain soda water which in the UK is sugar free or have a sparkling spring water.

Its funny when drunk mates are offering to buy me something else and suggest one by one all the bars offerings of "soft" drinks none of which I can take.. I get "but there's no sugar in Diet Cola have one of them!" quite often.

By the way has anyone else had religious NUT Cases trying to exorcise them because "I must be Possessed by Devils if I cannot eat sugar"

[anastazya]

Ukbill....that's a new one on me...but it's really funny! : )

[ukbill]

It wasn't so funny at the time I was only 13 and away for a week on a summer religious type camp.
but now I see the funny side of it..

[charlie]

We get all of those. The other two are:
- well at least she won't put on weight

-she will have good teeth??'!!!!!!

[ukbill]

Well yes she will have good teeth (unless she gets addicted to Dextrose / Glucose )

It used to be the way people were first noticed before being diagnosed with HFI.

As a family we have very soft teeth and all of us have problems with fillings every time we visit the dentist.. except me! YAY!

At least those comments are positive.

[kim55]

The two comments I hear most often are, "
Are you diabetic?" and "what happens if you eat sugar?"
But I have had one person argue with me over a particular item they wanted me to eat, because they said a relative of theirs was diabetic and could eat it with no problem!

[lionessmom]

i am just starting to get all these said to me. I was recently diagnosed though.

[colormist]

LOL! I love answering "what happens if you eat sugar?" with: nausea, vomiting, brain fog, hypoglycemic... and if I was being force-fed, eventually coma and death.

This usually stops people from pushing fructose on me.

[lionessmom]

how do you explain to people what it is? it seems to take way too many words. it is kinda like an allergy to sugar but if i say allergy people act like i am gonna die if it touches me. if i say Intolerance then they dont take me seriously. and seriously my hypoglycemia has almost all went away after being on this diet for 3 weeks now.

[charlie]

thats great you are finding an improvement already. You may find other symptoms ease once the body has settled down from fructose. Keep it up. From my experience with Megs it is good to continue on the very strict diet for several months before trying any experiments.

as to what to say to people I just say Megans liver can't break down fructose so she can't eat fruit, vegetables and sugar and she will usually be violently sick if she has any ( I seem to remember that last bit came from Tammy originally and it works wonders!!). That usually shuts them up from going through the list of possible exclusions.

[susan]

Someone once said to me, "I wish I had your will-power !" I let it go as that. Will-power.
Funny. I guess we are both cursed and blessed by processed foods. The processing of foods allowed the disorder to be recognized...yet processed foods are our enemy with hidden poisons.

[colormist]

Amazing will-power to not eat things that cause instant nausea!