# Day of diagnosis



## 1997 (Nov 5, 2008)

Which days were people diagnosed?

I was diagnosed just after Christmas when I was 10. With all the sugar being taken in and around that time it luckily made my grandparents notice I wasn't terribly well. Also helped that my granddad had been diagnosed a couple of years earlier.

My first injection I gave myself was on New Year's Day!


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## Admin (Nov 6, 2008)

*Welcome!*

Hullo there! I was diagnosed early December - I forget which day it was - quite a while ago!! It was shortly before my 5th birthday!! My diabetes was completely undiagnosed and my blood sugar was over 100 - the meter didn't go any higher! I was in a coma for 3 weeks and only given 6 hours to live depending on whether the insulin they gave me worked on or not - luckily it did! I spent Christmas and my birthday (26th December) in hospital and my Mom was taught how to do injections by having to practice on an orange!! Thank goodness diagnosis and awareness of diabetes has improved greatly since then!


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## 1997 (Nov 7, 2008)

It's really common for people with Type 1 to be diagnosed around the Christmas period. I can quite understand why!

I think that's highest blood sugar I've every known about! No wonder you went into a coma. Sounds like someone must have been smiling on you when you pulled through it.


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## faurfi (Nov 10, 2008)

I have two children with type 1 diabetes.  My daughter was diagnosed on the 1st of January 2001 which was New Years Day and had DKA.  I can't remember what day it was other than it was a holiday!!  My son was diagnosed on Tuesday, 17th April 2007 (I didn't remember either the day and had to look it up)!  We self diagnosed him.


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## Admin (Nov 11, 2008)

How interesting Fiona - you mentioned in another post that diabetes runs in your husband's family - I know there is a lot of debate about diabetes and if it can be inherited. There is no record of it in my family at all - hence it wasn't diagnosed until critical!


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## edawson90 (Nov 12, 2008)

I have a lot of diabetes Type 1 in my family so it frustrates me when people say it's not hereditary. I have it, my dad has it, my aunt has it and my granddad has it! Makes me a bit of an expert!

We all got it later in life though. My dad and I were both in our mid 20s.


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## PhoebeC (Nov 12, 2008)

I was diagnosed on the 23rd Janaury 2006, so nearly three years now. Still feels like two mintues though.
I think more people notice it around christmas because all you eat is junk food and do little or no exercise, also people who you dont see a lot notice odd things that people you live with dont.
When i read other peoples stroys it makes me so sad, even though my diabetes does not upset me at all. 
xxx


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## xbethanyx (Nov 12, 2008)

i was diagnosed on 1st Sep 2000, although looking back, i can say that i had symptoms for much longer than that.


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## sue57 (Nov 12, 2008)

I can't actually remember when I was diagnosed as Type 2.  But my maternal grandmother had it, my mum had it, my dad has it, his brother and sister have it...so maybe their parents had it who knows??  And my husband had Type 1 from when he was 18.  I warn my daughter that she maybe high risk with so many family members having it.  We can only hope she listens.


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## Alistair (Nov 17, 2008)

April 24,2008, a saw the GP in the morning, the specialist in the afternoon and was injecting insulin in the evening, same as the rest of you, not a day to easliy forget.


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## Lizzie (Nov 17, 2008)

I was diagnosed in February or March, about 15 years ago. My sister and I both got a tummy bug, the sort of thing that kids get all the time, but I did not get better from it, just kept getting worse. After a few days I was really bad, my breathing was funny so my mum called the GP (apparently that was possible in those days lol, no chance of a house call in the evening nowadays) and he called the ambulance. I must have been annoying as I did not like the paramedics carrying me downstairs, I wanted to walk, and I kept taking the mask off my face as well. I was out of hospital within a week, I had learned to do my injections since I did not want to be in there any longer than I had to be. I didn't want my mum doing them either. There was one girl who had been there for months, she could not do injections neither could her parents, so she couldn't leave, I thought that was very sad and did not want to be like that. 

My dad was Type 1 as well. He passed away when I was about a year old. He did not look after himself from all accounts, was fat, drank and smoked and did not do his blood sugars or anything. I think I have inherited some of those tendencies, I too am fat and do not look after myself. I don't want kids because I don't want to do to them what my dad did to me, leaving them too soon and passing on this condition.


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## Alistair (Nov 17, 2008)

Hi Lizzie,

Things in the world in general but particularly in regard to attitudes to health have moved on. Children and parents bring a lot of pain but each has its own unique rewards. : ) plus they keep the species going 

*Alistair*


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## PhoebeC (Nov 17, 2008)

I am the same as you only in hospital for a week, because i didnt want to stay any longer.
Because i was 16 they didnt know where to put me. I ended up on the adults ward, full of old women who had really bad problems with diabetes.
While i was in one woman was told she would have to have one of her legs off, and if she didnt improve maybe the other one aswell. She had been in there for a year.
The way they where scared me to death, thats why now i try to do my best to look after myself. I dont mind dying thats just part of life. There are worse things than dying.
xxx


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## sofaraway (Nov 17, 2008)

I was diagnosed the day before my 15th birthday almost 9 years ago now.


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## crashu (Nov 17, 2008)

*17th February 1997*

I was diagnosed in 1997 on the 17th February after being ill for about 2 months then finally going into a coma at my grandparents house 3 weeks later I woke in Blackpool intensive care unit and was told I had Diabetes. Being only 10 I thought it was going to be the end of the world but 11 years on and I am still here. Not so much the end of the world.


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## xbethanyx (Nov 17, 2008)

Lizzie said:


> My dad was Type 1 as well. He passed away when I was about a year old. He did not look after himself from all accounts, was fat, drank and smoked and did not do his blood sugars or anything. I think I have inherited some of those tendencies, I too am fat and do not look after myself. I don't want kids because I don't want to do to them what my dad did to me, leaving them too soon and passing on this condition.



that is such a sad thing to say!  there is no guarantee that what unfortunatley happened to your dad will happen to you xxx


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## mattie (Nov 17, 2008)

I was diagnosed in July 2004, the third day of the summer holidays ,
I thought i just had a sore throat... 
turns out the thirst was just a symptom of diabetes.


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## insulin_addict (Nov 18, 2008)

I've just 'celebrated' my 7th year  of being type-1 (Oct 28th 2001)...I remember in the few days before going to see the doctor that I was drinking about 3 pints of water and still be thirsty...so drink 2 more pints..and so on!


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## pingu36dd (Nov 18, 2008)

I got diagnosed on my dad's birthday - 19th March 1979.  Next year it will be 30 years - it seems really strange where those 30 years have gone!!!


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## litto-miss-loz (Nov 18, 2008)

hi all,

i was diagnosed 18th Jan 2005.
my sugars were 26. 

i remember bein really thirsty and needin the toilet, the september before wen i was on hols, so i had the symptoms for about 5-6 months before that.


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## mark_rugby (Nov 18, 2008)

day before Yesterday.

wasn't to bothered at the time but now i've read up a bit and had all the chats from the diabetic nurses etc 
about ulcers, amputations, heart problems, strokes and that 40% of type ones go on to develope kidney failure (my kidneys currently hurt like hell).

I'm pretty scared by it all to be honest


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## Ikey the tinker (Nov 19, 2008)

mark_rugby said:


> day before Yesterday.
> 
> wasn't to bothered at the time but now i've read up a bit and had all the chats from the diabetic nurses etc
> about ulcers, amputations, heart problems, strokes and that 40% of type ones go on to develope kidney failure (my kidneys currently hurt like hell).
> ...



It is scary and quite hard to come to terms with. I got diagnosed on 22nd October 2007, had blurred vision, raging thirst,felt sick all the time, and the doctor said I was diabetic which basically meant my sugars were unbalanced meaning my arteries would clog up much more quickly. Also, my cholesterol was off the scale. All the stuff about heart disease/amputation/kidney failure/blindness was news to me, as I think it is to the general public at large, they, like me before I had diabetes just think it's some quirky thing to do with injecting insulin and not being able to tolerate sugar, I think there is a massive amount of general ignorance about what diabetes actually is. You do get your head around it after a few months, I think it helps to keep things simple - you need to exercise,eat healthily, take your medication and keep and eye on your sugar levels, do that and hopefully you will manage it fine.


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## sofaraway (Nov 19, 2008)

mark_rugby said:


> day before Yesterday.
> 
> wasn't to bothered at the time but now i've read up a bit and had all the chats from the diabetic nurses etc
> about ulcers, amputations, heart problems, strokes and that 40% of type ones go on to develope kidney failure (my kidneys currently hurt like hell).
> ...



my favourite quote is 

"well controlled diabetes is the leading cause of absolutley nothing"

I think it's important to know the risks of complications, but also to know that controlling diabetes and avoiding these is possible. and more importantly controlling diabetes day to day will improve how you feel.


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## Miss Champers (Nov 19, 2008)

My boy was diagnosed on a Friday sometime in November in 1997, I can't remember the exact date but I know it was after the 10th and before the 20th.


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## Dizzydi (Nov 20, 2008)

*I was Diagnosed on my partners birthday*

14th April 2008 - after a routine healthy heart check
My blood sugar was 23 and I did not have a clue. It runs in my family so I was not surprised.

Now I'm doing really well with average blood sugar of 4 and hbA1C of 5.5


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## tracey w (Nov 20, 2008)

*hello all*



Hi everyone, how refreshing to find a site like this!

I am 42 and was diagnosed as type 1 just under a year ago. I know quite old for type 1, just lucky I guess.

I think this site will be great for people to get information and help that they cant get generally.

I have adapted well to having diabetes, you have to dont you? But what I have really noticed is that the general population are really ignorant of what it is and what it means to be diabetic? Also, I have read many reports in papers, media and seen things on television that portray diabetes and diabetics with completely wrong information!

More needs to be done to inform people about diabetes, after all it can happen to anyone at anytime, it happened to me .

thanks

tracey


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## aymes (Nov 22, 2008)

I was diagnosed in August 2004 at the age of 21. I was on a year's study in America when I started getting ill, over a couple of months I lost a huge amount of weight, drank so much water etc but as it came on fairly slowly I didn't realise how ill I felt and look. When I returned home my mum dragged me to the doctors, convinced I was anorexic based on how thin I was. When they tested my bg the meter showed hi so off the scale. I was taken off to the hospital and put on medication and sent home the same day, went back to work the next day! The seriousness of it all didn't sink in for a long time though, I just went into auto pilot for a while.


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## paulnicholls (Nov 23, 2008)

I was diagnosed earlier this morning.

My blood sugar was 25.6, I attended hospital feeling like death and convinced I was about to fit or pass out. I now understand I was hypo.

I'm attending my GP tomorrow to find out more.


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## paulnicholls (Nov 23, 2008)

I found out today mate. I work in Kenilworth, so maybe you and I should keep in touch.

Good to meet you.


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## Daisy (Nov 24, 2008)

Hi Paul - you were hyper rather than hypo.
Hyper - is when your blood sugars are higher than they should be (on average and it is not the same for everyone - for a T1 diabetic anything between 4 + 10)
Hypo - is when you blood suagr is low - generally anything below 4.
It is very easy to get it mixed up when you are starting out! Good look with your appt - and we are here if anything is not clear - or you are freaking out! ( there really is no need i promise xx!)


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## paulnicholls (Nov 24, 2008)

Thanks for that Daisy! I am really starting out. I am in fact T2, apparently, I've just changed the profile. I didn't understand the difference, but was told by the GP this am and given a positive diagnosis so now understand. Luckily the GP was the diabetic specialist, and he seemed very positive. 

My levels are still high: 22.7 this morning, but I've been given some Metaformin tabs and told to be careful what I eat / drink. I am to go back in a few weeks and have decided to buy a monitor to record levels. I've also a wadge of leaflets I need to read quick.

Hyper and Hypo, blimey! I'll have to get reading!

;-)


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## Keith (Nov 26, 2008)

Hi Paul. I am currently reading a lot too. What is the difference in Type 1 and Type 2 ? I was diagnosed with Type 2, although trying to get it under control with diet and exercise. Pretty scarey I have to say, when you read about the percentages for kidney failure etc.


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## Mr Sweden (Nov 26, 2008)

*1st Aug 2008*

Hi all im very new to this, The message board and diabetes 

I was diagnoised with type 1 diabetes on 1st aug 2008 this year, at the age of 26.
I first notice symptons whilst on holiday in tunisia. I felt tired, sick and thirsty all the time. At first i thought it was the tunisian food and the sun, Oh how i was wrong.
 Before Tunisia i had just moved to Sweden with my girlfriend to live. So since being in Sweden a month i was diagnoised with Diabetes type 1 (huge life changes).
On my return from Tunisia i went to see my doctor who advised me i had food poisoning (?). But 2 weeks went passed and i was getting worse, Constantly thirsty and felt so dizzy and had lost 14 kilos in 2 weeks. Something wasnt right. I went back to the doctor and on the day i went i was very close to fainting. Within 2 mins they did the tests and the diagnoised me with diabetes type 1. why they didnt notice 2 weeks before is strange to me. I was rushed to Helsinborg Hospital where i was to remain on drips for 8 days. My glucose level reading the day i went into hospital was 49 
I came to terms with the fact i had diabetes straight away. I think you just have to get on with your life and accept the changes your are going to have to make.
Diabetes is still all very new to me, but a healthy diet, lots of exercise and self monitoring of glucose, its really not that bad at all. If anything my lifestyle has dramatically improved.

xx


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## Ally (Nov 26, 2008)

Hi all,
I was finally diagnosed last Tuesday (19th November) with Type 1 diabetes. I say finally because I had been to the doctor a week before and they had tested my BS, which was 23, but instead of diagnosing me then i was just told to make an appointment at the hospital for more tests. The soonest appointment i could get was 5th Dec!!
But I got very ill over the weekend and had to go to A&E last Tuesday. I was in hospital for two nights on an insulin drip and had DKA. Now I'm home and doing 4 injections a day.

So good to have a site like this as no-one in my family is diabetic and dont know anyone who is.


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## scotstigress (Nov 26, 2008)

i was diagnosed on a sunday the week before the september weekend, i was supposed to go to blackpool for a week but insetead spent the next 3 weeks trying to get well again, being treated as a type 2 didnt help either...lol, was getting set to take mum to bingo but she decided the hospital was a better option, when i think about it now i had been unwell for about a month, but over the preceeding week my eyesight had deteriorated to about 2 feet, if im honest, i knew what was wrong with me, mum was diagnosed at 60 with type 1 and my nephew only a few weeks before me. they swithered for app 2 weeks on which type but insulin worked where as the tablets didnt so type 1 for me too, i believe it is hereditory, same as the underactive thyroide which also plagues my family..lol bloods 30+ with no ketones so i suppose it looked like type 2


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## annemaria (Nov 26, 2008)

I was diagnosed on the 12 of this month this year, no special references or occassions, but wow it seems like iv been thro so much since yet it also seems like yesterday. wierd.


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## kirsty-ann (Nov 27, 2008)

I was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. Type 1 and with no history of diabetes in my family. Symptoms over a year before diagnosis. I was at first given the wrong sized needles, wrong insulin and told to be careful what I ate. No good advice to a scared 26 year old, far from home!


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## Alter Ego (Nov 28, 2008)

I was diagnosed about 2 years ago, after first visiting my optician who said that the capillaries of my retina were looking a bit stressed. I had a fasting level of 7, that's when I went on the books. This was around Christmas, so a surfeit of cake/pud was probably the culprit. Retinopathey has been clear after three checks, hba1c has only recently started to creep up, 3 months ago was 7.9, next test Wednesday. In the meantime been watching what I eat and exercising, so wish me luck!


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## mattwilliams79 (Nov 28, 2008)

edawson90 said:


> I have a lot of diabetes Type 1 in my family so it frustrates me when people say it's not hereditary. I have it, my dad has it, my aunt has it and my granddad has it! Makes me a bit of an expert!
> 
> We all got it later in life though. My dad and I were both in our mid 20s.


Type 1 diabetes isn't hereditory, however there is a genetic susceptibility to get it. i.e. if your dad has got it there is a chance that you will also have diabetes. There has been loads of research done in this area and so far much that says it is hereditory has been disproved, especially since so much genetic work has been done into the causes of diabetes.


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## tracytrue (Nov 28, 2008)

Hi Jake was diagnosed on sunday 12 august 07 . A day i will never forget .


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## Rach (Nov 29, 2008)

Hi, I was diagnosed in May this year.  Can't remember exactly when, prob cos I was a bit out of it.  It's been a very strange year.


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## VBH (Nov 30, 2008)

17 Oct 2003 aged 32.  A1c at diagnosis was 10.8.  A1c the following April was 5.7.  Never had an A1c over 6.0 since.


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## Kirsty81 (Nov 30, 2008)

I was rushed into hospital in February 1992 when i was feeling unwell and my blood sugar level was 69. I had been to 3 doctors, all who said i had a virus or flu and to drink lucozade to raise my energy levels. All it took was the 4th DR to ask my very worried parents if i was drinking a lot and within the hour I was in the hospital on a drip.

Like a previous thread i wasn't allowed to leave hospital until both parents and myself could inject, I was only 11, and my mum wasn't keen on doing it, but overall i only spent a week in hospital. 

It is so interesting to read other people's experiences and see how similar some are.


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## Victoria (Dec 3, 2008)

Last Thursday ... fasting blood sugar of 17.7 after taking myself to the doctor for a test because I had similar symptoms to those my Grandfather had.


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## bluebird (Dec 4, 2008)

i was diagnosed in work.was on a night shift and had fallen asleep in the office with my head resting on the filing cabinet.in all the years of working nights id never done this.that night my collegue noticed that i was continuously drinking and later into the shift tested my sugars and broke the news to me that they were 17.9.went to the docs that morn after the shift and they were then 23.6 if i recall right.that was four and a half years ago.am currently on novamix 30 but seeing my diabetic nurse today as im going onto basal bolus regime.


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## Viki (Dec 4, 2008)

Rushed into hospital by ambulance with DKA 5am October 1st 2006 - 5 hours before i was due to fly to cyprus.

Had seen/spoken to 3 doctors in the previous 3 days and repeatedly diagnosed with a kidney infection!! seems they didnt notice the glucose reading fly off the chart!!


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