I'm afraid I don't have an easy answer. Many of us on this forum have dealt with similar problems from friends, family, and/or coworkers: insensitivity, minimization, and just plain cluelessness. I have found out since my injury who my true friends are, and they are very few. Some people that I once considered friends I no longer consider friends.

Hang in there and know that you are not the only one having to deal with this kind of treatment from other people.