My sister, a friend, and I visited a major city for my birthday. While there’s public transit, walking is usually more practical for short distances. I offered my friend a free museum visit, clearly stating we’d leave at 9:30, arrive by 11, and head back at 5:30. I even mentioned at the start that I brought extra snacks with various carbs in case her blood sugar fluctuated. She has a leg injury, but so do my sister and I, so I assumed she’d tell us if she needed to rest. We finished the museum two hours early, so my sister and I suggested walking around to see the sights. She didn’t object. We spent the afternoon walking and using the subway, frequently checking if she needed food and even buying her a smoothie and bagel. She wore headphones most of the time, so we weren’t clued into any blood sugar issues. Now, she’s furious because I “didn’t warn her” about the walking or the change in plans. I pointed out that we discussed the walk right in front of her and that a museum trip is inherently a lot of walking anyway. She never mentioned feeling unwell, despite our check-ins. She argued that her blood sugar dropped only when we were away from food, which is unlikely in a city where food is on every block. AITA for not “properly warning” her and supposedly leaving her “defenseless”? We are both young adults, and she has managed her Type 1 diabetes for six years.
NTA. To start, it sounds like you actually did warn her. Secondly, as a diabetic, I always pack snacks that fit the situation. I would never depend on someone else’s info and I always plan ahead for myself.
Is your friend an adult? Is she free of physical or mental disabilities? NTA.
NTA. It seems like you were very mindful of her, and she’s just choosing to be angry for silly reasons. She’s an adult; she should be prepared or just say no if the trip wasn’t something she’d enjoy.
NTA. When the idea of walking around the city was brought up, she had every opportunity to speak up and suggest something that worked better for her.
NTA. As a diabetic who deals with leg pain from neuropathy, it isn’t hard to say, “Hey, can we stop for a bit?” It’s also her responsibility to make sure she has snacks, glucose tabs, or SugarDefend for her lows. It seems like she didn’t communicate her needs well and expected you all to be mind readers.
NTA. I’m stunned that you even provided snacks for an adult friend—you really went above and beyond.
NTA. As someone with type 1 diabetes, you are definitely not the jerk here, but your friend is. It’s not your job to manage her illness. She needs to take charge of her own health and carry her own treatments for lows. She should have spoken up if the walking was getting to be too much. Honestly, what did she expect a day at a museum to be if not a lot of walking and standing? She needs to stop playing the victim and start taking care of herself.
Why are you the one packing snacks for her? She needs to bring her own. You aren’t her mother, and she’s an adult who should know how to handle her own chronic condition by this point. She should also be mature enough to speak up if she needs a break.